Also in this issue is a special RTO Electronics Section featuring picks for the year's hottest RTO consumer electronics from DSI Systems and New Age Electronics.

Photo RTO Online

Cover - RTO Magazine March 2009

RTO Magazine, the rental-purchase industry's leading trade magazine, announced the publication of "The Rental-Purchase Agreement Act De-Mystified" - A guide to understanding the consumer and industry benefits of proposed federal legislation to regulate rent-to-own transactions. The issue will be arriving in mailboxes this week.

Also in this issue is a special RTO Electronics Section featuring picks for the year's hottest rental consumer electronics from DSI Systems and New Age Electronics.

Download the E-book version of RTO Magazine - The Rental Purchase Agreement Act De-Mystified.

The legislative issue of RTO Magazine contains the complete language of The Rental Purchase Agreement Act along with section-by-section explanations of consumer protections that the Act would establish. In addition, the issue contains a Senate directory for all 50 states that includes photo, address, and staff contact information. The congressional directory also lists Representatives by state who sit on the House Financial Services Committee. Previous cosponsors of the Act are marked for easy identification.

Included in this groundbreaking issue are articles and profiles submitted by manufacturers, distributors, service providers and rent-to-own companies who support passage of the Act including Aaron's, Bestway Rent to Own, ColorTyme, The Premier Companies and Rent-A-Center. Vendors contributing to the legislative section of RTO Magazine include ALMO, Curry Real Estate, DSI Systems, GE, Lynnray Financial, New Age Electronics, RTO Pro, SED International, Truckskin, and Whitsell & Company.

In his letter from the publisher, Roy Griffaw, founder of RTO Online, Inc. and publisher of RTO Magazine wrote; "This issue is dedicated to the manufacturers, distributors and service providers that supply quality merchandise, the small business owners across America that meet the growing demand for Rent-To-Own, the tens of thousands of employees that overcome any obstacle to provide world-class service, and most importantly, to the millions of consumers that rely on rental-purchase to improve their quality of life."

We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Steve Kruse, operation's analyst for Bestway Rent to Own, and Dwight Dumler, senior vice president of government affairs for Rent-A-Center, in the creation of this guide.

Letter from the publisher - March 2009
By Roy Griffaw
Since the launch of RTOonline.com in 1996 and RTO Magazine in 2005, I have had the pleasure of meeting, interviewing and corresponding with thousands of Rent-To- Own professionals from St. Louis to Manila. Whether the transaction is referred to as "Rent-to-Own" or "Rental-Purchase" as it is in North America, or Hire-Purchase as it is called in most of Europe and Australia, Rent-To-Own is in demand by consumers everywhere for the same reason - it allows a debt-free method of acquiring needed household goods with no long-term obligation. The Consumer Rental Purchase Act would ensure access to this increasingly important channel while federally mandating necessary consumer protections similar to other retail transactions.

Equally as important, and unlike any other transaction in existence today, Rent-To- Own/rental-purchase gives credit constrained consumers what they lack in all other forms of retail - complete control throughout the life of the contract. Unlike a traditional lease that obligates a consumer to the full term, a rental-purchase consumer can choose to terminate the agreement for any reason and at any time after the initial period, which cannot exceed four months, but in most cases is less than seven days.

We in the Rent-To-Own industry have become so familiar with these facts that we sometimes take for granted the incredible value that this level of control represents to a consumer.

The U.S. Rent-To-Own industry is much more than 9,000 storefronts, 50,000 employees and millions of consumers. The industry provides a valuable channel for domestic furniture, appliance, electronics and computer manufacturers. These suppliers are the backbone of the industry and the Rent-To-Own channel provides them with an increasingly important source of revenue, especially in these challenging economic times.

This issue of RTO Magazine is designed to serve as a guide to understanding the Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act. It contains the language of the bill and, where appropriate, plain English explanations of specific sections. We also included a condensed Legislative Guide with contact information for all Senators and for Representatives sitting on the House Financial Services Committee - the committee of jurisdiction for the Act.

This issue is dedicated to the manufacturers, distributors and service providers that supply quality merchandise, the small business owners across America that meet the growing demand for Rent-To-Own, the tens of thousands of employees that overcome any obstacle to provide world-class service, and most importantly, to the millions of consumers that rely on rental-purchase to improve their quality of life.

Roy Griffaw
President and CEO, RTO Online Inc.
Publisher, RTO Magazine
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