The Cartel Group's Founder Victoria Varela Negrete Named Hispanic Magazine's Entrepreneur Of The Year
Rent-A-Center selected The Cartel Group as the company’s Hispanic market agency of record in April, 2004 following a nationwide search...more

CFSA Publishes "Military Best Practices" For Payday Advance Providers
With all the recent furor surrounding Payday Loans and the military, CFSA has published "Military Best Practices." To be a member in good standing of CFSA, a payday advance provider must abide by the following best practices...more

Pioneer Continues Free Power Supply Replacement for Certain Consumer Plasma Displays
In some cases, a loud popping sound can be heard when a power supply fails. After the power supply fails, the plasma is no longer operable...more

Westinghouse President Douglas Woo Says 2005 To Be Watershed Year For LCD TVs
The primary advantage of LCD TVs, Woo said, is the product's ability to dramatically decrease in price and approach a price closer to CRTs faster than other TV technologies...more

Panasonic Home Theater System with DVD Recorder Wins Sound & Vision Reviewer's Choice Award
The magazine tests approximately 150 products throughout the year. Only 20 or so are honored as the year’s most exceptional consumer electronics products...more

Maytag CEO Hake: "A Much Different Company Than a Year Ago"
Hake told analysts that Maytag is on track to achieve $150 million in annual savings from the One Company restructuring...more

Will Rentals Be Flat This Christmas? Groups Claim Interest In Small And Big Ticket Items Down From 2003
"HDTV has been marketed heavily, and although more consumers are aware of it and understand it, the value proposition just isn’t there yet"-Lynne Bartos, Ipsos-Insight, Media & Entertainment research division...more

Rent-Way Schedules Fourth Quarter Conference Call
Rent-Way announced it will host a conference call in connection with the release of financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year...more

Demand Check-Cashing Propels CashWorks Growth; Number of CashWorks Locations Jumps 15 Percent in Two Months
"80 million underserved Americans are looking for a place to cash their payroll or government-issued checks, or pay their bills," said Will Sowell, general manager of CashWorks...more

Nintendo DS Available Nov. 21
Boasting dual screens, touch-screen and voice-recognition interfaces and two forms of wireless connection, the 1 million Nintendo DS units available in North America already are expected to be depleted by year's end...more

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Endorses Rental Purchase Agreement Act
The addition of Baucus brings the Senate cosponsor count to 27; 14 Democrat and 13 Republican. The senior Senator is the only Montana legislator to support the bill...more

Gallup Survey: 75% Of Women Say They Are Better Off Financially As A Small Business Owner Than Working For Another Company In The Same Field
Forty percent of women business owners surveyed are seeing an increase in revenues this year and 60% expect revenues to increase over the next 12 months, yet only 23% expect to increase the number of jobs at their company next year...more

HP Honored with 2004 New Freedom Initiative Award by U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
The award recognizes HP for demonstrating exemplary and innovative efforts to train, recruit and hire people with disabilities, incorporating the principles of President George W. Bush's New Freedom Initiative...more

Senior Loan Officer Survey Shows Banks Easing Credit Standards On Business Loans
Banks that eased standards or terms reported having done so in response to increased competition from other U.S. banks as well as from a wide range of alternative sources of business credit...more

Rent A Center Receives Technology Award For Wi-Fi Deployment
The annual InfoWorld Top 100 awards honor companies that demonstrate the most creative use of cutting-edge technologies to further their business goals...more

Canada's Money Mart Reacts To ACORN Demonstration
National Money Mart Company (Money Mart) is extremely disappointed by the demonstration outside its Weston Road store in Toronto and the unfounded allegations made by ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) on the Company's business practices...more

Britt Beemer’s Christmas 2004 Sales Forecast; 19% Will Spend More Since Bush Was Reelected
The average amount spent by American families will be $884.98 and there is a virtual tie with 20.7% planning to spend $751-$1,000 and 20.5% planning to spend $501-$750...more

Hispanic Households Booming; Marketers Must Understand Diversity Within Hispanic Community
"...since this young, burgeoning market is extremely diverse, marketers should be aware of extensive demographic and economic differences among the Hispanic household population"-Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board's Consumer Research Center...more

Rent Way Accelerates New Store Openings
"We have put together a first rate new store opening plan that includes a rigorous challenge process for site location, staffing and financial expectations"-Todd Homberger, VP of new stores...more

Rentcash Opens 27 Stores Since July; Same Store Sales Up %107
"These excellent results demonstrate that Rentcash's focus on profitability is compatible with opening an average of two new stores per week"- Gordon J. Reykdal, Rentcash Inc. President CEO...more

Audio Interview With Jill Crews; Arkansas Rental Dealers Association Executive Director
Jill Crews became the first Executive Director of the Arkansas Rental Dealers Association (ARDA) in 2003. Her focus has been on increasing membership through improved communication and plain old hard work...more

Duties on Chinese Wooden Bedroom Furniture Reduced: Move Should Reduce Prices
"We see the reduced rates as positive news, and a very clear indication from Commerce that the domestic industry's problems are not the result of Chinese imports"-Mike Veitenheimer, FRA spokesperson and Vice President and Counsel of The Bombay Company...more

Dell Says No To Outsourcing; Expands U.S. Manufacturing With North Carolina Facility
Through the first half of this year, Dell increased unit shipments by nearly 20 percent and increased its U.S. market leadership by two share points to more than 33 percent...more

Hampden Group Launches GPS Enabled Rent to Own Automobile Program
"The prepaid and rent-to-own program has worked for furniture and electronics with tremendous success, so then why not automobiles?"-Michael Raburn, CEO of Hampden Group...more

Lynnray Financial Corporation Announces Cash flow Solution for Rent To Own Dealers
Lynnray Financial Corporation offers 24 month inventory financing terms to independent Rent To Own dealers...more

Radio Rentals And Rentravision Push Acer Australia To Record Sales; Retail Kiosks Key To Record Growth
Over the past three months, Acer has been increasing its retail presence and sales across Australia with the deployment of over 35 retail kiosks to key retail channel partners including Radio Rentals and Retravision...more

The "Idiot Box'' Is Getting Smarter
The first generation of digital televisions were slim, sleek and beautiful, but not especially smart...more

Going Private To Save Bestway Big $$
Bestway, the smallest of the 5 publicly held North American rent to own companies, will save over $770,000 annually by going private. Although not specified in yesterday's release, company officials say they have been working behind the scenes since 2002 on taking Bestway "to the Pink Sheets."...more

Nasdaq Delisting Bestway; Company To Go Private
Bestway Rent to Own today filed a preliminary proxy statement disclosing that, subject to stockholder approval at the upcoming annual meeting, it intends to complete a going private transaction...more

Rental Dealers Benefit From HR4520; American Jobs Creation Act of 2004
The recently enacted "American Jobs Creation Act of 2004" has some potential positive tax provisions for some rental dealers...more

Canada's Largest Rent to Own Reports Record Revenue; easyhome Same Store Sales Up 8.7%
"For the sixth consecutive quarter we have increased our net customer count which was 10% higher at the end of September 30, 2004 compared to a year ago"-David Ingram, President and CEO...more

Texas Association Of Rental Dealers Schedules Tradeshows Through '08
While TARA has not set specific attendance goals for '06, '07, and '08, the group is focusing on making TARA a regional show by inviting dealers from all surrounding states...more

Letter To The Editor
BY Larry Sutton
Rent A Center And Rent Way APRO Resignations No Surprise
For anyone to assume that someone dropped the ball [causing Rent a Center and Rent Way to resign from APRO] or that ego played a roll in the decision, is pure gobbledygook, and nothing but a new conspiracy theory...more

Rental Purchase Act Looses 5 Key Supporters
The Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act lost 5 of it's most powerful Democratic supporters in Tuesdays sweeping Republican victories. But sources insist the odds of passage have actually increased dramatically as a result...more

QC Holdings Acquires 20 Oklahoma Payday Loan Stores
The stores have been open for less than one year, currently operate under the trade name Check First...more

President’s National Hire Veterans Committee Expands
The latest element of the “Hire Vets First” campaign, a comprehensive Web site that enables employers to find veteran job seekers, is now available online...more

2004 Rent To Own Industry Poll; Preliminary Results Show Lower Customer Count
The 2004 RTO Industry Poll went live on October 27th. Preliminary results are already showing significant differences year over year...more

MTX Founder Loyd Ivey Elected To Consumer Electronics Association Executive Board
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) today announced that Mitek Corp. Chairman and CEO Loyd Ivey has been elected chair of CEA's Executive Board and Audiovox Electronics Corp. President and CEO Patrick Lavelle has been elected vice chair...more

Train For Rent to Own Success
"BOR is just a number...it’s money that pays the bills"-Lindsey Semon, Owner, RTO Consulting...more

Florida Rental Dealers Association Wraps Meeting (22 photos)
The Florida Rental Dealers Association (FRDA) wrapped up it's annual convention and tradeshow today in Tampa, Florida...more

Cash Advance Centers Registers 110,000 New Voters
"Register in Advance is a perfect example of how the non-profit and business communities can come together to encourage voter registration"-Advance America Director of Corporate and Community Partnerships Adrienne White...more

Aaron Rents Reports Same Store Sales Up 10.9%
For the three months ended September 30, 2004 revenues increased 23% to $231.6 million compared to $188.4 million for the third quarter of 2003...more

Rent A Center To Get In On Dell Referrals
In an arrangement apparently similar to the one Aaron Rents announced in February of this year, Dell will begin referring credit rejected consumers to Rent a Center...more

Sony Prepares For New PlayStation 2 Launch; Lighter, Sleeker And Network Ready
"In the future the combination of the new PlayStation 2 with new software you are able to play games without the controller and this is going to bring in lots of new people"-David Reeves, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe...more

Furniture Brands International Blames Election Uncertainty, Oil, War, Stock Market For Flat Sales; Warns For Q4
"We expect these inconsistent business patterns to continue until distractions and uncertainties associated with the upcoming elections, the high price of oil, the hostilities in the Middle East, and fluctuations in the stock market are resolved"-W. G. (Mickey) Holliman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer...more

2004 Rent to Own Industry Poll Begins; Take The Poll Online In 15 Minutes
Beginning today, October 27th, through December 31st, 2004, RTO Online will conduct it's second annual Rent to Own Industry Poll...more

Pioneer Opens PureVision Loft To Showcase HD Technology
"...while the Consumer Electronics Association reports that more than 60 percent of American television viewers recognize the abbreviation "HDTV", the choices can be confusing"-Russ Johnston, senior VP marketing, home entertainment division, Pioneer Electronics (USA)...more

Insta-Rent Inks Deal With The Brick; Will Open 114 Rent to Own Kiosks In 24 Months
The Insta-rent kiosks allow The Brick or United Furniture Warehouse customers, who may not qualify for special promotional programs, to take advantage of Insta-rent's rental or rent-to-own programs...more

Rent-A-Center Reports -5.5% Same Store Sales; Takes $47 Million Charge To Settle California Class Action
Under the proposed settlement, Rent a Center would pay $37.5 million in cash, to be distributed to the class of customers from February 1999 through October 2004, and issue vouchers to qualified class members for two weeks free rent on a new rental agreement for merchandise of their choice...more

easyhome Webcast Conference Call Scheduled For November 5
easyhome CEO David Ingram will review the company's performance for the quarter ended September 30, 2004...more

The Rental Industry Buying Group (TRIB) Begins Annual Review
TRIB is the largest RTO specific buying group in the United States. It was formed in 1983 by a group of independent dealers to negotiate better pricing with suppliers in order to compete with large chains...more

Aaron's Community OutReach Program (ACORP) To Host International Students At Atlanta Motor Speedway
In 1999 Aaron Rents established Aaron's Community OutReach Program (ACORP), totally dedicated to supporting worthy charitable causes locally as well as nationally...more