In the September-October issue of RTOHQ: The Magazine, we offer a twist on our “Now & Then” series of APRO-member profiles. Instead of featuring someone on the rise in rent-to-own alongside an RTO veteran, this issue takes a “Now & Then” look at how the RTO industry has helped those in need after natural disasters. It started in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina caused horrific damage along the Gulf Coast. In its aftermath, APRO launched a foundation to help RTO employees severely affected by Katrina receive financial support. The association’s disaster relief fund has been in existence ever since. The damage caused by the flooding in Louisiana this summer is being compared to Hurricane Katrina; however, the media attention hasn’t been as focused as it was in 2005. But that hasn’t stopped Louisiana Rental Dealers Association President Louis Bacille and others in the industry from helping flood victims recover. In our twist on “Now & Then,” Bacille reminds us that the rent-to-own industry—a business founded on customer service—is often there to help those in need.
Also in this issue, APRO Deputy Executive Director Richard May outlines APRO’s 2017 Dave Egan Legislative Conference, February 8 and 9 in Washington, D.C. In case you haven’t heard, there is a general election this year, one that will cause lots of shifts on Capitol Hill. It is crucial, therefore, that RTO dealers meet with lawmakers old and new to let them know the issues that affect rent-to-own and to remind them that the industry is a valuable part of the U.S. economy.
Ed Winn III, APRO’s general counsel, examines the pursuit of customers who take what’s yours in a feature titled, simply, “Rental Thieves.” There are options for retrieving your big-screen TV that hasn’t been paid for, but are those options worth it?
Finally, wage-and-hour expert Brian Farrington outlines the new overtime rules going into effect December 1. There has been a lot of talk within the RTO industry about these significant changes and, thankfully, we have just the person to sort it all out. In the article, Farrington explains the salary exemption test and how can affect your business.
Click here to read the entire September-October issue of RTOHQ: The Magazine.
