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Document and Company Information - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Document and Company Information - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016	Feb. 21, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Document and Company Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	RENT A CENTER INC DE
Entity Central Index Key	0000933036
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2016
Amendment Flag	false
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2016
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Public Float			$ 636,720,333
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		53,196,843
Trading Symbol	RCII

Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Store
Rentals and fees	$ 2,500,053	$ 2,781,315	$ 2,745,828
Merchandise sales	351,198	377,240	290,048
Installment sales	74,509	76,238	75,889
Other	12,706	19,158	19,949
Total store revenues	2,938,466	3,253,951	3,131,714
Franchise
Merchandise sales	16,358	15,577	19,236
Royalty income and fees	8,428	8,892	6,846
Total revenues	2,963,252	3,278,420	3,157,796
Store
Cost of rentals and fees	664,845	728,706	704,595
Cost of merchandise sold	323,727	356,696	231,520
Cost of installment sales	24,285	25,677	26,084
Total cost of store revenues	1,012,857	1,111,079	962,199
Other charges and (credits)	0	34,698	(6,836)
Franchise
Franchise cost of merchandise sold	15,346	14,534	18,070
Total cost of revenues	1,028,203	1,160,311	973,433
Gross profit	1,935,049	2,118,109	2,184,363
Operating expenses
Store labor	789,049	854,610	888,929
Other store expenses	791,614	833,914	842,254
General and administrative expenses	168,907	166,102	162,316
Depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles	80,456	80,720	83,168
Goodwill impairment charge	151,320	1,170,000	0
Other charges	20,299	20,651	14,234
Total operating expenses	2,001,645	3,125,997	1,990,901
Operating (loss) profit	(66,596)	(1,007,888)	193,462
Finance charges from refinancing	0	0	(4,213)
Interest expense	(47,181)	(49,326)	(47,843)
Interest income	(503)	(634)	(947)
(Loss) earnings before income taxes	(113,274)	(1,056,580)	142,353
Income tax (benefit) expense	(8,079)	(103,060)	45,931
Net (loss) earnings	$ (105,195)	$ (953,520)	$ 96,422
Basic (loss) earnings per common share	$ (1.98)	$ (17.97)	$ 1.82
Diluted (loss) earnings per common share	(1.98)	(17.97)	1.81
Cash dividends declared per common share	$ 0.32	$ 0.96	$ 0.93

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent [Abstract]
Net (loss) earnings	$ (105,195)	$ (953,520)	$ 96,422
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(5,188)	(6,399)	(4,656)
Total other comprehensive loss	(5,188)	(6,399)	(4,656)
Comprehensive (loss) income	$ (110,383)	$ (959,919)	$ 91,766

- Definition

The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

+ References + Details

Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 95,396	$ 60,363
Receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $3,593 and $3,614 in 2016 and 2015, respectively	69,785	69,320
Prepaid expenses and other assets	54,989	158,807
Rental merchandise, net
On rent	795,118	907,625
Held for rent	206,836	228,847
Merchandise held for installment sale	3,629	4,668
Property assets, net of accumulated depreciation of $522,101 and $482,448 in 2016 and 2015, respectively	316,428	330,939
Goodwill	55,308	206,122
Other intangible assets, net	5,252	7,777
Total Assets	1,602,741	1,974,468
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable - trade	108,238	96,355
Accrued liabilities	332,196	332,553
Deferred income taxes	173,144	206,137
Senior debt, net	186,747	419,648
Senior notes, net	537,483	536,185
Total Liabilities	1,337,808	1,590,878
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Common stock, $.01 par value; 250,000,000 shares authorized; 109,519,369 and 109,441,911 shares issued in 2016 and 2015, respectively	1,095	1,094
Additional paid-in capital	827,107	818,339
Retained earnings	800,640	922,878
Treasury stock at cost, 56,369,752 shares in 2016 and 2015	(1,347,677)	(1,347,677)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(16,232)	(11,044)
Total Stockholders' Equity	264,933	383,590
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity	$ 1,602,741	$ 1,974,468

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$ 3,593	$ 3,614
Accumulated depreciation	$ 522,101	$ 482,448
Common stock - par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock - shares authorized	250,000,000	250,000,000
Common stock - shares issued	109,519,369	109,441,911
Treasury stock - shares at cost	56,369,752	56,369,752

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-In Capital	Retained Earnings	Treasury Stock	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	$ 1,335,869	$ 1,091	$ 802,124	$ 1,880,320	$ (1,347,677)	$ 11
Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2013		109,108
Net (loss) earnings	96,422			96,422
Total other comprehensive loss	(4,656)					(4,656)
Exercise of stock options, shares		212
Exercise of stock options	4,647	$ 2	4,645
Vesting of restricted share units, shares		33
Vesting of restricted share units	1	$ 1
Tax effects of stock awards vested and options exercised	(150)		(150)
Stock-based compensation	6,559		6,559
Dividends declared	(49,297)			(49,297)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	1,389,395	$ 1,094	813,178	1,927,445	(1,347,677)	(4,645)
Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2014		109,353
Net (loss) earnings	(953,520)			(953,520)
Total other comprehensive loss	(6,399)					(6,399)
Exercise of stock options, shares		66
Exercise of stock options	1,485	$ 0	1,485
Vesting of restricted share units, shares		23
Vesting of restricted share units	0	$ 0
Tax effects of stock awards vested and options exercised	(5,865)		(5,865)
Stock-based compensation	9,541		9,541
Dividends declared	(51,047)			(51,047)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	383,590	$ 1,094	818,339	922,878	(1,347,677)	(11,044)
Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2015		109,442
Net (loss) earnings	(105,195)			(105,195)
Total other comprehensive loss	(5,188)
Vesting of restricted share units, shares		77
Vesting of restricted share units	0	$ 1	(1)
Tax effects of stock awards vested and options exercised	(440)		(440)
Stock-based compensation	9,209		9,209
Dividends declared	(17,043)			(17,043)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 264,933	$ 1,095	$ 827,107	$ 800,640	$ (1,347,677)	$ (16,232)
Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2016		109,519

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities
Net (loss) earnings	$ (105,195)	$ (953,520)	$ 96,422
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) earnings to net cash provided by operating activities
Depreciation of rental merchandise	657,090	718,100	685,115
Bad debt expense	15,449	15,260	15,509
Stock-based compensation expense	9,209	9,541	6,559
Depreciation of property assets	77,361	76,429	78,747
Loss on sale or disposal of property assets	3,718	11,897	10,363
Goodwill impairment charge	151,320	1,170,000	0
Amortization of intangibles	2,176	3,333	2,955
Amortization of financing fees	2,217	3,126	3,218
Deferred income taxes	(32,994)	(144,818)	26,796
Excess tax benefit related to stock awards	0	(86)	(331)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effects of acquisitions
Rental merchandise	(523,697)	(622,149)	(796,672)
Receivables	(15,914)	(19,088)	(21,823)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	104,379	31,636	(130,690)
Accounts payable - trade	11,883	(45,523)	21,440
Accrued liabilities	(3,267)	(23,650)	21,505
Net cash provided by operating activities	353,735	230,488	19,113
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchase of property assets	(61,143)	(80,870)	(83,785)
Proceeds from sale of property assets	5,262	15,964	14,474
Acquisitions of businesses	(3,098)	(25,170)	(27,354)
Net cash used in investing activities	(58,979)	(90,076)	(96,665)
Cash flows from financing activities
Exercise of stock options	0	1,485	4,647
Excess tax benefits related to stock awards	0	(86)	(331)
Proceeds from debt	52,245	531,180	772,860
Repayments of debt	(286,065)	(605,620)	(646,323)
Dividends paid	(25,554)	(51,011)	(48,663)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(259,374)	(123,880)	82,852
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	(349)	(2,295)	(1,448)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	35,033	14,237	3,852
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	60,363	46,126	42,274
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	95,396	60,363	46,126
Cash paid during the year for:
Interest	44,469	49,386	48,064
Income taxes (excludes $84,884, $116,337 and $3,372 of income taxes refunded in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively)	$ 18,536	$ 128,083	$ 146,250

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Supplemental Cash Flow Information [Abstract]
Income taxes refunded		$ 84,884	$ 116,337	$ 3,372
Loans Assumed	$ 225,000
Line of Credit Assumed	100,000
Loans Refinanced	187,500
Line of Credit Refinanced	140,000
Repayments of Secured Debt	$ 2,500	$ 286,065	$ 605,620	$ 646,323

Nature of Operations and Summary of Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
Nature of Operations and Summary of Accounting Policies	Dec. 31, 2016
Nature of Operations and Summary of Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Nature of Operations and Summary of Accounting Policies	Note A — Nature of Operations and Summary of Accounting Policies A summary of the significant accounting policies consistently applied in the preparation of the accompanying consolidated financial statements follows: Principles of Consolidation and Nature of Operations These financial statements include the accounts of Rent-A-Center, Inc. and its direct and indirect subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Unless the context indicates otherwise, references to “Rent-A-Center” refer only to Rent-A-Center, Inc., the parent, and references to “we,” “us” and “our” refer to the consolidated business operations of Rent-A-Center and any or all of its direct and indirect subsidiaries. We report four operating segments: Core U.S., Acceptance Now, Mexico and Franchising. Our Core U.S. segment consists of company-owned rent-to-own stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico that lease household durable goods to customers on a rent-to-own basis. Our stores in Canada operate under the name "Rent-A-Centre." We also offer merchandise on an installment sales basis in certain of our stores under the names “Get It Now” and “Home Choice.” At December 31, 2016, we operated 2,463 company-owned stores nationwide and in Canada and Puerto Rico, including 45 retail installment sales stores. Our Acceptance Now segment generally offers the rent-to-own transaction to consumers who do not qualify for financing from the traditional retailer through kiosks located within such retailers' locations. At December 31, 2016, we operated 1,431 Acceptance Now Staffed locations and 478 Acceptance Now Direct locations. Our Mexico segment consists of our company-owned rent-to-own stores in Mexico that lease household durable goods to customers on a rent-to-own basis. At December 31, 2016, we operated 130 stores in Mexico. Rent-A-Center Franchising International, Inc., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Rent-A-Center, is a franchisor of rent-to-own stores. At December 31, 2016, Franchising had 229 franchised stores operating in 31 states. Our Franchising segment's primary source of revenue is the sale of rental merchandise to its franchisees, who in turn offer the merchandise to the general public for rent or purchase under a rent-to-own transaction. The balance of our Franchising segment's revenue is generated primarily from royalties based on franchisees' monthly gross revenues. Rental Merchandise Rental merchandise is carried at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation for merchandise is generally provided using the income forecasting method, which is intended to match as closely as practicable the recognition of depreciation expense with the consumption of the rental merchandise, and assumes no salvage value. The consumption of rental merchandise occurs during periods of rental and directly coincides with the receipt of rental revenue over the rental purchase agreement period. Under the income forecasting method, merchandise held for rent is not depreciated and merchandise on rent is depreciated in the proportion of rents received to total rents provided in the rental contract, which is an activity-based method similar to the units of production method. We depreciate merchandise (including computers and tablets) that is held for rent for at least 180 consecutive days using the straight-line method over a period generally not to exceed 18 months. Beginning in 2016, smartphones are depreciated over an 18 month straight-line basis beginning with the earlier of on rent or 90 consecutive days on held for rent. Rental merchandise which is damaged and inoperable is expensed when such impairment occurs. If a customer does not return the merchandise or make payment, the remaining book value of the rental merchandise associated with delinquent accounts is generally charged off on or before the 90^th day following the time the account became past due in the Core U.S. segment, on or before the 150^th day in the Acceptance Now segment and on or before the 60^th day in the Mexico segment. We maintain a reserve for these expected expenses. In addition, any minor repairs made to rental merchandise are expensed at the time of the repair. Cash Equivalents Cash equivalents include all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less. We maintain cash and cash equivalents at several financial institutions, which at times may not be federally insured or may exceed federally insured limits. We have not experienced any losses in such accounts and believe we are not exposed to any significant credit risks on such accounts. Revenues Merchandise is rented to customers pursuant to rental purchase agreements which provide for weekly, semi-monthly or monthly rental terms with non-refundable rental payments. Generally, the customer has the right to acquire title either through a purchase option or through payment of all required rentals. Rental revenue and fees are recognized over the rental term and merchandise sales revenue is recognized when the customer exercises the purchase option and pays the cash price due. Cash received prior to the period in which it should be recognized is deferred and recognized according to the rental term. Revenue is accrued for uncollected amounts due based on historical collection experience. However, the total amount of the rental purchase agreement is not accrued because the customer can terminate the rental agreement at any time and we cannot enforce collection for non-payment of future rents. Revenues from the sale of merchandise in our retail installment stores are recognized when the installment note is signed, the customer has taken possession of the merchandise and collectability is reasonably assured. Revenues from the sale of rental merchandise are recognized upon shipment of the merchandise to the franchisee. Franchise royalty income and fee revenue is recognized upon completion of substantially all services and satisfaction of all material conditions required under the terms of the franchise agreement. Some franchisees purchase directly from a supplier but request reimbursement through ColorTyme Finance, Inc. and we recognize revenue for the commission we earn on these transactions. Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts The installment notes receivable associated with the sale of merchandise at our Get It Now and Home Choice stores generally consists of the sales price of the merchandise purchased and any additional fees for services the customer has chosen, less the customer’s down payment. No interest is accrued and interest income is recognized each time a customer makes a payment, generally on a monthly basis. We have established an allowance for doubtful accounts for our installment notes receivable. Our policy for determining the allowance is based on historical loss experience, as well as the results of management’s review and analysis of the payment and collection of the installment notes receivable within the previous year. We believe our allowance is adequate to absorb any known or probable losses. Our policy is to charge off installment notes receivable that are 120 days or more past due. Charge-offs are applied as a reduction to the allowance for doubtful accounts and any recoveries of previously charged off balances are applied as an increase to the allowance for doubtful accounts. The majority of Franchising’s trade and notes receivable relate to amounts due from franchisees. Credit is extended based on an evaluation of a franchisee’s financial condition and collateral is generally not required. Trade receivables are due within 30 days and are stated at amounts due from franchisees net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. Accounts that are outstanding longer than the contractual payment terms are considered past due. Franchising determines its allowance by considering a number of factors, including the length of time receivables are past due, Franchising’s previous loss history, the franchisee’s current ability to pay its obligation to Franchising, and the condition of the general economy and the industry as a whole. Franchising writes off trade receivables that are 120 days or more past due and payments subsequently received on such receivables are credited to the allowance for doubtful accounts. Property Assets and Related Depreciation Furniture, equipment and vehicles are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is provided over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets (generally 5 years) by the straight-line method. Our building is depreciated over 40 years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the useful life of the asset or the initial term of the applicable leases by the straight-line method, whichever is shorter. We have incurred costs to develop computer software for internal use. We capitalize the costs incurred during the application development stage, which includes designing the software configuration and interfaces, coding, installation, and testing. Costs incurred during the preliminary stages along with post-implementation stages of internally developed software are expensed as incurred. Internally developed software costs, once placed in service, are amortized over various periods up to 10 years. We incur repair and maintenance expenses on our vehicles and equipment. These amounts are recognized when incurred, unless such repairs significantly extend the life of the asset, in which case we amortize the cost of the repairs for the remaining useful life of the asset utilizing the straight-line method. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets We record goodwill when the consideration paid for an acquisition exceeds the fair value of the identifiable net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired. Goodwill is not subject to amortization but must be periodically evaluated for impairment. Impairment occurs when the carrying value of goodwill is not recoverable from future cash flows. We perform an assessment of goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level annually as of October 1, or when events or circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred. Due to certain key events occurring in the fourth quarter, we performed our annual assessment of goodwill impairment for 2016 as of December 31st. Our reporting units are generally our reportable operating segments. Factors which could necessitate an interim impairment assessment include a sustained decline in our stock price, prolonged negative industry or economic trends and significant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected future operating results. We determine the fair value of each reporting unit using methodologies which include the present value of estimated future cash flows and comparisons of multiples of enterprise values to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The analysis is based upon available information regarding expected future cash flows and discount rates. Discount rates are based upon our cost of capital. We use a two-step approach to assess goodwill impairment. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, then the goodwill is not deemed impaired. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds fair value, we perform a second analysis to measure the fair value of all assets and liabilities within the reporting unit, and if the carrying value of goodwill exceeds its implied fair value, goodwill is considered impaired. The amount of the impairment is the difference between the carrying value of goodwill and the implied fair value, which is calculated as if the reporting unit had just been acquired and accounted for as a business combination. Acquired customer relationships are amortized utilizing the straight-line method over a 21 month period, non-compete agreements are amortized using the straight-line method over the contractual life of the agreements, vendor relationships are amortized using the straight-line method over a 7 or 15 year period, other intangible assets are amortized using the straight-line method over the life of the asset. Accounting for Impairment of Long-Lived Assets We evaluate all long-lived assets, including intangible assets, excluding goodwill, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be recoverable. Impairment is recognized when the carrying amounts of such assets cannot be recovered by the undiscounted net cash flows they will generate. Self-Insurance Liabilities We have self-insured retentions with respect to losses under our workers' compensation, general liability, vehicle liability and health insurance programs. We establish reserves for our liabilities associated with these losses by obtaining forecasts for the ultimate expected losses and estimating amounts needed to pay losses within our self-insured retentions. We make assumptions on our liabilities within our self-insured retentions using actuarial loss forecasts, company-specific development factors, general industry loss development factors, and third-party claim administrator loss estimates which are based on known facts surrounding individual claims. These assumptions incorporate expected increases in health care costs. Periodically, we reevaluate our estimate of liability within our self-insured retentions. At that time, we evaluate the adequacy of our reserves by comparing amounts reserved on our balance sheet for anticipated losses to our updated actuarial loss forecasts and third-party claim administrator loss estimates, and make adjustments to our reserves as needed. Foreign Currency Translation The functional currency of our foreign operations is the applicable local currency. Assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency are translated into U.S. dollars at the current rate of exchange on the last day of the reporting period. Revenues and expenses are generally translated at a daily exchange rate and equity transactions are translated using the actual rate on the day of the transaction. Other Comprehensive Income Other comprehensive income is comprised exclusively of our foreign currency translation adjustment. Income Taxes We record deferred taxes for temporary differences between the tax and financial reporting bases of assets and liabilities at the enacted tax rate expected to be in effect when taxes become payable. Income tax accounting requires management to make estimates and apply judgments to events that will be recognized in one period under rules that apply to financial reporting in a different period in our tax returns. In particular, judgment is required when estimating the value of future tax deductions, tax credits and net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs), as represented by deferred tax assets. We evaluate the recoverability of these future tax deductions and credits by assessing the future expected taxable income from all sources, including reversal of taxable temporary differences, forecasted operating earnings and available tax planning strategies. These sources of income rely heavily on estimates. We use our historical experience and our short- and long-range business forecasts to provide insight and assist us in determining recoverability. When it is determined the recovery of all or a portion of a deferred tax asset is not likely, a valuation allowance is established. We include NOLs in the calculation of deferred tax assets. NOLs are utilized to the extent allowable due to the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and relevant state statutes. We recognize the financial statement benefit of a tax position only after determining that the relevant tax authority would more likely than not sustain the position following an audit. For tax positions meeting the more likely-than-not threshold, the amount recognized in the financial statements is the largest benefit that has a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon the ultimate settlement with the relevant tax authority. A number of years may elapse before a particular matter, for which we have recorded a liability, is audited and effectively settled. We review our tax positions quarterly and adjust our liability for unrecognized tax benefits in the period in which we determine the issue is effectively settled with the tax authorities, the statute of limitations expires for the relevant taxing authority to examine the tax position, or when more information becomes available. We classify interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits as interest expense. Sales Taxes We apply the net basis for sales taxes imposed on our goods and services in our consolidated statements of earnings. We are required by the applicable governmental authorities to collect and remit sales taxes. Accordingly, such amounts are charged to the customer, collected and remitted directly to the appropriate jurisdictional entity. Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share Basic earnings (loss) per common share are based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during each period presented. Diluted earnings (loss) per common share are based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, plus, if dilutive, the assumed exercise of stock options at the beginning of the year, or for the period outstanding during the year for current year issuances. Advertising Costs Costs incurred for producing and communicating advertising are expensed when incurred. Advertising expense was $90.6 million, $96.2 million and $94.8 million, for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Stock-Based Compensation We maintain long-term incentive plans for the benefit of certain employees and directors, which are described more fully in Note N. We recognize share-based payment awards to our employees and directors at the estimated fair value on the grant date. Determining the fair value of any share-based award requires information about several variables that include, but are not limited to, expected stock volatility over the terms of the award, expected dividend yields, and the risk free interest rate. We base expected life on historical exercise and post-vesting employment-termination experience, and expected volatility on historical realized volatility trends. In addition, all stock-based compensation expense is recorded net of an estimated forfeiture rate. The forfeiture rate is based upon historical activity and is analyzed at least annually as actual forfeitures occur. Compensation costs are recognized net of estimated forfeitures over the requisite service period on a straight-line basis. We issue new shares to settle stock awards. Stock options are valued using a Black-Scholes pricing model. Time-vesting restricted stock units are valued using the closing price on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on the day before the grant date, adjusted for any provisions affecting fair value, such as the lack of dividends or dividend equivalents during the vesting period. Performance-based restricted stock units will vest in accordance with a total shareholder return formula, and are valued by a third-party valuation firm using Monte Carlo simulations. Stock-based compensation expense is reported within general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of earnings. Reclassifications Certain reclassifications have been made to the reported amounts for the prior periods to conform to the current period presentation. These reclassifications had no impact on net earnings or earnings per share in any period. Use of Estimates In preparing financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, we are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent losses and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. In applying accounting principles, we must often make individual estimates and assumptions regarding expected outcomes or uncertainties. Our estimates, judgments and assumptions are continually evaluated based on available information and experience. Because of the use of estimates inherent in the financial reporting process, actual results could differ from those estimates. New Accounting Pronouncements On April 7, 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, which requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the associated debt liability. Rent-A-Center adopted this ASU retrospectively as of January 1, 2016, and now reports debt issuance costs which were previously included in prepaid expenses and other assets as a deduction from the associated debt liabilities as disclosed in Notes I and J to the consolidated financial statements. This resulted in a reduction in prepaid expenses and other assets of $10.4 million and $12.5 million, respectively, a reduction in senior debt of $5.1 million and $6.0 million, respectively, and a reduction in senior notes of $5.3 million and $6.5 million, respectively, at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015. There was no impact to our results of operations or cash flows. In 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which clarifies existing accounting literature relating to how and when a company recognizes revenue. Under ASU 2014-09, a company will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. On July 9, 2015, the FASB approved a one-year deferral of the effective date. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net), which amends ASU 2014-09 relating to how and when a company recognizes revenue when another party is involved in providing a good or service to a customer. Under Topic 606, a company will recognize revenue on a gross basis when it provides a good or service to a customer (acts as the principal in a transaction), and on a net basis when it arranges for the good or service to be provided to the customer by another party (acts as an agent in a transaction). ASU 2016-08 provides additional guidance for determining whether a company acts as a principal or agent, depending primarily on whether a company controls goods or services before delivery to the customer. In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, which provides additional guidance related to the identification of performance obligations within the contract, and licensing. In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, which provides additional guidance related to certain technical areas within ASU 2014-09. In December 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which provides additional guidance related to certain technical areas within ASU 2014-09. The adoption of these additional ASUs must be concurrent with the adoption of ASU 2014-09, which will be required for Rent-A-Center beginning January 1, 2018, with early adoption permitted as of the original effective date. These ASUs allow adoption with either retrospective application to each prior period presented, or modified retrospective application with the cumulative effect recognized as of the date of initial application. We are currently in the process of evaluating the potential impact this new pronouncement will have on our financial statements and do not anticipate early adoption. We have not completed our evaluation and therefore cannot conclude whether the pronouncement will have a significant impact on our financial statements at this time. We expect to complete our evaluation by the end of 2017. We currently anticipate that we will utilize the modified retrospective method of adoption, however, this expectation may change following the completion of our evaluation of the impact of this pronouncement on our financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which replaces existing accounting literature relating to the classification of, and accounting for, leases. Under ASU 2016-02, a company must recognize for all leases (with the exception of leases with terms less than 12 months) a liability representing a lessee's obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, and a right-of-use asset representing the lessee's right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term. Lessor accounting is largely unchanged, with certain improvements to align lessor accounting with the lessee accounting model and Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The adoption of ASU 2016-02 will be required for Rent-A-Center beginning January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The ASU must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition, applying the new criteria to all leases existing or entered into after the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the consolidated financial statements. We are currently in the process of determining what impact the adoption of this ASU will have on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows, and we are evaluating the adoption date and transition alternatives. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which includes multiple provisions intended to simplify various aspects of the accounting for share-based payments. The adoption of ASU 2016-09 will be required for Rent-A-Center beginning January 1, 2017. ASU 2016-09 requires that certain provisions be adopted using a modified retrospective transition and other provisions retrospectively. We are currently in the process of determining what impact the adoption of this ASU will have on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows, and we are evaluating the adoption date and transition alternatives. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which provides guidance on the treatment of cash receipts and cash payments for certain types of cash transactions, to eliminate diversity in practice in the presentation of the cash flow statement. The adoption of ASU 2016-15 will be required for Rent-A-Center on a retrospective basis beginning January 1, 2018, with early adoption permitted. We are currently in the process of determining the adoption date and what impact the adoption of this ASU will have on our presentation of cash flows. From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the FASB or other standards setting bodies that we adopt as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, we believe the impact of any other recently issued standards that are not yet effective are either not applicable to us at this time or will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

Correction of Immaterial Errors Correction of Immaterial Errors	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Correction of Immaterial Errors [Abstract]
Correction of Immaterial Errors	Note B — Correction of Immaterial Errors During the fourth quarter of 2016, we identified errors in accounting for our estimates for deferred taxes associated with our goodwill impairment reported in the fourth quarter 2015, resulting in an immaterial understatement of deferred income tax liabilities and overstatement of retained earnings, which affected periods beginning December 31, 2015 through September 30, 2016. In accordance with Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) No. 99, Materiality, and SAB No. 108, Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in Current Year Financial Statements, management evaluated the materiality of the errors from qualitative and quantitative perspectives, and concluded the errors were immaterial to the prior periods. The errors resulted in an overstatement of income tax benefit and an understatement of net loss of $86.9 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2015; a corresponding understatement of deferred income taxes and overstatement of retained earnings in our consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2015; and non-cash impacts to net loss and deferred income taxes in our consolidated cash flow statement at December 31, 2015. Due to the immaterial nature of the error correction, we revised our historical financial statements based on the amounts discussed above for 2015 herein, and will revise the quarters within 2016 when they are published in future filings.

Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Receivables [Abstract]

Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Note C — Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Receivables consist of the following:



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015
Installment sales receivable	$	55,834		$	57,010
Trade and notes receivables	14,067			15,924
Other receivables	3,477			—
Total receivables	73,378			72,934
Less allowance for doubtful accounts	(3,593		)	(3,614		)
Total receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	$	69,785		$	69,320

The allowance for doubtful accounts related to installment sales receivable was $3.3 million and $3.4 million, and the allowance for doubtful accounts related to trade and notes receivable was $0.3 million and $0.2 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Changes in our allowance for doubtful accounts are as follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015			2014
Beginning allowance for doubtful accounts	$	3,614		$	4,023		$	3,700
Bad debt expense	15,449			15,260			15,509
Accounts written off	(16,095		)	(16,317		)	(15,718		)
Recoveries	625			648			532
Ending allowance for doubtful accounts	$	3,593		$	3,614		$	4,023

Rental Merchandise

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Rental Merchandise [Abstract]

Rental Merchandise

Note D — Rental Merchandise



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015
On rent
Cost	$	1,338,670		$	1,527,384
Less accumulated depreciation	(543,552		)	(619,759		)
Net book value, on rent	$	795,118		$	907,625
Held for rent
Cost	$	255,857		$	297,956
Less accumulated depreciation	(49,021		)	(69,109		)
Net book value, held for rent	$	206,836		$	228,847

Property Assets

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Property Assets

Note E — Property Assets



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015
Furniture and equipment	$	522,036		$	409,076
Transportation equipment	11,854			11,807
Building and leasehold improvements	274,118			294,221
Land and land improvements	6,747			6,747
Construction in progress	23,774			91,536
Total property assets	838,529			813,387
Less accumulated depreciation	(522,101		)	(482,448		)
Total property assets, net of accumulated depreciation	$	316,428		$	330,939

We had $22.9 million and $70.3 million of capitalized software costs included in construction in progress at December 31, 2016, and 2015 respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, we placed in service internally developed software of approximately $84.5 million, $22.9 million and $51.6 million, respectively.

Intangible Assets and Acquisitions

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Intangible Assets and Acquisitions [Abstract]

Intangible Assets and Acquisitions

Note F — Intangible Assets and Acquisitions

Goodwill Impairment Charge

In February 2017, we completed step one of our annual goodwill impairment test as of December 31, 2016. We determined the fair value of our Acceptance Now segment exceeded its carrying value, but the fair value of our Core U.S. segment was below its carrying value. We then performed step two of the impairment test for the Core U.S. segment and determined the carrying value of goodwill exceeded its implied fair value. Accordingly, in the fourth quarter of 2016 we recognized an impairment charge of $151.3 million for the Core U.S. segment.

During 2015, we recorded a goodwill impairment charge of $1,170.0 million in our Core U.S. segment. Based on the results of our 2014 annual goodwill impairment assessment, we concluded no impairment of goodwill existed at December 31, 2014.

Intangible Assets

Amortizable intangible assets consist of the following:



		December 31, 2016				December 31, 2015
(Dollar amounts in thousands)	Avg. Life (years)	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization
Customer relationships	2	$	79,106	$	78,707	$	78,887	$	76,830
Vendor relationships	11	7,538		3,408		7,538		2,840
Non-compete agreements	3	6,746		6,023		6,746		5,724
Total other intangible assets		$	93,390	$	88,138	$	93,171	$	85,394

Aggregate amortization expense (in thousands):



Year Ended December 31, 2016	$	2,176
Year Ended December 31, 2015	$	3,333
Year Ended December 31, 2014	$	2,955

Estimated amortization expense, assuming current intangible balances and no new acquisitions, for each of the years ending December 31, is as follows:



(In thousands)	Estimated Amortization Expense
2017	$	1,195
2018	684
2019	678
2020	465
2021	445
Thereafter	1,785
Total amortization expense	$	5,252

At December 31, 2016, the amount of goodwill attributable to the Acceptance Now segment was approximately $55.3 million. At December 31, 2015, the amount of goodwill allocated to the Core U.S. and Acceptance Now segments was approximately $150.8 million and $55.3 million, respectively.

A summary of the changes in recorded goodwill follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015
Beginning goodwill balance	$	206,122		$	1,370,459
Additions from acquisitions	1,442			12,942
Goodwill impairments and write-offs related to stores sold or closed	(152,239		)	(1,177,581		)
Post purchase price allocation adjustments	(17		)	302
Ending goodwill balance	$	55,308		$	206,122

Acquisitions

The following table provides information concerning the acquisitions made during the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.



	Year Ended December 31,
(Dollar amounts in thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Number of stores acquired remaining open	—		5		6
Number of stores acquired that were merged with existing stores	3		34		13
Number of transactions	3		24		26
Total purchase price	$	2,302	$	25,488	$	26,653
Amounts allocated to:
Goodwill	$	1,442	$	12,942	$	14,562
Non-compete agreements	—		1,166		—
Customer relationships	181		2,625		1,525
Rental merchandise	679		8,755		9,731
Property and other assets	—		—		835

Purchase prices are determined by evaluating the average monthly rental income of the acquired stores and applying a multiple to the total for rent-to-own store acquisitions. All acquisitions have been accounted for as asset purchases, and the operating results of the acquired stores and accounts have been included in the financial statements since their date of acquisition.

The weighted average amortization period was approximately 21 months for intangible assets added during the year ended December 31, 2016. Additions to goodwill due to acquisitions in 2016 were tax deductible.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the aggregate amount of goodwill and a description of intangible assets, which may include (a) for amortizable intangible assets (also referred to as finite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, the amount of any significant residual value, and the weighted-average amortization period, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization (also referred to as indefinite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, and (c) the amount of research and development assets acquired and written off in the period, including the line item in the income statement in which the amounts written off are aggregated, if not readily apparent from the income statement. Also discloses (a) for amortizable intangibles assets in total and by major class, the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization, the total amortization expense for the period, and the estimated aggregate amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization the carrying amount in total and by major class, and (c) for goodwill, in total and for each reportable segment, the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the period (including the aggregate amount of goodwill acquired, the aggregate amount of impairment losses recognized, and the amount of goodwill included in the gain (loss) on disposal of a reporting unit). If any part of goodwill has not been allocated to a reportable segment, discloses the unallocated amount and the reasons for not allocating. For each impairment loss recognized related to an intangible asset (excluding goodwill), discloses: (a) a description of the impaired intangible asset and the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method for determining fair value, (c) the caption in the income statement or the statement of activities in which the impairment loss is aggregated, and (d) the segment in which the impaired intangible asset is reported. For each goodwill impairment loss recognized, discloses: (a) a description of the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method of determining the fair value of the associated reporting unit, and (c) if a recognized impairment loss is an estimate not finalized and the reasons why the estimate is not final. May also disclose the nature and amount of any significant adjustments made to a previous estimate of an impairment loss.

+ References + Details

Accrued Liabilities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Accrued Liabilities [Abstract]

Accrued Liabilities

Note G — Accrued Liabilities



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015
Accrued insurance costs	$	125,172	$	121,844
Deferred revenue	58,255		60,535
Accrued compensation	40,551		42,940
Taxes other than income	22,556		20,081
Deferred compensation	11,394		10,489
Accrued interest payable	5,808		5,781
Deferred rent	5,199		6,882
Accrued dividends	4,262		12,773
Accrued other	58,999		51,228
Total Accrued liabilities	$	332,196	$	332,553

Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

Note H — Income Taxes

A reconciliation of the federal statutory rate of 35% to actual follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
Tax at statutory rate	35.0	%	35.0	%	35.0	%
Goodwill impairment	(29.3	)%	(27.0	)%	—	%
State income taxes	3.3	%	2.8	%	1.8	%
Effect of foreign operations, net of foreign tax credits	(0.2	)%	—	%	(4.4	)%
Effect of current and prior year credits	2.9	%	0.5	%	(3.5	)%
Adjustments to deferred taxes	0.6	%	—	%	(2.4	)%
Valuation allowance	(6.6	)%	(1.0	)%	6.2	%
Other, net	1.4	%	(0.5	)%	(0.4	)%
Effective income tax rate	7.1	%	9.8	%	32.3	%

The components of income tax (benefit) expense are as follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015			2014
Current expense (benefit)
Federal	$	23,752		$	29,668		$	14,943
State	779			(6,432		)	4,032
Foreign	(582		)	2,575			1,673
Total current	23,949			25,811			20,648
Deferred (benefit) expense
Federal	(27,307		)	(100,139		)	24,556
State	(6,586		)	(28,143		)	(90		)
Foreign	1,865			(589		)	817
Total deferred	(32,028		)	(128,871		)	25,283
Total income tax (benefit) expense	$	(8,079	)	$	(103,060	)	$	45,931

Deferred tax assets (liabilities) consist of the following:



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015
Deferred tax assets
State net operating loss carryforwards	$	17,538		$	16,032
Foreign net operating loss carryforwards	17,234			20,396
Accrued liabilities	70,733			62,115
Intangible assets	43,662			29,913
Other assets including credits	7,497			5,413
Foreign tax credit carryforwards	13,576			13,576
Total deferred tax assets	170,240			147,445
Valuation allowance	(35,410		)	(31,829		)
Deferred tax assets, net	134,830			115,616

Rental merchandise	(234,211		)	(263,158		)
Property assets	(73,763		)	(56,888		)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(307,974		)	(320,046		)
Net deferred taxes	$	(173,144	)	$	(204,430	)

At December 31, 2016, there are approximately $360.6 million of state NOL carryforwards expiring between 2017 and 2036, offset by a valuation allowance of $27.4 million. Of the total remaining state NOL carryforwards, approximately 16.5% represent acquired NOLs. Utilization of these NOLs is subject to applicable annual limitations for U.S. state tax purposes. At December 31, 2016, the Mexico NOL carryforwards were approximately $53.0 million, which expire between 2020 and 2026, and are offset with a full valuation allowance. The Puerto Rico NOL is $4.2 million and it will expire in 2024. In addition, at December 31, 2016, we also had approximately $13.6 million in foreign tax credit (“FTC”) carryforwards expiring between 2020 and 2025, offset by a valuation allowance of $11.1 million. We establish a valuation allowance to the extent we consider it more likely than not that the deferred tax assets attributable to our NOLs, FTCs or other deferred tax assets will not be recovered.

We are subject to federal, state, local and foreign income taxes. Along with our U.S. subsidiaries, we file a U.S. federal consolidated income tax return. With few exceptions, we are no longer subject to U.S. federal, state, foreign and local income tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2012. We are currently under examination in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and various states and have been notified of audit for years 2012 - 2014, by the Internal Revenue Service. We do not anticipate that adjustments as a result of these audits, if any, will result in a material change to our consolidated statement of earnings, financial condition, statement of cash flows or earnings per share.

As of each reporting date, the Company’s management considers new evidence, both positive and negative, that could impact management’s view with regard to future realization of deferred tax assets. As of December 31, 2016, in part because in the current year, the Company achieved a history of cumulative pre-tax income in the U.S. federal tax jurisdiction, management determined that sufficient positive evidence exists as of December 31, 2016, to conclude that it is more likely than not that deferred taxes are realizable.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015			2014
Beginning unrecognized tax benefit balance	$	27,164		$	13,376		$	13,173
Additions based on tax positions related to current year	773			1,508			425
Additions for tax positions of prior years	8,396			20,684			2,400
Reductions for tax positions of prior years	(2,246		)	(8,354		)	(2,225		)
Settlements	(364		)	(50		)	(397		)
Ending unrecognized tax benefit balance	$	33,723		$	27,164		$	13,376

Included in the balance of unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2016, is $6.8 million, net of federal benefit, which, if ultimately recognized, will affect our annual effective tax rate.

During the next twelve months, we anticipate that it is reasonably possible that the amount of unrecognized tax benefits could be reduced by approximately $8.1 million either because our tax position will be sustained upon audit or as a result of the expiration of the statute of limitations for specific jurisdictions.

As of December 31, 2016, we have accrued approximately $2.4 million for the payment of interest for uncertain tax positions and recorded interest expense of approximately $0.5 million for the year then ended, which are excluded from the reconciliation of unrecognized tax benefits presented above.

Senior Debt

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Senior Debt [Abstract]

Senior Debt

Note I — Senior Debt

On March 19, 2014, we entered into a Credit Agreement (the "Credit Agreement") among the Company, the several lenders from time to time parties to the Credit Agreement, Bank of America, N.A., BBVA Compass Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association and SunTrust Bank, as syndication agents, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent. The Credit Agreement represents a refinancing of our senior secured debt outstanding under our prior credit agreement, the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of May 28, 2003, as amended and restated as of July 14, 2011, and as amended by the First Amendment dated as of April 13, 2012, among the Company, the several banks and other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties thereto, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (as amended, the "Prior Credit Agreement"). The Credit Agreement provides a $900.0 million senior credit facility consisting of $225.0 million in term loans (the "Term Loans") and a $675.0 million revolving credit facility (the "Revolving Facility").

Also on March 19, 2014, we borrowed $225.0 million in Term Loans and $100.0 million under the Revolving Facility and utilized the proceeds to repay our prior senior secured debt outstanding under the Prior Credit Agreement. The Term Loans are payable in consecutive quarterly installments each in an aggregate principal amount of $562,500, with a final installment equal to the remaining principal balance of the Term Loans due on March 19, 2021. In the event our Consolidated Total Leverage Ratio exceeds 2.5:1, we are also required to pay down the Term Loans by a percentage of annual excess cash flow, as defined in the Credit Agreement. Additional payments will be equal to 25% of annual excess cash flows if the Consolidated Total Leverage Ratio is between 2.5:1 and 3.0:1, increasing to 50% of annual excess cash flows if the Consolidated Leverage Ratio is greater than 3.0:1. We made a mandatory excess cash flow prepayment in March 2016 with respect to our results for the year ended December 31, 2015, of approximately $27 million, and we anticipate making a mandatory excess cash flow prepayment in the first quarter of 2017 with respect to our results for the year ended December 31, 2016, of approximately $135 - $145 million. No mandatory excess cash flow prepayment was made with respect to the year ended December 31, 2014. We are further required to pay down the Term Loans with proceeds from certain asset sales or borrowings as defined in the Credit Agreement.

The debt facilities as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are as follows:



		December 31, 2016							December 31, 2015
(In thousands)	Facility Maturity	Maximum Facility		Amount Outstanding			Amount Available		Maximum Facility		Amount Outstanding			Amount Available
Senior Debt:
Term Loan	March 19, 2021	$	225,000	$	191,813		$	—	$	225,000	$	221,063		$	—
Revolving Facility	March 19, 2019	675,000		—			584,304		675,000		190,000			390,300
Total		900,000		191,813			584,304		900,000		411,063			390,300
Other indebtedness:
Line of credit	August 21, 2017	20,000		—			20,000		20,000		14,570			5,430
Total		$	920,000	191,813			$	604,304	$	920,000	425,633			$	395,730
Unamortized debt issuance costs				(5,066		)					(5,985		)
Total senior debt, net				$	186,747						$	419,648

The full amount of the revolving credit facility may be used for the issuance of letters of credit. At December 31, 2016 and 2015, the amounts available under the revolving credit facility were reduced by approximately $90.7 million and $94.7 million, respectively, for our outstanding letters of credit, resulting in availability of $584.3 million in our revolving credit facility.

Borrowings under the Revolving Facility bear interest at varying rates equal to either the Eurodollar rate plus 1.50% to 2.75%, or the prime rate plus 0.50% to 1.75% (ABR), at our election. The margins on the Eurodollar loans and on the ABR loans for borrowings under the Revolving Facility, which were 2.25% and 1.25%, respectively, at December 31, 2016, may fluctuate based upon an increase or decrease in our consolidated total leverage ratio as defined by a pricing grid included in the Credit Agreement. The margins on the Eurodollar loans and on the ABR loans for Term Loans are 3.00% and 2.00%, respectively, but may also fluctuate in the event the all-in pricing for any subsequent incremental Term Loan exceeds the all-in pricing for prior Term Loans by more than 0.50% per annum. A commitment fee equal to 0.30% to 0.50% of the unused portion of the Revolving Facility is payable quarterly, and fluctuates dependent upon an increase or decrease in our consolidated total leverage ratio. The commitment fee at December 31, 2016, is equal to 0.45% of the unused portion of the Revolving Facility.

Our borrowings under the Credit Agreement are, subject to certain exceptions, secured by a security interest in substantially all of our tangible and intangible assets, including intellectual property, and are also secured by a pledge of the capital stock of our U.S. subsidiaries.

The Credit Agreement also permits us to increase the amount of the Term Loans and/or the Revolving Facility from time to time on up to three occasions, in an aggregate amount of no more than $250.0 million, provided that we are not in default at the time and have obtained the consent of the administrative agent and the lenders providing such increase.

Subject to a number of exceptions, the Credit Agreement contains, without limitation, covenants that generally limit our ability and the ability of our subsidiaries to:


•	incur additional debt;


•	repurchase capital stock, repurchase 6.625% notes and 4.75% notes and/or pay cash dividends when total leverage is greater than 2.50:1 (subject to an exception for cash dividends in an amount not to exceed $20 million annually);


•	incur liens or other encumbrances;


•	merge, consolidate or sell substantially all property or business;


•	sell, lease or otherwise transfer assets (other than in the ordinary course of business);


•	make investments or acquisitions (unless they meet financial tests and other requirements); or


•	enter into an unrelated line of business.

The Credit Agreement requires us to comply with several financial covenants, including: (i) a consolidated total leverage ratio of no greater than 4.25:1 from the quarter ended December 31, 2015, to the quarter ended September 30, 2016, and 4.00:1 thereafter; (ii) a consolidated senior secured leverage ratio of no greater than 2.75:1; and (iii) a consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio of no less than 1.50:1 (pursuant to the Second Amendment discussed below).

On February 1, 2016, we entered into a First Amendment (the “First Amendment”), with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, the other agents party thereto and the lenders party thereto, to the Credit Agreement. The First Amendment permits us to make Restricted Payments (as such term is defined in the Credit Agreement) with respect to repurchases of and dividends upon our capital stock and repurchases of our senior unsecured notes, in an aggregate amount during any fiscal year not to exceed $20 million, if after giving pro forma effect thereto the Consolidated Senior Secured Leverage Ratio (as such term is defined in the Credit Agreement) is greater than 2.50:1 and less than or equal to 3.75:1. The First Amendment is included as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated as of February 1, 2016.

On October 4, 2016, we entered into a Second Amendment (the “Second Amendment”), effective as of September 30, 2016, with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, the other agents party thereto and the lenders party thereto, to the Credit Agreement. The Second Amendment (i) reduces the maximum Consolidated Senior Secured Leverage Ratio from 2.75:1 to 2.50:1, beginning with the quarter ended December 31, 2016, and (ii) reduces the minimum Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio covenant level from 1.75:1 to 1.50:1, beginning with the quarter ended September 30, 2016. We may elect to increase the minimum Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio to 1.75:1.

The Second Amendment also effects the following changes to our ability to make certain Restricted Payments:

When the Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio covenant level is 1.50:1, only regularly scheduled dividends are payable up to annual maximums as follows:


•	when the Consolidated Senior Secured Leverage Ratio is less than or equal to 2.50:1, a maximum of $25 million annually


•	when the Consolidated Senior Secured Leverage Ratio is between 2.50:1 and 3.75:1, a maximum of $20 million annually (including Notes Payments)


•	when the Consolidated Senior Secured Leverage Ratio is over 3.75:1, a maximum of $15 million annually (including Notes Payments)

Share repurchases are not permitted when the Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio covenant level is 1.50:1.

When the Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio covenant level is 1.75:1, Stock Payments (dividend & share repurchase) are permitted up to annual maximums as follows:


•	when the Consolidated Senior Secured Leverage Ratio is less than or equal to 2.50:1:

AND available revolving commitments are greater than or equal to $400 million, then a maximum of $50 million annually

AND available revolving commitments are less than $400 million, then a maximum of $40 million annually


•	when the Consolidated Senior Secured Leverage Ratio is between 2.50:1 and 3.75;1, then a maximum of $20 million annually (including Notes Payments)


•	when the Consolidated Senior Secured Leverage Ratio is over 3.75:1, then a maximum of $15 million annually (including Notes Payments)

We retain the ability to repurchase senior notes when the Consolidated Senior Secured Leverage Ratio is less than or equal to 2.50:1.

In connection with the Second Amendment, we paid customary amendment fees to the Agent and the lenders that provided their consent to the Amendment of approximately $1.0 million, which were capitalized and will be amortized to interest expense over the remaining term of the agreement.

The Second Amendment is included as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated as of October 4, 2016.

The table below shows the required and actual ratios under the Credit Agreement calculated as of December 31, 2016:



	Required Ratio		Actual Ratio
Consolidated total leverage ratio	No greater than	4.00:1	3.58:1
Consolidated senior secured leverage ratio	No greater than	2.50:1	0.65:1
Consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio	No less than	1.50:1	1.50:1

These financial covenants, as well as the related components of their computation, are defined in the Credit Agreement, which is included as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated as of March 19, 2014. In accordance with the Credit Agreement, the actual consolidated total leverage ratio was calculated by dividing the consolidated funded debt outstanding at December 31, 2016 ($664.2 million) by consolidated EBITDA for the 12-month period ending December 31, 2016 ($185.5 million). For purposes of the covenant calculations, (i) “consolidated funded debt” is defined as outstanding indebtedness less cash in excess of $25.0 million, and (ii) “consolidated EBITDA” is generally defined as consolidated net income (a) plus the sum of income taxes, interest expense, depreciation and amortization expense, extraordinary non-cash expenses or losses, and other non-cash charges, and (b) minus the sum of interest income, extraordinary income or gains, other non-cash income, and cash payments with respect to extraordinary non-cash expenses or losses recorded in prior fiscal quarters. Consolidated EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that is presented not as a measure of operating results, but rather as a measure used to determine covenant compliance under our senior credit facilities.

The actual consolidated senior secured leverage ratio was calculated pursuant to the Credit Agreement by dividing the consolidated senior secured debt outstanding at December 31, 2016 ($121.4 million) by consolidated EBITDA for the 12-month period ending December 31, 2016 ($185.5 million). For purposes of the covenant calculation, “consolidated senior secured debt” is generally defined as the aggregate principal amount of consolidated funded debt that is then secured by liens on property or assets of the Company or its subsidiaries, less cash greater than $25 million.

The actual consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio was calculated pursuant to the Credit Agreement by dividing the sum of consolidated EBITDA and consolidated lease expense for the 12-month period ending December 31, 2016 ($416.7 million), by consolidated fixed charges for the 12-month period ending December 31, 2016 ($277.9 million). For purposes of the covenant calculation, “consolidated fixed charges” is defined as the sum of consolidated interest expense and consolidated lease expense.

Events of default under the Credit Agreement include customary events, such as a cross-acceleration provision in the event that we default on other debt. In addition, an event of default under the Credit Agreement would occur if a change of control occurs. This is defined to include the case where a third party becomes the beneficial owner of 35% or more of our voting stock or certain changes in the composition of Rent-A-Center’s Board of Directors occur. An event of default would also occur if one or more judgments were entered against us of $50.0 million or more and such judgments were not satisfied or bonded pending appeal within 30 days after entry.

We utilize our Revolving Facility for the issuance of letters of credit, as well as to manage normal fluctuations in operational cash flow caused by the timing of cash receipts. In that regard, we may from time to time draw funds under the Revolving Facility for general corporate purposes. Amounts are drawn as needed due to the timing of cash flows and are generally paid down as cash is generated by our operating activities.

In addition to the senior credit facilities discussed above, we maintain a $20.0 million unsecured, revolving line of credit with INTRUST Bank, N.A. to facilitate cash management. The line of credit generally renews on August 21 of each year. Borrowings under the line of credit bear interest at the greater of a variable rate or 2.00%.

The table below shows the scheduled maturity dates of our outstanding debt at December 31, 2016.



(In thousands)	Term Loan		Revolving Facility		INTRUST Line of Credit		Total
2017	$	2,250	$	—	$	—	$	2,250
2018	2,250		—		—		2,250
2019	2,250		—		—		2,250
2020	2,250		—		—		2,250
2021	182,813		—		—		182,813
Thereafter	—		—		—		—
Total senior debt	$	191,813	$	—	$	—	$	191,813

Subsidiary Guarantors - Senior Notes

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Senior Notes [Abstract]

Subsidiary Guarantors - Senior Notes

Note J — Subsidiary Guarantors – Senior Notes

On November 2, 2010, we issued $300.0 million in senior unsecured notes due November 2020, bearing interest at 6.625%, pursuant to an indenture dated November 2, 2010, among Rent-A-Center, Inc., its subsidiary guarantors and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, as trustee. A portion of the proceeds of this offering were used to repay approximately $200.0 million of outstanding term debt under our Prior Credit Agreement. The remaining net proceeds were used to repurchase shares of our common stock. The principal amount of the 6.625% notes outstanding as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 were $292.7 million, reduced by $2.5 million and $3.1 million of unamortized issuance costs, respectively.

On May 2, 2013, we issued $250.0 million in senior unsecured notes due May 2021, bearing interest at 4.75%, pursuant to an indenture dated May 2, 2013, among Rent-A-Center, Inc., its subsidiary guarantors and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, as trustee. A portion of the proceeds of this offering were used to repurchase shares of our common stock under a $200.0 million accelerated stock buyback program. The remaining net proceeds were used to repay outstanding revolving debt under our Prior Credit Agreement. The principal amount of the 4.75% notes outstanding as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 was $250.0 million, reduced by $2.8 million and $3.4 million of unamortized issuance costs, respectively.

The indentures governing the 6.625% notes and the 4.75% notes are substantially similar. Each indenture contains covenants that limit our ability to:


•	incur additional debt;


•	sell assets or our subsidiaries;


•	grant liens to third parties;


•	pay cash dividends or repurchase stock when total leverage is greater than 2.50:1 (subject to an exception for cash dividends in an amount not to exceed $20 million annually); and


•	engage in a merger or sell substantially all of our assets.

Events of default under each indenture include customary events, such as a cross-acceleration provision in the event that we default in the payment of other debt due at maturity or upon acceleration for default in an amount exceeding $50.0 million, as well as in the event a judgment is entered against us in excess of $50.0 million that is not discharged, bonded or insured.

The 6.625% notes may be redeemed on or after November 15, 2015, at our option, in whole or in part, at a premium declining from 103.313%. The 6.625% notes may be redeemed on or after November 15, 2018, at our option, in whole or in part, at par. The 6.625% notes also require that upon the occurrence of a change of control (as defined in the 2010 indenture), the holders of the notes have the right to require us to repurchase the notes at a price equal to 101% of the original aggregate principal amount, together with accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of repurchase.

The 4.75% notes may be redeemed on or after May 1, 2016, at our option, in whole or in part, at a premium declining from 103.563%. The 4.75% notes may be redeemed on or after May 1, 2019, at our option, in whole or in part, at par. The 4.750% notes also require that upon the occurrence of a change of control (as defined in the 2013 indenture), the holders of the notes have the right to require us to repurchase the notes at a price equal to 101% of the original aggregate principal amount, together with accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of repurchase.

Any mandatory repurchase of the 6.625% notes and/or the 4.75% notes would trigger an event of default under our Credit Agreement. We are not required to maintain any financial ratios under either of the indentures.

Rent-A-Center and its subsidiary guarantors have fully, jointly and severally, and unconditionally guaranteed the obligations of Rent-A-Center with respect to the 6.625% notes and the 4.75% notes. Rent-A-Center has no independent assets or operations, and each subsidiary guarantor is 100% owned directly or indirectly by Rent-A-Center. The only direct or indirect subsidiaries of Rent-A-Center that are not guarantors are minor subsidiaries. There are no restrictions on the ability of any of the subsidiary guarantors to transfer funds to Rent-A-Center in the form of loans, advances or dividends, except as provided by applicable law.

Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Note K — Commitments and Contingencies

Leases

We lease space for substantially all of our Core U.S. and Mexico stores, certain support facilities and the majority of our delivery vehicles under operating leases expiring at various times through 2023. Certain of the store leases contain escalation clauses for increased taxes and operating expenses. Rental expense was $231.3 million, $239.2 million and $244.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Future minimum rental payments under operating leases with remaining lease terms in excess of one year at December 31, 2016 are as follows:



(In thousands)	Operating Leases
2017	$	165,187
2018	129,858
2019	95,133
2020	63,584
2021	28,604
Thereafter	5,256
Total future minimum rental payments	$	487,622

Contingencies

From time to time, the Company, along with our subsidiaries, is party to various legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. We reserve for loss contingencies that are both probable and reasonably estimable. We regularly monitor developments related to these legal proceedings, and review the adequacy of our legal reserves on a quarterly basis. We do not expect these losses to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements if and when such losses are incurred.

We are subject to unclaimed property audits by states in the ordinary course of business. A comprehensive multi-state unclaimed property audit is currently in progress. The property subject to review in this audit process includes unclaimed wages, vendor payments and customer refunds. State escheat laws generally require entities to report and remit abandoned and unclaimed property to the state. Failure to timely report and remit the property can result in assessments that could include interest and penalties, in addition to the payment of the escheat liability itself. We routinely remit escheat payments to states in compliance with applicable escheat laws. Management believes it is too early to determine the ultimate outcome of this audit, as our remediation efforts are still in process and there have been recent developments in escheat laws which may be applicable to this matter.

Alan Hall, et. al. v. Rent-A-Center, Inc., et. al.; James DePalma, et. al. v. Rent-A-Center, Inc., et. al. On December 23, 2016, a putative class action was filed against us and certain of our former officers by Alan Hall in federal court in Sherman, Texas. The complaint alleges that the defendants violated Section 10(b) and/or Section 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by issuing false and misleading statements and omitting material facts regarding our business, operations and prospects during the period covered by the complaint. The complaint purports to be brought on behalf of all purchasers of our common stock from July 27, 2015, through October 10, 2016, and seeks damages in unspecified amounts. A complaint filed by James DePalma also in Sherman, Texas alleging similar claims was consolidated by the court into the Hall matter. We believe that these claims are without merit and intend to vigorously defend ourselves. However, we cannot assure you that we will be found to have no liability in this matter.

Franchising Guarantees

Our subsidiary, ColorTyme Finance, Inc. (“ColorTyme Finance”), is a party to an agreement with Citibank, N.A., pursuant to which Citibank provides up to $27.0 million in aggregate financing to qualifying franchisees of Franchising. Under the Citibank agreement, upon an event of default by the franchisee under agreements governing this financing and upon the occurrence of certain other events, Citibank can assign the loans and the collateral securing such loans to ColorTyme Finance, with ColorTyme Finance paying or causing to be paid the outstanding debt to Citibank and then succeeding to the rights of Citibank under the debt agreements, including the right to foreclose on the collateral. Rent-A-Center and ColorTyme Finance guarantee the obligations of the franchise borrowers under the Citibank facility. An additional $20.0 million of financing is provided by Texas Capital Bank, National Association under an agreement similar to the Citibank financing, which is guaranteed by Rent-A-Center East, Inc., a subsidiary of Rent-A-Center. The maximum guarantee obligations under these agreements, excluding the effects of any amounts that could be recovered under collateralization provisions, is $47.0 million, of which $2.8 million was outstanding as of December 31, 2016.

Other Charges and Credits - Cost of Revenues	12 Months Ended
Other Charges and Credits - Cost of Revenues	Dec. 31, 2016
Other Charges and (Credits) - Cost of Revenues [Abstract]
Other COGS Special Items [Text Block]	Note L — Other Charges and Credits - Cost of Revenues Write-down of Rental Merchandise. During 2015, we projected that we would not recover the carrying value of certain smartphones. We recorded a $34.7 million impairment charge, included in cost of revenues in the accompanying statement of operations. Vendor Settlement Credit. We participated in an anti-trust class-action suit as an entity that indirectly purchased liquid-crystal displays from certain manufacturers during the period from 1999 to 2006. We received net proceeds of approximately $6.8 million pursuant to a negotiated settlement of this matter based on the number of LCD units purchased during that time period. The settlement proceeds are reported as a reduction to cost of goods sold in the consolidated statements of earnings for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Other Charges - Operating Expenses

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

Other Charges - Operating Expenses

Note M — Other Charges - Operating Expenses

Core U.S. Store and Acceptance Now Consolidation Plan. During the second quarter of 2016, we closed 167 Core U.S. stores and 96 Acceptance Now locations, resulting in pre-tax restructuring charges of $20.1 million. Restructuring charges consisted of lease obligation costs, disposal of fixed assets, and other miscellaneous labor and shutdown costs.

During 2015, we closed 65 Core U.S. stores resulting in pre-tax restructuring charges of $4.3 million. Restructuring charges consisted of lease obligations costs, accelerated depreciation and disposal of fixed assets and inventory and other miscellaneous operating costs.

Mexico Store Consolidation Plan. During the first quarter of 2016, we closed 14 stores in Mexico, resulting in pre-tax restructuring charges of $2.3 million in the Mexico segment for disposal of rental merchandise, disposal of fixed assets and leasehold improvements, and other miscellaneous costs. During 2015, we closed 34 stores in Mexico. These store closures resulted in pre-tax restructuring charges of $3.0 million in the Mexico segment for disposal of fixed assets and leasehold improvements, and other miscellaneous costs.

Claims Settlement. In the fourth quarter of 2016, we recognized a gain of $2.2 million related to a litigation claims settlement.

Sourcing and Distribution Network Startup Costs. As part of our transformational sourcing and distribution initiative, we entered into an agreement with a third-party logistics partner. As a result, we incurred one-time costs to set up new warehousing facilities and distribution routes and we incurred other charges to close existing warehouse space and terminate employees. The pre-tax charges for these items were approximately $2.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, reflected in the Core U.S. segment.

Sale of Stores. During 2015, we incurred pre-tax losses of $7.2 million on the sale of 40 Core U.S. stores to a franchisee and $0.3 million on the sale of 14 Core U.S. stores in Canada. We also incurred losses on the sale and closure of other Core U.S. stores of $1.1 million in 2015.

Corporate Restructuring. During 2015, we eliminated certain departments and functions in our field support center as a part of our efforts to transform and modernize our operations company-wide. This resulted in pre-tax restructuring charges for severance and other payroll-related costs of approximately $2.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Activity with respect to other charges for the year ended December 31, 2016 is summarized in the below table:



(In thousands)	Accrued Charges at December 31, 2014		Charges & Adjustments		Payments			Accrued Charges at December 31, 2015		Charges & Adjustments			Payments			Accrued Charges at December 31, 2016
Cash charges:
Labor reduction costs	$	3,915	$	3,020	$	(3,595	)	$	3,340	$	1,380		$	(3,327	)	$	1,393
Lease obligation costs	257		4,273		(3,301		)	1,229		15,198			(9,799		)	6,628
Other miscellaneous	—		2,529		(2,529		)	—		1,455			(1,455		)	—
Total cash charges	$	4,172	9,822		$	(9,425	)	$	4,569	18,033			$	(14,581	)	$	8,021
Non-cash charges:
Inventory losses			$	314						$	287
Loss on the sale of fixed assets			5,019							3,491
Other, net			1,496							673
Total Restructuring charges			16,651							22,484
Other charges and (gains)			4,000							(2,185		)
Total other charges			$	20,651						$	20,299

Stock-Based Compensation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Stock-Based Compensation [Abstract]

Stock-Based Compensation

Note N — Stock-Based Compensation

We maintain long-term incentive plans for the benefit of certain employees and directors. Our plans consist of the Rent-A-Center, Inc. Amended and Restated Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Prior Plan”), the Rent-A-Center, Inc. 2006 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2006 Plan”), the Rent-A-Center, Inc. 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Equity Incentive Plan”), and the Rent-A-Center 2016 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "2016 Plan") which are collectively known as the “Plans.”

On March 9, 2016, upon the recommendation of the Compensation Committee, the Board adopted, subject to stockholder approval, the 2016 Plan and directed that it be submitted for the approval of the stockholders. On June 2, 2016, the stockholders approved the 2016 Plan. The 2016 Plan authorizes the issuance of a total of 6,500,000 shares of common stock. Any shares of common stock granted in connection with an award of stock options or stock appreciation rights will be counted against this limit as one share and any shares of common stock granted in connection with awards of restricted stock, restricted stock units, deferred stock or similar forms of stock awards other than stock options and stock appreciation rights will be counted against this limit as two shares of common stock for every one share of common stock granted in connection with such awards. No shares of common stock will be deemed to have been issued if (1) such shares covered by the unexercised portion of an option that terminates, expires, or is cancelled or settled in cash or (2) such shares are forfeited or subject to awards that are forfeited, canceled, terminated or settled in cash. In any calendar year, (1) no employee will be granted options and/or stock appreciation rights for more than 800,000 shares of common stock; (2) no employee will be granted performance-based equity awards under the 2016 Plan (other than options and stock appreciation rights), covering more than 800,000 shares of common stock; and (3) no employee will be granted performance-based cash awards for more than $5,000,000. At December 31, 2016, there were 302,935 shares allocated to equity awards outstanding in the 2016 Plan.

The 2006 Plan authorizes the issuance of 7,000,000 shares of Rent-A-Center’s common stock that may be issued pursuant to awards granted under the 2006 Plan, of which no more than 3,500,000 shares may be issued in the form of restricted stock, deferred stock or similar forms of stock awards which have value without regard to future appreciation in value of or dividends declared on the underlying shares of common stock. In applying these limitations, the following shares will be deemed not to have been issued: (1) shares covered by the unexercised portion of an option that terminates, expires, or is canceled or settled in cash, and (2) shares that are forfeited or subject to awards that are forfeited, canceled, terminated or settled in cash. At December 31, 2016 and 2015, there were 2,108,068 and 1,762,142 shares, respectively, allocated to equity awards outstanding in the 2006 Plan. The 2006 Plan expired in accordance with its terms on March 24, 2016, and all shares remaining available for grant under the 2006 Plan were canceled.

We acquired the Equity Incentive Plan (formerly known as the Rent-Way, Inc. 2006 Equity Incentive Plan) in conjunction with our acquisition of Rent-Way in 2006. There were 2,468,461 shares of our common stock reserved for issuance under the Equity Incentive Plan. There were 1,526,203 and 1,587,693 shares allocated to equity awards outstanding in the Equity Incentive Plan at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Equity Incentive Plan expired in accordance with its terms on January 13, 2016, and all shares remaining available for grant under the Equity Incentive Plan were canceled.

Under the Prior Plan, 14,562,865 shares of Rent-A-Center’s common stock were reserved for issuance under stock options, stock appreciation rights or restricted stock grants. There were no grants of stock appreciation rights and all equity awards were granted with fixed prices. At December 31, 2016 and 2015, there were 650 and 21,175 shares, respectively, allocated to equity awards outstanding under the Prior Plan. The Prior Plan was terminated on May 19, 2006, upon the approval by our stockholders of the 2006 Plan.

Options granted to our employees generally become exercisable over a period of 1 to 4 years from the date of grant and may be exercised up to a maximum of 10 years from the date of grant. Options granted to directors were immediately exercisable.

We grant restricted stock units to certain employees that vest after a three-year service requirement has been met. We recognize expense for these awards using the straight-line method over the requisite service period based on the number of awards expected to vest. We also grant performance-based restricted stock units that vest between 0% and 200% depending on our stock performance against an index using a total shareholder return formula established at the date of grant for the subsequent three-year period. We record expense for these awards over the requisite service period, net of the expected forfeiture rate, since the employee must maintain employment to vest in the award.

Stock-based compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 is as follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Stock options	$	2,954	$	4,030	$	5,044
Restricted share units	6,255		5,511		1,515
Total stock-based compensation expense	9,209		9,541		6,559
Tax benefit recognized in the statements of earnings	658		1,715		2,117
Stock-based compensation expense, net of tax	$	8,551	$	7,826	$	4,442

We issue new shares of stock to satisfy option exercises and the vesting of restricted stock units.

The fair value of unvested options that we expect to result in compensation expense was approximately $4.9 million with a weighted average number of years to vesting of 2.45 at December 31, 2016.

Information with respect to stock option activity related to the Plans for the year ended December 31, 2016 follows:



	Equity Awards Outstanding		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life	Aggregate Intrinsic Value (In thousands)
Balance outstanding at January 1, 2016	2,874,366		$	30.33
Granted	1,029,201		11.80
Forfeited	(454,028	)	24.01
Expired	(377,358	)	30.22
Balance outstanding at December 31, 2016	3,072,181		$	25.07	6.81	$	—

Exercisable at December 31, 2016	1,407,116		$	30.53	4.95	$	—

There were no options exercised during the year ended December 31, 2016. The intrinsic value of options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 was $0.5 million and $1.9 million, respectively, resulting in tax benefits of $0.1 million and $0.3 million, respectively, which are reflected as an outflow from operating activities and an inflow from financing activities in the consolidated statements of cash flows.

The weighted average fair values of the options granted under the Plans were calculated using the Black-Scholes method. The weighted average grant date fair value and weighted average assumptions used in the option pricing models are as follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
	2016			2015			2014
Weighted average grant date fair value	$	3.06		$	6.34		$	6.49
Weighted average risk free interest rate	1.31		%	1.42		%	1.54		%
Weighted average expected dividend yield	3.16		%	3.32		%	3.28		%
Weighted average expected volatility	39.64		%	33.28		%	34.77		%
Weighted average expected life (in years)	4.63			5.05			5.00

Information with respect to non-vested restricted stock unit activity follows:



	Restricted Awards Outstanding		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Balance outstanding at January 1, 2016	867,755		$	26.67
Granted	1,065,190		9.20
Vested	(249,638	)	23.34
Forfeited	(321,176	)	19.50
Balance outstanding at December 31, 2016	1,362,131		$	15.31

Restricted stock units are valued using the closing price reported by the Nasdaq Global Select Market on the trading day immediately preceding the day of the grant. Unrecognized compensation expense for unvested restricted stock units at December 31, 2016, was approximately $7.8 million expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.72 years.

Deferred Compensation Plan	12 Months Ended
Deferred Compensation Plan	Dec. 31, 2016
Deferred Compensation Liability [Abstract]
Deferred Compensation Plan	Note O — Deferred Compensation Plan The Rent-A-Center, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Deferred Compensation Plan”) is an unfunded, nonqualified deferred compensation plan for a select group of our key management personnel and highly compensated employees. The Deferred Compensation Plan first became available to eligible employees in July 2007, with deferral elections taking effect as of August 3, 2007. The Deferred Compensation Plan allows participants to defer up to 50% of their base compensation and up to 100% of any bonus compensation. Participants may invest the amounts deferred in measurement funds that are the same funds offered as the investment options in the Rent-A-Center, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan. We may make discretionary contributions to the Deferred Compensation Plan, which are subject to a three-year graded vesting schedule based on the participant’s years of service with us. We are obligated to pay the deferred compensation amounts in the future in accordance with the terms of the Deferred Compensation Plan. Assets and associated liabilities of the Deferred Compensation Plan are included in prepaid and other assets and accrued liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets. For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, we made matching cash contributions of $0.3 million, $0.4 million and $0.3 million, respectively, which represents 50% of the employees’ contributions to the Deferred Compensation Plan up to an amount not to exceed 4% of each employee's respective compensation. No other discretionary contributions were made for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014. The deferred compensation plan liability was approximately $11.4 million and $10.5 million as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for compensation costs, including compensated absences accruals, compensated absences liability, deferred compensation arrangements and income statement compensation items. Deferred compensation arrangements may include a description of an arrangement with an individual employee, which is generally an employment contract between the entity and a selected officer or key employee containing a promise by the employer to pay certain amounts at designated future dates, usually including a period after retirement, upon compliance with stipulated requirements. This type of arrangement is distinguished from broader based employee benefit plans as it is usually tailored to the employee. Disclosure also typically includes the amount of related compensation expense recognized during the reporting period, the number of shares (units) issued during the period under such arrangements, and the carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of the related liability.

+ References + Details

401(k) Plan	12 Months Ended
401(k) Plan	Dec. 31, 2016
Employee Benefit Plan [Abstract]
401(k) Plan	Note P — 401(k) Plan We sponsor a defined contribution plan under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code for certain employees who have completed at least three months of service. Employees may elect to contribute up to 50% of their eligible compensation on a pre-tax basis, subject to limitations. We may make discretionary contributions to the 401(k) plan. Employer matching contributions are subject to a three-year graded vesting schedule based on the participant's years of service with us. For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, we made matching cash contributions of $7.6 million, $7.2 million and $6.7 million, respectively, which represents 50% of the employees’ contributions to the 401(k) plan up to an amount not to exceed 6% of each employee's respective compensation. Employees are permitted to elect to purchase our common stock as part of their 401(k) plan. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, 3.6% and 4.5%, respectively, of the total plan assets consisted of our common stock.

Fair Value

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value

Note Q — Fair Value

We use a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which classifies the inputs used in measuring fair values, in determining the fair value of our non-financial assets and non-financial liabilities, which consist primarily of goodwill. These tiers include: Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets; Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable; and Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions. There were no changes in the methods and assumptions used in measuring fair value during the period.

At December 31, 2016, our financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents, receivables, payables, senior debt and senior notes. The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents, receivables and payables approximates fair value at December 31, 2016 and 2015, because of the short maturities of these instruments. Our senior debt is variable rate debt that re-prices frequently and entails no significant change in credit risk and, as a result, fair value approximates carrying value.

The fair value of our senior notes is based on Level 1 inputs and was as follows at December 31, 2016 and 2015:



	December 31, 2016							December 31, 2015
(In thousands)	Carrying Value		Fair Value		Difference			Carrying Value		Fair Value		Difference
6.625% senior notes	$	292,740	$	266,393	$	(26,347	)	$	292,740	$	248,097	$	(44,643	)
4.75% senior notes	250,000		206,250		(43,750		)	250,000		183,125		(66,875		)
Total senior notes	$	542,740	$	472,643	$	(70,097	)	$	542,740	$	431,222	$	(111,518	)

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

+ References + Details

Stock Repurchase Plan	12 Months Ended
Stock Repurchase Plan	Dec. 31, 2016
Stock Repurchase Plan [Abstract]
Stock Repurchase Plan	Note R — Stock Repurchase Plan Under our current common stock repurchase program, our Board of Directors has authorized the purchase, from time to time, in the open market and privately negotiated transactions, of up to an aggregate of $1.25 billion of Rent-A-Center common stock. We have repurchased a total of 36,994,653 shares of Rent-A-Center common stock for an aggregate purchase price of $994.8 million as of December 31, 2016, under this common stock repurchase program. No shares were repurchased during 2016 and 2015.

Segment Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment Reporting Disclosure [Text Block]

Note S — Segment Information

The operating segments reported below are the segments for which separate financial information is available and for which segment results are evaluated by the chief operating decision makers. Our operating segments are organized based on factors including, but not limited to, type of business transactions, geographic location and store ownership. All operating segments offer merchandise from four basic product categories: consumer electronics, appliances, computers, furniture and accessories, and our Core U.S. and franchising segments also offer smartphones. Reportable segments and their respective operations are defined as follows:

Our Core U.S. segment primarily operates rent-to-own stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico whose customers enter into weekly, semi-monthly or monthly rental purchase agreements, which renew automatically upon receipt of each payment. We retain the title to the merchandise during the term of the rental purchase agreement and ownership passes to the customer if the customer has continuously renewed the rental purchase agreement through the end of the term or exercises a specified early purchase option. This segment also includes the 45 stores operating in two states that utilize a retail model which generates installment credit sales through a retail sale transaction. Segment assets include cash, receivables, rental merchandise, property assets and other intangible assets.

Our Acceptance Now segment operates kiosks within various traditional retailers’ locations where we generally offer the rent-to-own transaction to consumers who do not qualify for financing from the traditional retailer. The transaction offered is generally similar to that of the Core U.S. segment; however, the majority of the customers in this segment enter into monthly rather than weekly agreements. Segment assets include cash, rental merchandise, property assets, goodwill and other intangible assets.

Our Mexico segment currently consists of our company-owned rent-to-own stores in Mexico. The nature of this segment's operations and assets are the same as our Core U.S. segment.

The stores in our Franchising segment use Rent-A-Center’s, ColorTyme’s or RimTyme’s trade names, service marks, trademarks and logos, and operate under distinctive operating procedures and standards. Franchising’s primary source of revenue is the sale of rental merchandise to its franchisees who, in turn, offer the merchandise to the general public for rent or purchase under a rent-to-own program. As franchisor, Franchising receives royalties of 2.0% to 6.0% of the franchisees' monthly gross revenue and initial fees for new locations. Segment assets include cash, franchise fee receivables, property assets and intangible assets.

Segment information as of and for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 is as follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Revenues
Core U.S.	$	2,069,725	$	2,371,823	$	2,414,659
Acceptance Now	817,814		818,325		644,853
Mexico	50,927		63,803		72,202
Franchising	24,786		24,469		26,082
Total revenues	$	2,963,252	$	3,278,420	$	3,157,796



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Gross profit
Core U.S.	$	1,467,679	$	1,644,840	$	1,753,269
Acceptance Now	422,381		420,980		372,012
Mexico	35,549		42,354		51,070
Franchising	9,440		9,935		8,012
Total gross profit	$	1,935,049	$	2,118,109	$	2,184,363



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015			2014
Operating profit (loss)
Core U.S.	$	(1,020	)	$	(959,447	)	$	264,967
Acceptance Now	105,925			123,971			112,918
Mexico	(2,449		)	(14,149		)	(21,961		)
Franchising	5,650			5,793			3,295
Total segments	108,106			(843,832		)	359,219
Corporate	(174,702		)	(164,056		)	(165,757		)
Total operating (loss) profit	$	(66,596	)	$	(1,007,888	)	$	193,462



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles
Core U.S.	$	39,734	$	49,137	$	57,324
Acceptance Now	3,309		3,334		2,917
Mexico	3,179		5,160		6,683
Franchising	177		185		184
Total segments	46,399		57,816		67,108
Corporate	34,057		22,904		16,060
Total depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles	$	80,456	$	80,720	$	83,168

We recorded goodwill impairment charges of $151.3 million and $1,170.0 million in the Core U.S. segment during the fourth quarters of 2016 and 2015, respectively, not included in the table above.



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Capital expenditures
Core U.S.	$	20,802	$	21,739	$	31,228
Acceptance Now	2,330		2,473		3,833
Mexico	283		204		4,164
Total segments	23,415		24,416		39,225
Corporate	37,728		56,454		44,560
Total capital expenditures	$	61,143	$	80,870	$	83,785



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
On rent rental merchandise, net
Core U.S.	$	426,845	$	540,004	$	593,945
Acceptance Now	354,486		350,046		345,703
Mexico	13,787		17,575		20,766
Total on rent rental merchandise, net	$	795,118	$	907,625	$	960,414



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Held for rent rental merchandise, net
Core U.S.	$	192,718	$	215,327	$	264,211
Acceptance Now	7,489		5,000		4,897
Mexico	6,629		8,520		8,334
Total held for rent rental merchandise, net	$	206,836	$	228,847	$	277,442



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Assets by segment			Revised
Core U.S.	$	872,551	$	1,240,593	$	2,519,770
Acceptance Now	432,383		426,827		420,660
Mexico	31,415		38,898		59,841
Franchising	2,197		2,723		2,604
Total segments	1,338,546		1,709,041		3,002,875
Corporate	264,195		265,427		268,322
Total assets	$	1,602,741	$	1,974,468	$	3,271,197



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Assets by country			Revised
United States	$	1,567,933	$	1,930,676	$	3,204,283
Mexico	31,415		38,898		59,841
Canada	3,393		4,894		7,073
Total assets	$	1,602,741	$	1,974,468	$	3,271,197



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Furniture and accessories	$	927,537	$	955,576	$	938,065
Consumer electronics	553,976		626,668		642,226
Appliances	391,539		415,278		422,979
Computers	148,889		207,906		307,325
Smartphones	93,449		163,667		68,015
Other products and services	384,663		412,220		367,218
Total rentals and fees	$	2,500,053	$	2,781,315	$	2,745,828

Our revenues originate in the following countries:



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
United States	$	2,911,613	$	3,209,736	$	3,075,387
Mexico	50,927		63,803		72,202
Canada	712		4,881		10,207
Total revenues	$	2,963,252	$	3,278,420	$	3,157,796

- Definition

The entire disclosure for reporting segments including data and tables. Reportable segments include those that meet any of the following quantitative thresholds a) it's reported revenue, including sales to external customers and intersegment sales or transfers is 10 percent or more of the combined revenue, internal and external, of all operating segments b) the absolute amount of its reported profit or loss is 10 percent or more of the greater, in absolute amount of 1) the combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss or 2) the combined reported loss of all operating segments that did report a loss c) its assets are 10 percent or more of the combined assets of all operating segments.

+ References

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+ Details

Earnings Per Common Share

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Earnings Per Common Share

Note T — Earnings Per Common Share

Summarized basic and diluted earnings per common share were calculated as follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands, except per share data)	2016			2015			2014
Numerator:
Net earnings (loss)	$	(105,195	)	$	(953,520	)	$	96,422
Denominator:
Weighted-average shares outstanding	53,121			53,050			52,850
Effect of dilutive stock awards	—			—			276
Weighted-average dilutive shares	53,121			53,050			53,126

Basic (loss) earnings per share	$	(1.98	)	$	(17.97	)	$	1.82
Diluted (loss) earnings per share	$	(1.98	)	$	(17.97	)	$	1.81

Diluted loss per common share for the year ended December 31, 2016, did not include the effect of dilutive stock awards because the result would have been anti-dilutive. For 2016, 2015, and 2014, the number of stock options that were outstanding but not included in the computation of diluted earnings per common share because their exercise price was greater than the average market price of the common stock and, therefore anti-dilutive, were 3,072,181, 2,585,711, and 2,496,147, respectively.

Unaudited Quarterly Data

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]

Unaudited Quarterly Data

Note U — Unaudited Quarterly Data

Summarized quarterly financial data for the years ended December 31, 2016, and 2015 is as follows:



(In thousands, except per share data)	1st Quarter		2nd Quarter		3rd Quarter		4th Quarter
Year Ended December 31, 2016
Revenues	$	835,652	$	749,619	$	693,877	$	684,104
Gross profit	534,944		500,158		457,226		442,721
Operating profit (loss)	48,430		27,550		16,700		(159,276		)
Net earnings (loss)	25,061		9,946		6,181		(146,383		)
Basic earnings (loss) per common share	$	0.47	$	0.19	$	0.12	$	(2.76	)
Diluted earnings (loss) per common share	$	0.47	$	0.19	$	0.12	$	(2.76	)
Cash dividends declared per common share	$	0.08	$	0.08	$	0.08	$	0.08



(In thousands, except per share data)	1st Quarter		2nd Quarter		3rd Quarter			4th Quarter⁽¹⁾
Year Ended December 31, 2015
Revenues	$	877,639	$	815,343	$	791,605		$	793,833
Gross profit	564,593		538,529		488,612			526,375
Operating profit (loss)	56,598		49,701		6,565			(1,120,752		)
Net earnings (loss)	27,298		23,147		(4,092		)	(999,873		)
Basic earnings (loss) per common share	$	0.51	$	0.44	$	(0.08	)	$	(18.84	)
Diluted earnings (loss) per common share	$	0.51	$	0.43	$	(0.08	)	$	(18.84	)
Cash dividends declared per common share	$	0.24	$	0.24	$	0.24		$	0.24

⁽¹⁾Fourth quarter net loss and loss per share revised for correction of deferred tax error associated with our goodwill impairment reported in the fourth quarter of 2015 as discussed in Note B.

Nature of Operations and Summary of Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Principles of Consolidation	These financial statements include the accounts of Rent-A-Center, Inc. and its direct and indirect subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
Rental Merchandise	Rental Merchandise Rental merchandise is carried at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation for merchandise is generally provided using the income forecasting method, which is intended to match as closely as practicable the recognition of depreciation expense with the consumption of the rental merchandise, and assumes no salvage value. The consumption of rental merchandise occurs during periods of rental and directly coincides with the receipt of rental revenue over the rental purchase agreement period. Under the income forecasting method, merchandise held for rent is not depreciated and merchandise on rent is depreciated in the proportion of rents received to total rents provided in the rental contract, which is an activity-based method similar to the units of production method. We depreciate merchandise (including computers and tablets) that is held for rent for at least 180 consecutive days using the straight-line method over a period generally not to exceed 18 months. Beginning in 2016, smartphones are depreciated over an 18 month straight-line basis beginning with the earlier of on rent or 90 consecutive days on held for rent. Rental merchandise which is damaged and inoperable is expensed when such impairment occurs. If a customer does not return the merchandise or make payment, the remaining book value of the rental merchandise associated with delinquent accounts is generally charged off on or before the 90^th day following the time the account became past due in the Core U.S. segment, on or before the 150^th day in the Acceptance Now segment and on or before the 60^th day in the Mexico segment. We maintain a reserve for these expected expenses. In addition, any minor repairs made to rental merchandise are expensed at the time of the repair.
Cash Equivalents	Cash Equivalents Cash equivalents include all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less. We maintain cash and cash equivalents at several financial institutions, which at times may not be federally insured or may exceed federally insured limits. We have not experienced any losses in such accounts and believe we are not exposed to any significant credit risks on such accounts.
Revenues	Revenues Merchandise is rented to customers pursuant to rental purchase agreements which provide for weekly, semi-monthly or monthly rental terms with non-refundable rental payments. Generally, the customer has the right to acquire title either through a purchase option or through payment of all required rentals. Rental revenue and fees are recognized over the rental term and merchandise sales revenue is recognized when the customer exercises the purchase option and pays the cash price due. Cash received prior to the period in which it should be recognized is deferred and recognized according to the rental term. Revenue is accrued for uncollected amounts due based on historical collection experience. However, the total amount of the rental purchase agreement is not accrued because the customer can terminate the rental agreement at any time and we cannot enforce collection for non-payment of future rents. Revenues from the sale of merchandise in our retail installment stores are recognized when the installment note is signed, the customer has taken possession of the merchandise and collectability is reasonably assured. Revenues from the sale of rental merchandise are recognized upon shipment of the merchandise to the franchisee. Franchise royalty income and fee revenue is recognized upon completion of substantially all services and satisfaction of all material conditions required under the terms of the franchise agreement. Some franchisees purchase directly from a supplier but request reimbursement through ColorTyme Finance, Inc. and we recognize revenue for the commission we earn on these transactions.
Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts The installment notes receivable associated with the sale of merchandise at our Get It Now and Home Choice stores generally consists of the sales price of the merchandise purchased and any additional fees for services the customer has chosen, less the customer’s down payment. No interest is accrued and interest income is recognized each time a customer makes a payment, generally on a monthly basis. We have established an allowance for doubtful accounts for our installment notes receivable. Our policy for determining the allowance is based on historical loss experience, as well as the results of management’s review and analysis of the payment and collection of the installment notes receivable within the previous year. We believe our allowance is adequate to absorb any known or probable losses. Our policy is to charge off installment notes receivable that are 120 days or more past due. Charge-offs are applied as a reduction to the allowance for doubtful accounts and any recoveries of previously charged off balances are applied as an increase to the allowance for doubtful accounts. The majority of Franchising’s trade and notes receivable relate to amounts due from franchisees. Credit is extended based on an evaluation of a franchisee’s financial condition and collateral is generally not required. Trade receivables are due within 30 days and are stated at amounts due from franchisees net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. Accounts that are outstanding longer than the contractual payment terms are considered past due. Franchising determines its allowance by considering a number of factors, including the length of time receivables are past due, Franchising’s previous loss history, the franchisee’s current ability to pay its obligation to Franchising, and the condition of the general economy and the industry as a whole. Franchising writes off trade receivables that are 120 days or more past due and payments subsequently received on such receivables are credited to the allowance for doubtful accounts.
Property Assets and Related Depreciation	Property Assets and Related Depreciation Furniture, equipment and vehicles are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is provided over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets (generally 5 years) by the straight-line method. Our building is depreciated over 40 years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the useful life of the asset or the initial term of the applicable leases by the straight-line method, whichever is shorter. We have incurred costs to develop computer software for internal use. We capitalize the costs incurred during the application development stage, which includes designing the software configuration and interfaces, coding, installation, and testing. Costs incurred during the preliminary stages along with post-implementation stages of internally developed software are expensed as incurred. Internally developed software costs, once placed in service, are amortized over various periods up to 10 years. We incur repair and maintenance expenses on our vehicles and equipment. These amounts are recognized when incurred, unless such repairs significantly extend the life of the asset, in which case we amortize the cost of the repairs for the remaining useful life of the asset utilizing the straight-line method.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets We record goodwill when the consideration paid for an acquisition exceeds the fair value of the identifiable net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired. Goodwill is not subject to amortization but must be periodically evaluated for impairment. Impairment occurs when the carrying value of goodwill is not recoverable from future cash flows. We perform an assessment of goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level annually as of October 1, or when events or circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred. Due to certain key events occurring in the fourth quarter, we performed our annual assessment of goodwill impairment for 2016 as of December 31st. Our reporting units are generally our reportable operating segments. Factors which could necessitate an interim impairment assessment include a sustained decline in our stock price, prolonged negative industry or economic trends and significant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected future operating results. We determine the fair value of each reporting unit using methodologies which include the present value of estimated future cash flows and comparisons of multiples of enterprise values to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The analysis is based upon available information regarding expected future cash flows and discount rates. Discount rates are based upon our cost of capital. We use a two-step approach to assess goodwill impairment. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, then the goodwill is not deemed impaired. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds fair value, we perform a second analysis to measure the fair value of all assets and liabilities within the reporting unit, and if the carrying value of goodwill exceeds its implied fair value, goodwill is considered impaired. The amount of the impairment is the difference between the carrying value of goodwill and the implied fair value, which is calculated as if the reporting unit had just been acquired and accounted for as a business combination. Acquired customer relationships are amortized utilizing the straight-line method over a 21 month period, non-compete agreements are amortized using the straight-line method over the contractual life of the agreements, vendor relationships are amortized using the straight-line method over a 7 or 15 year period, other intangible assets are amortized using the straight-line method over the life of the asset.
Accounting for Impairment of Long-Lived Assets	Accounting for Impairment of Long-Lived Assets We evaluate all long-lived assets, including intangible assets, excluding goodwill, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be recoverable. Impairment is recognized when the carrying amounts of such assets cannot be recovered by the undiscounted net cash flows they will generate.
Self-Insurance Liabilities	Self-Insurance Liabilities We have self-insured retentions with respect to losses under our workers' compensation, general liability, vehicle liability and health insurance programs. We establish reserves for our liabilities associated with these losses by obtaining forecasts for the ultimate expected losses and estimating amounts needed to pay losses within our self-insured retentions. We make assumptions on our liabilities within our self-insured retentions using actuarial loss forecasts, company-specific development factors, general industry loss development factors, and third-party claim administrator loss estimates which are based on known facts surrounding individual claims. These assumptions incorporate expected increases in health care costs. Periodically, we reevaluate our estimate of liability within our self-insured retentions. At that time, we evaluate the adequacy of our reserves by comparing amounts reserved on our balance sheet for anticipated losses to our updated actuarial loss forecasts and third-party claim administrator loss estimates, and make adjustments to our reserves as needed.
Foreign Currency Translation	Foreign Currency Translation The functional currency of our foreign operations is the applicable local currency. Assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency are translated into U.S. dollars at the current rate of exchange on the last day of the reporting period. Revenues and expenses are generally translated at a daily exchange rate and equity transactions are translated using the actual rate on the day of the transaction.
Other Comprehensive Income	Other Comprehensive Income Other comprehensive income is comprised exclusively of our foreign currency translation adjustment.
Income Taxes	Income Taxes We record deferred taxes for temporary differences between the tax and financial reporting bases of assets and liabilities at the enacted tax rate expected to be in effect when taxes become payable. Income tax accounting requires management to make estimates and apply judgments to events that will be recognized in one period under rules that apply to financial reporting in a different period in our tax returns. In particular, judgment is required when estimating the value of future tax deductions, tax credits and net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs), as represented by deferred tax assets. We evaluate the recoverability of these future tax deductions and credits by assessing the future expected taxable income from all sources, including reversal of taxable temporary differences, forecasted operating earnings and available tax planning strategies. These sources of income rely heavily on estimates. We use our historical experience and our short- and long-range business forecasts to provide insight and assist us in determining recoverability. When it is determined the recovery of all or a portion of a deferred tax asset is not likely, a valuation allowance is established. We include NOLs in the calculation of deferred tax assets. NOLs are utilized to the extent allowable due to the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and relevant state statutes. We recognize the financial statement benefit of a tax position only after determining that the relevant tax authority would more likely than not sustain the position following an audit. For tax positions meeting the more likely-than-not threshold, the amount recognized in the financial statements is the largest benefit that has a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon the ultimate settlement with the relevant tax authority. A number of years may elapse before a particular matter, for which we have recorded a liability, is audited and effectively settled. We review our tax positions quarterly and adjust our liability for unrecognized tax benefits in the period in which we determine the issue is effectively settled with the tax authorities, the statute of limitations expires for the relevant taxing authority to examine the tax position, or when more information becomes available. We classify interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits as interest expense.
Sales Taxes	Sales Taxes We apply the net basis for sales taxes imposed on our goods and services in our consolidated statements of earnings. We are required by the applicable governmental authorities to collect and remit sales taxes. Accordingly, such amounts are charged to the customer, collected and remitted directly to the appropriate jurisdictional entity.
Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share	Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share Basic earnings (loss) per common share are based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during each period presented. Diluted earnings (loss) per common share are based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, plus, if dilutive, the assumed exercise of stock options at the beginning of the year, or for the period outstanding during the year for current year issuances.
Advertising Costs	Advertising Costs Costs incurred for producing and communicating advertising are expensed when incurred. Advertising expense was $90.6 million, $96.2 million and $94.8 million, for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock-Based Compensation We maintain long-term incentive plans for the benefit of certain employees and directors, which are described more fully in Note N. We recognize share-based payment awards to our employees and directors at the estimated fair value on the grant date. Determining the fair value of any share-based award requires information about several variables that include, but are not limited to, expected stock volatility over the terms of the award, expected dividend yields, and the risk free interest rate. We base expected life on historical exercise and post-vesting employment-termination experience, and expected volatility on historical realized volatility trends. In addition, all stock-based compensation expense is recorded net of an estimated forfeiture rate. The forfeiture rate is based upon historical activity and is analyzed at least annually as actual forfeitures occur. Compensation costs are recognized net of estimated forfeitures over the requisite service period on a straight-line basis. We issue new shares to settle stock awards. Stock options are valued using a Black-Scholes pricing model. Time-vesting restricted stock units are valued using the closing price on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on the day before the grant date, adjusted for any provisions affecting fair value, such as the lack of dividends or dividend equivalents during the vesting period. Performance-based restricted stock units will vest in accordance with a total shareholder return formula, and are valued by a third-party valuation firm using Monte Carlo simulations. Stock-based compensation expense is reported within general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of earnings.
Reclassifications	Reclassifications Certain reclassifications have been made to the reported amounts for the prior periods to conform to the current period presentation. These reclassifications had no impact on net earnings or earnings per share in any period.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates In preparing financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, we are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent losses and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. In applying accounting principles, we must often make individual estimates and assumptions regarding expected outcomes or uncertainties. Our estimates, judgments and assumptions are continually evaluated based on available information and experience. Because of the use of estimates inherent in the financial reporting process, actual results could differ from those estimates.
New Accounting Pronouncements	New Accounting Pronouncements On April 7, 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, which requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the associated debt liability. Rent-A-Center adopted this ASU retrospectively as of January 1, 2016, and now reports debt issuance costs which were previously included in prepaid expenses and other assets as a deduction from the associated debt liabilities as disclosed in Notes I and J to the consolidated financial statements. This resulted in a reduction in prepaid expenses and other assets of $10.4 million and $12.5 million, respectively, a reduction in senior debt of $5.1 million and $6.0 million, respectively, and a reduction in senior notes of $5.3 million and $6.5 million, respectively, at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015. There was no impact to our results of operations or cash flows. In 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which clarifies existing accounting literature relating to how and when a company recognizes revenue. Under ASU 2014-09, a company will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. On July 9, 2015, the FASB approved a one-year deferral of the effective date. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net), which amends ASU 2014-09 relating to how and when a company recognizes revenue when another party is involved in providing a good or service to a customer. Under Topic 606, a company will recognize revenue on a gross basis when it provides a good or service to a customer (acts as the principal in a transaction), and on a net basis when it arranges for the good or service to be provided to the customer by another party (acts as an agent in a transaction). ASU 2016-08 provides additional guidance for determining whether a company acts as a principal or agent, depending primarily on whether a company controls goods or services before delivery to the customer. In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, which provides additional guidance related to the identification of performance obligations within the contract, and licensing. In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, which provides additional guidance related to certain technical areas within ASU 2014-09. In December 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which provides additional guidance related to certain technical areas within ASU 2014-09. The adoption of these additional ASUs must be concurrent with the adoption of ASU 2014-09, which will be required for Rent-A-Center beginning January 1, 2018, with early adoption permitted as of the original effective date. These ASUs allow adoption with either retrospective application to each prior period presented, or modified retrospective application with the cumulative effect recognized as of the date of initial application. We are currently in the process of evaluating the potential impact this new pronouncement will have on our financial statements and do not anticipate early adoption. We have not completed our evaluation and therefore cannot conclude whether the pronouncement will have a significant impact on our financial statements at this time. We expect to complete our evaluation by the end of 2017. We currently anticipate that we will utilize the modified retrospective method of adoption, however, this expectation may change following the completion of our evaluation of the impact of this pronouncement on our financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which replaces existing accounting literature relating to the classification of, and accounting for, leases. Under ASU 2016-02, a company must recognize for all leases (with the exception of leases with terms less than 12 months) a liability representing a lessee's obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, and a right-of-use asset representing the lessee's right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term. Lessor accounting is largely unchanged, with certain improvements to align lessor accounting with the lessee accounting model and Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The adoption of ASU 2016-02 will be required for Rent-A-Center beginning January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The ASU must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition, applying the new criteria to all leases existing or entered into after the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the consolidated financial statements. We are currently in the process of determining what impact the adoption of this ASU will have on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows, and we are evaluating the adoption date and transition alternatives. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which includes multiple provisions intended to simplify various aspects of the accounting for share-based payments. The adoption of ASU 2016-09 will be required for Rent-A-Center beginning January 1, 2017. ASU 2016-09 requires that certain provisions be adopted using a modified retrospective transition and other provisions retrospectively. We are currently in the process of determining what impact the adoption of this ASU will have on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows, and we are evaluating the adoption date and transition alternatives. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which provides guidance on the treatment of cash receipts and cash payments for certain types of cash transactions, to eliminate diversity in practice in the presentation of the cash flow statement. The adoption of ASU 2016-15 will be required for Rent-A-Center on a retrospective basis beginning January 1, 2018, with early adoption permitted. We are currently in the process of determining the adoption date and what impact the adoption of this ASU will have on our presentation of cash flows. From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the FASB or other standards setting bodies that we adopt as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, we believe the impact of any other recently issued standards that are not yet effective are either not applicable to us at this time or will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Receivables [Abstract]

Receivables

Receivables consist of the following:



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015
Installment sales receivable	$	55,834		$	57,010
Trade and notes receivables	14,067			15,924
Other receivables	3,477			—
Total receivables	73,378			72,934
Less allowance for doubtful accounts	(3,593		)	(3,614		)
Total receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	$	69,785		$	69,320

Changes in Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Changes in our allowance for doubtful accounts are as follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015			2014
Beginning allowance for doubtful accounts	$	3,614		$	4,023		$	3,700
Bad debt expense	15,449			15,260			15,509
Accounts written off	(16,095		)	(16,317		)	(15,718		)
Recoveries	625			648			532
Ending allowance for doubtful accounts	$	3,593		$	3,614		$	4,023

Rental Merchandise (Table)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Rental Merchandise [Abstract]

Rental Merchandise



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015
On rent
Cost	$	1,338,670		$	1,527,384
Less accumulated depreciation	(543,552		)	(619,759		)
Net book value, on rent	$	795,118		$	907,625
Held for rent
Cost	$	255,857		$	297,956
Less accumulated depreciation	(49,021		)	(69,109		)
Net book value, held for rent	$	206,836		$	228,847

Property Assets (Table)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Property Assets



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015
Furniture and equipment	$	522,036		$	409,076
Transportation equipment	11,854			11,807
Building and leasehold improvements	274,118			294,221
Land and land improvements	6,747			6,747
Construction in progress	23,774			91,536
Total property assets	838,529			813,387
Less accumulated depreciation	(522,101		)	(482,448		)
Total property assets, net of accumulated depreciation	$	316,428		$	330,939

Intangible Assets and Acquisitions (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Intangible Assets and Acquisitions [Abstract]

Amortizable Intangible Assets

Amortizable intangible assets consist of the following:



		December 31, 2016				December 31, 2015
(Dollar amounts in thousands)	Avg. Life (years)	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization
Customer relationships	2	$	79,106	$	78,707	$	78,887	$	76,830
Vendor relationships	11	7,538		3,408		7,538		2,840
Non-compete agreements	3	6,746		6,023		6,746		5,724
Total other intangible assets		$	93,390	$	88,138	$	93,171	$	85,394

Aggregate Amortization Expense

Aggregate amortization expense (in thousands):



Year Ended December 31, 2016	$	2,176
Year Ended December 31, 2015	$	3,333
Year Ended December 31, 2014	$	2,955

Estimated Amortization Expense

Estimated amortization expense, assuming current intangible balances and no new acquisitions, for each of the years ending December 31, is as follows:



(In thousands)	Estimated Amortization Expense
2017	$	1,195
2018	684
2019	678
2020	465
2021	445
Thereafter	1,785
Total amortization expense	$	5,252

Changes in Recorded Goodwill

A summary of the changes in recorded goodwill follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015
Beginning goodwill balance	$	206,122		$	1,370,459
Additions from acquisitions	1,442			12,942
Goodwill impairments and write-offs related to stores sold or closed	(152,239		)	(1,177,581		)
Post purchase price allocation adjustments	(17		)	302
Ending goodwill balance	$	55,308		$	206,122

Acquisitions

The following table provides information concerning the acquisitions made during the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.



	Year Ended December 31,
(Dollar amounts in thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Number of stores acquired remaining open	—		5		6
Number of stores acquired that were merged with existing stores	3		34		13
Number of transactions	3		24		26
Total purchase price	$	2,302	$	25,488	$	26,653
Amounts allocated to:
Goodwill	$	1,442	$	12,942	$	14,562
Non-compete agreements	—		1,166		—
Customer relationships	181		2,625		1,525
Rental merchandise	679		8,755		9,731
Property and other assets	—		—		835

Accrued Liabilities (Table)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Accrued Liabilities [Abstract]

Accrued Liabilities



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015
Accrued insurance costs	$	125,172	$	121,844
Deferred revenue	58,255		60,535
Accrued compensation	40,551		42,940
Taxes other than income	22,556		20,081
Deferred compensation	11,394		10,489
Accrued interest payable	5,808		5,781
Deferred rent	5,199		6,882
Accrued dividends	4,262		12,773
Accrued other	58,999		51,228
Total Accrued liabilities	$	332,196	$	332,553

Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Reconciliation of Income Tax Expense

A reconciliation of the federal statutory rate of 35% to actual follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
Tax at statutory rate	35.0	%	35.0	%	35.0	%
Goodwill impairment	(29.3	)%	(27.0	)%	—	%
State income taxes	3.3	%	2.8	%	1.8	%
Effect of foreign operations, net of foreign tax credits	(0.2	)%	—	%	(4.4	)%
Effect of current and prior year credits	2.9	%	0.5	%	(3.5	)%
Adjustments to deferred taxes	0.6	%	—	%	(2.4	)%
Valuation allowance	(6.6	)%	(1.0	)%	6.2	%
Other, net	1.4	%	(0.5	)%	(0.4	)%
Effective income tax rate	7.1	%	9.8	%	32.3	%

Components of Income Tax Expense

The components of income tax (benefit) expense are as follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015			2014
Current expense (benefit)
Federal	$	23,752		$	29,668		$	14,943
State	779			(6,432		)	4,032
Foreign	(582		)	2,575			1,673
Total current	23,949			25,811			20,648
Deferred (benefit) expense
Federal	(27,307		)	(100,139		)	24,556
State	(6,586		)	(28,143		)	(90		)
Foreign	1,865			(589		)	817
Total deferred	(32,028		)	(128,871		)	25,283
Total income tax (benefit) expense	$	(8,079	)	$	(103,060	)	$	45,931

Deferred Tax Assets (Liabilities)

Deferred tax assets (liabilities) consist of the following:



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015
Deferred tax assets
State net operating loss carryforwards	$	17,538		$	16,032
Foreign net operating loss carryforwards	17,234			20,396
Accrued liabilities	70,733			62,115
Intangible assets	43,662			29,913
Other assets including credits	7,497			5,413
Foreign tax credit carryforwards	13,576			13,576
Total deferred tax assets	170,240			147,445
Valuation allowance	(35,410		)	(31,829		)
Deferred tax assets, net	134,830			115,616

Rental merchandise	(234,211		)	(263,158		)
Property assets	(73,763		)	(56,888		)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(307,974		)	(320,046		)
Net deferred taxes	$	(173,144	)	$	(204,430	)

Unrecognized Tax Benefits

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015			2014
Beginning unrecognized tax benefit balance	$	27,164		$	13,376		$	13,173
Additions based on tax positions related to current year	773			1,508			425
Additions for tax positions of prior years	8,396			20,684			2,400
Reductions for tax positions of prior years	(2,246		)	(8,354		)	(2,225		)
Settlements	(364		)	(50		)	(397		)
Ending unrecognized tax benefit balance	$	33,723		$	27,164		$	13,376

Senior Debt (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Senior Debt [Abstract]

Debt Facilities

The debt facilities as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are as follows:



		December 31, 2016							December 31, 2015
(In thousands)	Facility Maturity	Maximum Facility		Amount Outstanding			Amount Available		Maximum Facility		Amount Outstanding			Amount Available
Senior Debt:
Term Loan	March 19, 2021	$	225,000	$	191,813		$	—	$	225,000	$	221,063		$	—
Revolving Facility	March 19, 2019	675,000		—			584,304		675,000		190,000			390,300
Total		900,000		191,813			584,304		900,000		411,063			390,300
Other indebtedness:
Line of credit	August 21, 2017	20,000		—			20,000		20,000		14,570			5,430
Total		$	920,000	191,813			$	604,304	$	920,000	425,633			$	395,730
Unamortized debt issuance costs				(5,066		)					(5,985		)
Total senior debt, net				$	186,747						$	419,648

Financial Covenants Ratios

The table below shows the required and actual ratios under the Credit Agreement calculated as of December 31, 2016:



	Required Ratio		Actual Ratio
Consolidated total leverage ratio	No greater than	4.00:1	3.58:1
Consolidated senior secured leverage ratio	No greater than	2.50:1	0.65:1
Consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio	No less than	1.50:1	1.50:1

Scheduled Maturity Dates

The table below shows the scheduled maturity dates of our outstanding debt at December 31, 2016.



(In thousands)	Term Loan		Revolving Facility		INTRUST Line of Credit		Total
2017	$	2,250	$	—	$	—	$	2,250
2018	2,250		—		—		2,250
2019	2,250		—		—		2,250
2020	2,250		—		—		2,250
2021	182,813		—		—		182,813
Thereafter	—		—		—		—
Total senior debt	$	191,813	$	—	$	—	$	191,813

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Operating Leases

Future minimum rental payments under operating leases with remaining lease terms in excess of one year at December 31, 2016 are as follows:



(In thousands)	Operating Leases
2017	$	165,187
2018	129,858
2019	95,133
2020	63,584
2021	28,604
Thereafter	5,256
Total future minimum rental payments	$	487,622

Other Charges - Operating Expenses Other Charges - Operating Expenses (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

Restructuring and Related Costs [Table Text Block]

Activity with respect to other charges for the year ended December 31, 2016 is summarized in the below table:



(In thousands)	Accrued Charges at December 31, 2014		Charges & Adjustments		Payments			Accrued Charges at December 31, 2015		Charges & Adjustments			Payments			Accrued Charges at December 31, 2016
Cash charges:
Labor reduction costs	$	3,915	$	3,020	$	(3,595	)	$	3,340	$	1,380		$	(3,327	)	$	1,393
Lease obligation costs	257		4,273		(3,301		)	1,229		15,198			(9,799		)	6,628
Other miscellaneous	—		2,529		(2,529		)	—		1,455			(1,455		)	—
Total cash charges	$	4,172	9,822		$	(9,425	)	$	4,569	18,033			$	(14,581	)	$	8,021
Non-cash charges:
Inventory losses			$	314						$	287
Loss on the sale of fixed assets			5,019							3,491
Other, net			1,496							673
Total Restructuring charges			16,651							22,484
Other charges and (gains)			4,000							(2,185		)
Total other charges			$	20,651						$	20,299

Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Stock-Based Compensation [Abstract]

Stock-based Compensation Expense

Stock-based compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 is as follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Stock options	$	2,954	$	4,030	$	5,044
Restricted share units	6,255		5,511		1,515
Total stock-based compensation expense	9,209		9,541		6,559
Tax benefit recognized in the statements of earnings	658		1,715		2,117
Stock-based compensation expense, net of tax	$	8,551	$	7,826	$	4,442

Stock Options Activity

Information with respect to stock option activity related to the Plans for the year ended December 31, 2016 follows:



	Equity Awards Outstanding		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life	Aggregate Intrinsic Value (In thousands)
Balance outstanding at January 1, 2016	2,874,366		$	30.33
Granted	1,029,201		11.80
Forfeited	(454,028	)	24.01
Expired	(377,358	)	30.22
Balance outstanding at December 31, 2016	3,072,181		$	25.07	6.81	$	—

Exercisable at December 31, 2016	1,407,116		$	30.53	4.95	$	—

Assumptions Used in Fair Value Calculation of Stock Options



	Year Ended December 31,
	2016			2015			2014
Weighted average grant date fair value	$	3.06		$	6.34		$	6.49
Weighted average risk free interest rate	1.31		%	1.42		%	1.54		%
Weighted average expected dividend yield	3.16		%	3.32		%	3.28		%
Weighted average expected volatility	39.64		%	33.28		%	34.77		%
Weighted average expected life (in years)	4.63			5.05			5.00

Nonvested Restricted Stock Units Activity

Information with respect to non-vested restricted stock unit activity follows:



	Restricted Awards Outstanding		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Balance outstanding at January 1, 2016	867,755		$	26.67
Granted	1,065,190		9.20
Vested	(249,638	)	23.34
Forfeited	(321,176	)	19.50
Balance outstanding at December 31, 2016	1,362,131		$	15.31

Fair Value Fair Value (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value Measurements, Nonrecurring

The fair value of our senior notes is based on Level 1 inputs and was as follows at December 31, 2016 and 2015:



	December 31, 2016							December 31, 2015
(In thousands)	Carrying Value		Fair Value		Difference			Carrying Value		Fair Value		Difference
6.625% senior notes	$	292,740	$	266,393	$	(26,347	)	$	292,740	$	248,097	$	(44,643	)
4.75% senior notes	250,000		206,250		(43,750		)	250,000		183,125		(66,875		)
Total senior notes	$	542,740	$	472,643	$	(70,097	)	$	542,740	$	431,222	$	(111,518	)

Segment Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment Reporting Information, by Segment

Segment information as of and for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 is as follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Revenues
Core U.S.	$	2,069,725	$	2,371,823	$	2,414,659
Acceptance Now	817,814		818,325		644,853
Mexico	50,927		63,803		72,202
Franchising	24,786		24,469		26,082
Total revenues	$	2,963,252	$	3,278,420	$	3,157,796



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Gross profit
Core U.S.	$	1,467,679	$	1,644,840	$	1,753,269
Acceptance Now	422,381		420,980		372,012
Mexico	35,549		42,354		51,070
Franchising	9,440		9,935		8,012
Total gross profit	$	1,935,049	$	2,118,109	$	2,184,363



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016			2015			2014
Operating profit (loss)
Core U.S.	$	(1,020	)	$	(959,447	)	$	264,967
Acceptance Now	105,925			123,971			112,918
Mexico	(2,449		)	(14,149		)	(21,961		)
Franchising	5,650			5,793			3,295
Total segments	108,106			(843,832		)	359,219
Corporate	(174,702		)	(164,056		)	(165,757		)
Total operating (loss) profit	$	(66,596	)	$	(1,007,888	)	$	193,462



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles
Core U.S.	$	39,734	$	49,137	$	57,324
Acceptance Now	3,309		3,334		2,917
Mexico	3,179		5,160		6,683
Franchising	177		185		184
Total segments	46,399		57,816		67,108
Corporate	34,057		22,904		16,060
Total depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles	$	80,456	$	80,720	$	83,168

We recorded goodwill impairment charges of $151.3 million and $1,170.0 million in the Core U.S. segment during the fourth quarters of 2016 and 2015, respectively, not included in the table above.



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Capital expenditures
Core U.S.	$	20,802	$	21,739	$	31,228
Acceptance Now	2,330		2,473		3,833
Mexico	283		204		4,164
Total segments	23,415		24,416		39,225
Corporate	37,728		56,454		44,560
Total capital expenditures	$	61,143	$	80,870	$	83,785



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
On rent rental merchandise, net
Core U.S.	$	426,845	$	540,004	$	593,945
Acceptance Now	354,486		350,046		345,703
Mexico	13,787		17,575		20,766
Total on rent rental merchandise, net	$	795,118	$	907,625	$	960,414



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Held for rent rental merchandise, net
Core U.S.	$	192,718	$	215,327	$	264,211
Acceptance Now	7,489		5,000		4,897
Mexico	6,629		8,520		8,334
Total held for rent rental merchandise, net	$	206,836	$	228,847	$	277,442



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Assets by segment			Revised
Core U.S.	$	872,551	$	1,240,593	$	2,519,770
Acceptance Now	432,383		426,827		420,660
Mexico	31,415		38,898		59,841
Franchising	2,197		2,723		2,604
Total segments	1,338,546		1,709,041		3,002,875
Corporate	264,195		265,427		268,322
Total assets	$	1,602,741	$	1,974,468	$	3,271,197



	December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Assets by country			Revised
United States	$	1,567,933	$	1,930,676	$	3,204,283
Mexico	31,415		38,898		59,841
Canada	3,393		4,894		7,073
Total assets	$	1,602,741	$	1,974,468	$	3,271,197

Revenue from External Customers by Products and Services



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Furniture and accessories	$	927,537	$	955,576	$	938,065
Consumer electronics	553,976		626,668		642,226
Appliances	391,539		415,278		422,979
Computers	148,889		207,906		307,325
Smartphones	93,449		163,667		68,015
Other products and services	384,663		412,220		367,218
Total rentals and fees	$	2,500,053	$	2,781,315	$	2,745,828

Revenue from External Customers, by Geographical Areas

Our revenues originate in the following countries:



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2016		2015		2014
United States	$	2,911,613	$	3,209,736	$	3,075,387
Mexico	50,927		63,803		72,202
Canada	712		4,881		10,207
Total revenues	$	2,963,252	$	3,278,420	$	3,157,796

Earnings Per Common Share (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Earnings Per Common Share

Summarized basic and diluted earnings per common share were calculated as follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands, except per share data)	2016			2015			2014
Numerator:
Net earnings (loss)	$	(105,195	)	$	(953,520	)	$	96,422
Denominator:
Weighted-average shares outstanding	53,121			53,050			52,850
Effect of dilutive stock awards	—			—			276
Weighted-average dilutive shares	53,121			53,050			53,126

Basic (loss) earnings per share	$	(1.98	)	$	(17.97	)	$	1.82
Diluted (loss) earnings per share	$	(1.98	)	$	(17.97	)	$	1.81

Unaudited Quarterly Data (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]

Unaudited Quarterly Data

Summarized quarterly financial data for the years ended December 31, 2016, and 2015 is as follows:



(In thousands, except per share data)	1st Quarter		2nd Quarter		3rd Quarter		4th Quarter
Year Ended December 31, 2016
Revenues	$	835,652	$	749,619	$	693,877	$	684,104
Gross profit	534,944		500,158		457,226		442,721
Operating profit (loss)	48,430		27,550		16,700		(159,276		)
Net earnings (loss)	25,061		9,946		6,181		(146,383		)
Basic earnings (loss) per common share	$	0.47	$	0.19	$	0.12	$	(2.76	)
Diluted earnings (loss) per common share	$	0.47	$	0.19	$	0.12	$	(2.76	)
Cash dividends declared per common share	$	0.08	$	0.08	$	0.08	$	0.08



(In thousands, except per share data)	1st Quarter		2nd Quarter		3rd Quarter			4th Quarter⁽¹⁾
Year Ended December 31, 2015
Revenues	$	877,639	$	815,343	$	791,605		$	793,833
Gross profit	564,593		538,529		488,612			526,375
Operating profit (loss)	56,598		49,701		6,565			(1,120,752		)
Net earnings (loss)	27,298		23,147		(4,092		)	(999,873		)
Basic earnings (loss) per common share	$	0.51	$	0.44	$	(0.08	)	$	(18.84	)
Diluted earnings (loss) per common share	$	0.51	$	0.43	$	(0.08	)	$	(18.84	)
Cash dividends declared per common share	$	0.24	$	0.24	$	0.24		$	0.24

⁽¹⁾Fourth quarter net loss and loss per share revised for correction of deferred tax error associated with our goodwill impairment reported in the fourth quarter of 2015 as discussed in Note B

Nature of Operations and Summary of Accounting Policies (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Oct. 04, 2016 USD ($)
Nature of Operations (Details) [Abstract]
Number of company-owned stores nationwide & in Puerto Rico	2,463
Number of retail installment sales stores	45
Number of Acceptance Now Staffed locations	1,431
Number of Acceptance Now Direct Locations	478
Number of rent-to-own stores in Mexico	130
Number of Franchising stores	229
Number of states with Franchising stores	31
Receivables and Allowance For Doubtful Accounts Policy (Details) [Abstract]
Minimum period of past due required to charge off installment notes	120 days
Maximum period of current status allowed to franchisees for payments of accounts receivable	30 days
Minimum period of past due required to write off accounts receivable from franchisees	120 days
Rental Merchandise Policy (Details) [Abstract]
Minimum period in held for rent status needed to start straight line method depreciation of merchandise	180 days
Maximum depreciation period used in straight line method for merchandise held for rent	18 months
Minimum period of past due require to charged off remaining book value of rental merchandise for Core U.S. and International segments	90 days
Minimum period of past due required to charge off remaining book value of rental merchandise for Acceptance Now segment	150 days
Goodwill and Other Intangibles [Abstract]
Amortization Period for Acquired Customer Relationships	21 months
Amortization Period for Vendor Relationships Minimum	7 years
Amortization Period for Vendor Relationships Maximum	15 years
Advertising Costs [Abstract]
Advertising Costs	$ 90,600	$ 96,200	$ 94,800
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]
Total Unamortized Debt Issuance Expense	10,400	12,500
Unamortized Debt Issuance Expense	5,066	5,985		$ 1,000
Unamortized Note Issuance Expense	$ 5,300	$ 6,500
Furniture, Equipment and Vehicle [Member]
Major Property Class Useful Life [Line Items]
Depreciation period	5 years
Building [Member]
Major Property Class Useful Life [Line Items]
Depreciation period	40 years
Internally Developed Software [Member]
Major Property Class Useful Life [Line Items]
Depreciation period	10 years

Correction of Immaterial Errors Correction of Immaterial Errors (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net (loss) earnings	$ (105,195)	$ (953,520)	$ 96,422
Restatement Adjustment [Member]
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net (loss) earnings		$ 86,900

- Definition

The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

+ References + Details

Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Receivables [Line Items]
Receivable, gross	$ 73,378	$ 72,934
Receivables, net	69,785	69,320
Changes in Allowance for Doubtful Accounts [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(3,614)	(4,023)	$ (3,700)
Bad debt expense	(15,449)	(15,260)	(15,509)
Accounts written off	16,095	16,317	15,718
Recoveries	625	648	532
Ending balance	(3,593)	(3,614)	$ (4,023)
Installment Sales Receivable [Member]
Receivables [Line Items]
Receivable, gross	55,834	57,010
Changes in Allowance for Doubtful Accounts [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(3,400)
Ending balance	(3,300)	(3,400)
Trade and Notes Receivables [Member]
Receivables [Line Items]
Receivable, gross	14,067	15,924
Changes in Allowance for Doubtful Accounts [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(200)
Ending balance	(300)	(200)
Other receivables [Member]
Receivables [Line Items]
Receivable, gross	$ 3,477	$ 0

Rental Merchandise (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Rental Merchandise [Abstract]
On rent, cost	$ 1,338,670	$ 1,527,384
On rent, accumulated depreciation	(543,552)	(619,759)
On rent rental merchandise, net	795,118	907,625	$ 960,414
Held for rent, cost	255,857	297,956
Held for rent, accumulated depreciation	(49,021)	(69,109)
Held for rent rental merchandise, net	$ 206,836	$ 228,847	$ 277,442

Property Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Property Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Furniture and equipment	$ 522,036	$ 409,076
Transportation equipment	11,854	11,807
Building and leasehold improvements	274,118	294,221
Land and land improvements	6,747	6,747
Construction in progress	23,774	91,536
Property assets	838,529	813,387
Accumulated depreciation	(522,101)	(482,448)
Property assets, net of accumulated depreciation	316,428	330,939
Capitalized software costs included in construction in progress	22,900	70,300
Cost of internally developed software placed in service	$ 84,500	$ 22,900	$ 51,600

Intangible Assets and Acquisitions (Details)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Intangible Assets and Acquisitions (Details)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) store	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) store	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) store
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	$ 93,390,000	$ 93,390,000	$ 93,171,000
Accumulated amortization	88,138,000	88,138,000	85,394,000
Amortization of Intangible Assets		2,176,000	3,333,000	$ 2,955,000
Estimated Amortization Expense (Table Details) [Abstract]
2017	1,195,000	1,195,000
2018	684,000	684,000
2019	678,000	678,000
2020	465,000	465,000
2021	445,000	445,000
Thereafter	1,785,000	1,785,000
Total	5,252,000	5,252,000	7,777,000
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, beginning balance		206,122,000	1,370,459,000
Additions from acquisitions		1,442,000	12,942,000
Goodwill impairments and write-offs related to stores sold or closed		(152,239,000)	(1,177,581,000)
Post purchase price allocation adjustments		(17,000)	302,000
Goodwill, ending balance	55,308,000	55,308,000	206,122,000	1,370,459,000
Goodwill impairment charge		$ 151,320,000	$ 1,170,000,000	$ 0
Acquisitions (Table Details) [Abstract]
Number of stores acquired remaining open \| store		0	5	6
Number of stores acquired that were merged with existing stores \| store		3	34	13
Number of transactions		3	24	26
Total purchase price		$ 2,302,000	$ 25,488,000	$ 26,653,000
Acquisition amounts allocated to goodwill	1,442,000	1,442,000	12,942,000	14,562,000
Acquisition amounts allocated to rental merchandise	679,000	679,000	8,755,000	9,731,000
Acquisition amounts allocated to property and other assets	0	$ 0	0	835,000
Weighted average amortization period - acquired intangible assets		21 months
Core Us [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, beginning balance		$ 150,800,000
Goodwill, ending balance			150,800,000
Goodwill impairment charge	151,300,000		1,170,000,000	0
Acceptance Now [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, beginning balance		55,300,000
Goodwill, ending balance	55,300,000	55,300,000	55,300,000
Customer Relationships [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	79,106,000	79,106,000	78,887,000
Accumulated amortization	78,707,000	$ 78,707,000	76,830,000
Average life		2 months
Acquisition amounts allocated to intangibles		$ 181,000	2,625,000	1,525,000
Vendor Relationships [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	7,538,000	7,538,000	7,538,000
Accumulated amortization	3,408,000	$ 3,408,000	2,840,000
Average life		11 months
Noncompete Agreements [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	6,746,000	$ 6,746,000	6,746,000
Accumulated amortization	$ 6,023,000	$ 6,023,000	5,724,000
Average life		3 months
Acquisition amounts allocated to intangibles		$ 0	$ 1,166,000	$ 0

Accrued Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Accrued Liabilities [Abstract]
Accrued insurance costs	$ 125,172	$ 121,844
Deferred revenue	58,255	60,535
Accrued compensation	40,551	42,940
Taxes other than income	22,556	20,081
Deferred compensation	11,394	10,489
Accrued dividends	4,262	12,773
Accrued interest payable	5,808	5,781
Deferred rent	5,199	6,882
Accrued other	58,999	51,228
Total accrued liabilities	$ 332,196	$ 332,553

Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Reconciliation of Income Tax Expense (Table Details) [Abstract]
Tax at statutory rate	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
Goodwill impairment	(29.30%)	(27.00%)	0.00%
State income taxes	3.30%	2.80%	1.80%
Effect of foreign operations, net of foreign tax credits	(0.20%)	(0.00%)	(4.40%)
Effect of current and prior year credits	2.90%	0.50%	(3.50%)
Adjustment to deferred taxes	0.60%	0.00%	(2.40%)
Valuation allowance	(6.60%)	(1.00%)	6.20%
Other, net	1.40%	(0.50%)	(0.40%)
Effective income tax rate	7.10%	9.80%	32.30%
Components of Income Tax Expense (Table Details) [Abstract]
Current expense - Federal	$ 23,752,000	$ 29,668,000	$ 14,943,000
Current expense (benefit) - State	779,000	(6,432,000)	4,032,000
Current (benefit) expense - Foreign	(582,000)	2,575,000	1,673,000
Current expense - Total	23,949,000	25,811,000	20,648,000
Deferred (benefit) expense - Federal	(27,307,000)	(100,139,000)	24,556,000
Deferred benefit - State	(6,586,000)	(28,143,000)	(90,000)
Deferred expense (benefit) - Foreign	1,865,000	(589,000)	817,000
Total deferred	(32,028,000)	(128,871,000)	25,283,000
Income tax (benefit) expense	$ (8,079,000)	(103,060,000)	45,931,000
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Limitations on Use	Of the total remaining state NOL carryforwards, approximately 16.5% represent acquired NOLs. Utilization of these NOLs is subject to applicable annual limitations for U.S. state tax purposes.
Deferred Tax Assets (Liabilities) (Table Details) [Abstract]
State net operating loss carryforwards	$ 17,538,000	16,032,000
Foreign net operating loss carryforwards	17,234,000	20,396,000
Accrued liabilities	70,733,000	62,115,000
Intangible assets	43,662,000	29,913,000
Property assets	0	0
Other assets including credits	7,497,000	5,413,000
Foreign tax credit carryforwards	13,576,000	13,576,000
Total deferred tax assets	170,240,000	147,445,000
Valuation allowance	(35,410,000)	(31,829,000)
Deferred tax assets, net	134,830,000	115,616,000
Rental merchandise	(234,211,000)	(263,158,000)
Property assets	(73,763,000)	(56,888,000)
Intangible assets	0	0
Total deferred tax liabilities	307,974,000	320,046,000
Net deferred taxes	173,144,000	204,430,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits (Table Details) [Abstract]
Unrecognized tax benefits, beginning balance	27,164,000	13,376,000	13,173,000
Additions based on tax positions related to current year	773,000	1,508,000	425,000
Additions for tax positions of prior years	8,396,000	20,684,000	2,400,000
Reductions for tax positions of prior years	(2,246,000)	(8,354,000)	(2,225,000)
Settlements	(364,000)	(50,000)	(397,000)
Unrecognized tax benefits, ending balance	33,723,000	$ 27,164,000	$ 13,376,000
Tax benefits if recognized - affect annual effective rax rate	6,800,000
Accured for payment of interest related to unrecogized tax benefits	2,400,000
Interest expense related to unrecognized tax benefits	500,000
State [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards	360,600,000
Tax Credit Carryforward, Valuation Allowance	27,400,000
Foreign [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Tax credit carryforward	13,600,000
Tax Credit Carryforward, Valuation Allowance	11,100,000
Mexico [Member] \| Foreign [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards	53,000,000
Puerto Rico [Member] \| Foreign [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards	$ 4,200,000

Senior Debt (Details)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
Senior Debt (Details)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Oct. 04, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Credit Facility Maximum Amount			$ 900,000,000
Mandatory Excess Cash Flow Pre-Payment	$ 27,000,000
Term loan, maximum facility			225,000,000
Revolving facility, maximum facility			675,000,000
Senior credit facilities, maximum facility			900,000,000			$ 900,000,000
Senior credit facilities, amount outstanding			191,813,000			411,063,000
Senior credit facilities, amount available			584,304,000			390,300,000
Debt facilities, maximum facility			920,000,000			920,000,000
Debt facilities, amount outstanding			191,813,000			425,633,000
Debt facilities, amount available			604,304,000			395,730,000
Unamortized Debt Issuance Expense			(5,066,000)	$ (1,000,000)		(5,985,000)
Letters of credit, amount outstanding			$ 90,700,000			94,700,000
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description			Borrowings under the Revolving Facility bear interest at varying rates
Commitment fee percentage			0.45%
Senior Credit Facilities, Additional Amount Allowed			$ 250,000,000
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Total Leverage Ratio Maximum, Ability to Repurchase Stock, Notes, or Pay Dividends			2.5
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Total Leverage Ratio Maximum, Ability to Repurchase Stock, Notes, or Pay Dividends, Dividend Exception Amount			$ 20,000,000
Schedule Maturity Dates (Table Details) [Abstract]
2017			2,250,000
2018			2,250,000
2019			2,250,000
2020			2,250,000
2021			182,813,000
Thereafter			0
Long-term Debt			191,813,000
Senior debt, net			$ 186,747,000			419,648,000
Initial Borrowing in Term Loans		$ 225,000,000
Initial Borrowing in Revolving Debt		$ 100,000,000
Term Loan, Frequency of Periodic Payment			quarterly
Term Loan, Periodic Payment, Principal			$ 562,500
Event of default - 3rd party ownership % of our voting stock			35.00%
Event of default - judgment not satisfied or bonded pending appeal			$ 50,000,000
Event of default - maximum period allowed for pending judgment					30
Financial Covenants Ratios (Table Details) [Abstract]
Required consolidated leverage ratio, maximum			4.00		4.25
Actual consolidated leverage ratio			3.58
Required Consolidated Senior Secured Leverage Ratio, Maximum			2.50		2.75
Actual Consolidated Senior Secured Leverage Ratio			0.65
Required Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, Minimum			1.50
Actual fixed charge coverage ratio			1.50
Covenants [Abstract]
Consolidated funded debt outstanding			$ 664,200,000
Consolidated EBITDA			185,500,000
Covenant limitation incur additional debt in excess of			25,000,000
Consolidated senior secured debt outstanding			121,400,000
Adjusted Consolidated EBITDA			416,700,000
Consolidated fixed charges			$ 277,900,000
Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee percentage			0.30%
Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee percentage			0.50%
Eurodollar Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Description of variable rate basis			Eurodollar
Eurodollar Rate [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis margin on variable rate			1.50%
Eurodollar Rate [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis margin on variable rate			2.75%
Prime Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Description of variable rate basis			prime
Prime Rate [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis margin on variable rate			0.50%
Prime Rate [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis margin on variable rate			1.75%
Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity date			Mar. 19, 2021
Term loan, maximum facility			$ 225,000,000			225,000,000
Term loan, amount outstanding			191,813,000			221,063,000
Term loan, amount available			$ 0			0
Margin on Eurodollar rate, actual			3.00%
Margin on ABR rate, actual			2.00%
Schedule Maturity Dates (Table Details) [Abstract]
2017			$ 2,250,000
2018			2,250,000
2019			2,250,000
2020			2,250,000
2021			182,813,000
Thereafter			0
Long-term Debt			$ 191,813,000
Revolving Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity date			Mar. 19, 2019
Revolving facility, maximum facility			$ 675,000,000			675,000,000
Revolving facility, amount outstanding			0			190,000,000
Revolving facility, amount available			$ 584,304,000			390,300,000
Margin on Eurodollar rate, actual			2.25%
Margin on ABR rate, actual			1.25%
Schedule Maturity Dates (Table Details) [Abstract]
2017			$ 0
2018			0
2019			0
2020			0
2021			0
Thereafter			0
Long-term Debt			$ 0
Line of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity date			Aug. 21, 2017
Revolving facility, maximum facility			$ 20,000,000			20,000,000
Revolving facility, amount outstanding			0			14,570,000
Revolving facility, amount available			20,000,000			$ 5,430,000
Schedule Maturity Dates (Table Details) [Abstract]
2017			0
2018			0
2019			0
2020			0
2021			0
Thereafter			0
Long-term Debt			$ 0
Line of Credit [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate of senior notes			2.00%

Subsidiary Guarantors - Senior Notes (Details)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
Subsidiary Guarantors - Senior Notes (Details)	Jun. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Oct. 04, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	May 02, 2013 USD ($)	Nov. 02, 2010 USD ($)
Senior Notes [Line Items]
Carrying value of senior notes			$ 542,740,000		$ 542,740,000
Unamortized Debt Issuance Expense			5,066,000	$ 1,000,000	5,985,000
Event of default for senior notes - not discharged, bonded or insured judgment in excess of this amount			50,000,000.0
Event of default for senior notes - failure of other debt payment at maturity in excess of this amount			$ 50,000,000.0
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Total Leverage Ratio Maximum, Ability to Repurchase Stock, Notes, or Pay Dividends			2.5
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Total Leverage Ratio Maximum, Ability to Repurchase Stock, Notes, or Pay Dividends, Dividend Exception Amount			$ 20,000,000
Our ownership percentage of subsidiary guarantors of senior notes			100.00%
Senior Notes Due 2020 [Member]
Senior Notes [Line Items]
Initial Borrowing in Senior Notes		$ 300,000,000
Carrying value of senior notes			$ 292,740,000		292,740,000
Unamortized Debt Issuance Expense			$ 2,500,000		3,100,000
Interest rate of senior notes			6.625%
Repayments of Long-term Debt							$ 200,000,000
Percentage of original aggregate principle amount of senior notes included in repurchase price at change of control			101.00%
Senior Notes Due 2020 [Member] \| Senior Notes, Redemption, Period One [Member]
Senior Notes [Line Items]
Senior notes, redemption price, percentage			103.313%
Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]
Senior Notes [Line Items]
Initial Borrowing in Senior Notes	$ 250,000,000
Carrying value of senior notes			$ 250,000,000		250,000,000
Unamortized Debt Issuance Expense			$ 2,800,000		$ 3,400,000
Interest rate of senior notes			4.75%
Proceeds to repurchase shares of common stock						$ 200,000,000.0
Percentage of original aggregate principle amount of senior notes included in repurchase price at change of control			101.00%
Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member] \| Senior Notes, Redemption, Period One [Member]
Senior Notes [Line Items]
Senior notes, redemption price, percentage			103.563%

Commitments and Contingencies (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Rental expense	$ 231,300	$ 239,200	$ 244,300
Future Minimum Rental Payment under Operating Leases (Table Details) [Abstract]
2017	165,187
2018	129,858
2019	95,133
2020	63,584
2021	28,604
Thereafter	5,256
Total future minimum rental payments	487,622
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Maximum financing amount	47,000
Amount outstanding	2,800
Citibank [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Maximum financing amount	27,000
Texas Capital Bank [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Maximum financing amount	$ 20,000

Other Charges and Credits - Cost of Revenues Other Charges and Credits - Cost of Revenues (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Other Charges and (Credits) - Cost of Revenues [Abstract]
Inventory Write-down	$ 34.7
Vendor settlement credit		$ 6.8

Other Charges - Operating Expenses Other Charges - Operating Expenses (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) store	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges			$ 8,021	$ 4,569	$ 4,172
Other charges and (gains)			(2,185)	4,000
Start-up and Decommissioning Costs				2,800
Other charges			20,299	20,651	14,234
Labor reduction costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges			1,393	3,340	3,915
Litigation Claims Settlement Gain
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	$ 2,200
Lease obligation costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges			6,628	1,229	257
Other miscellaneous
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges			$ 0	0	$ 0
Corporate Restructuring [Member] \| Labor reduction costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges				$ 2,000
Core Us [Member] \| 2016 Core U.S. Store Consolidation Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Store Consolidation Plan - Number of Stores Closed		167
Restructuring Charges		$ 20,100
Core Us [Member] \| 2015 Core U.S. Store Consolidation Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Store Consolidation Plan - Number of Stores Closed				65
Restructuring Charges				$ 4,300
Core Us [Member] \| 2015 RACFI Store Sale [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business				$ 7,200
Number of Stores Sold \| store				40
Core Us [Member] \| 2015 Canada Store Sale [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business				$ 300
Number of Stores Sold				14
Core Us [Member] \| 2015 Other Store Sale [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business				$ 1,100
Mexico [Member] \| 2016 Mexico Store Closures [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Store Consolidation Plan - Number of Stores Closed			14
Restructuring charge, accelerated depreciation and asset write-off			$ 2,300
Mexico [Member] \| 2015 Mexico Store Closures [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Store Consolidation Plan - Number of Stores Closed				34
Restructuring charge, accelerated depreciation and asset write-off				$ 3,000
Acceptance Now [Member] \| 2016 Core U.S. Store Consolidation Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Store Consolidation Plan - Number of Stores Closed		96
Restructuring Charges-Total [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges			$ 22,484	$ 16,651

Other Charges - Operating Expenses Restructuring Charges (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	$ 8,021	$ 4,569	$ 4,172
Other charges and (gains)	(2,185)	4,000
Other charges	20,299	20,651	14,234
Labor reduction costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	1,393	3,340	3,915
Lease obligation costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	6,628	1,229	257
Other miscellaneous
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	0	0	$ 0
Restructuring Charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	18,033	9,822
Restructuring Charges [Member] \| Labor reduction costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	1,380	3,020
Restructuring Charges [Member] \| Lease obligation costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	15,198	4,273
Restructuring Charges [Member] \| Other miscellaneous
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	1,455	2,529
Restructuring Charges-Payments [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	(14,581)	(9,425)
Restructuring Charges-Payments [Member] \| Labor reduction costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	(3,327)	(3,595)
Restructuring Charges-Payments [Member] \| Lease obligation costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	(9,799)	(3,301)
Restructuring Charges-Payments [Member] \| Other miscellaneous
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	(1,455)	(2,529)
Non-Cash Charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Inventory losses	287	314
Loss on the sale of fixed assets	3,491	5,019
Other, net	673	1,496
Restructuring Charges-Total [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	$ 22,484	$ 16,651

Stock Based Compensation (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 9,209	$ 9,541	$ 6,559
Stock-based compensation expense, tax benefit	658	1,715	2,117
Stock-based compensation expense, net of tax	$ 8,551	$ 7,826	4,442
Stock Option Activity (Table Details) [Abstract]
Number of awards outstanding	3,072,181	2,874,366
Granted	1,029,201
Forfeited	(454,028)
Expired	(377,358)
Exercisable	1,407,116
Weighted Average Exercise Price [Abstract]
Equity awards outstanding	$ 25.07	$ 30.33
Granted	11.80
Forfeited	24.01
Expired	30.22
Exercisable	$ 30.53
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life [Abstract]
Equity awards outstanding	6 years 9 months 22 days
Exercisable	4 years 11 months 13 days
Aggregate Intrinsic Value [Abstract]
Equity awards outstanding	$ 0
Exercisable	0
Exercised		$ 500	1,900
Excess tax benefits related to stock awards	$ 0	$ 86	$ 331
Assumptions Used in Fair Value Calculation of Stock Options (Table Details) [Abstract]
Weighted average grant date fair value	$ 3.06	$ 6.34	$ 6.49
Weighted average risk free interest rate	1.31%	1.42%	1.54%
Weighted average expected dividend yield	3.16%	3.32%	3.28%
Weighted average expected volatility	39.64%	33.28%	34.77%
Weighted average expected life	4 years 7 months 17 days	5 years 18 days	5 years
Restricted Stock Unit Activity (Table Details) [Abstract]
Number of nonvested restricted stock units outstanding	1,362,131	867,755
Granted	1,065,190
Vested	(249,638)
Forfeited	(321,176)
Weighted average grant date fair value, outstanding	$ 15.31	$ 26.67
Weighted average grant date fair value, granted	9.20
Weighted average grant date fair value, vested	23.34
Weighted average grant date fair value, forfeited	$ 19.50
2016 Plan [Member]
Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Number of shares authorized to issue	6,500,000
Stock Option Activity (Table Details) [Abstract]
Number of awards outstanding	302,935
2006 Plan [Member]
Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Number of shares authorized to issue	7,000,000
Stock Option Activity (Table Details) [Abstract]
Number of awards outstanding	2,108,068	1,762,142
Equity Incentive Plan [Member]
Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Number of shares authorized to issue	2,468,461
Stock Option Activity (Table Details) [Abstract]
Number of awards outstanding	1,526,203	1,587,693
Prior Plan [Member]
Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Number of shares authorized to issue	14,562,865
Stock Option Activity (Table Details) [Abstract]
Number of awards outstanding	650	21,175
Minimum [Member]
Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Vesting % of performance based restricted stock units, maximum	0.00%
Maximum [Member]
Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Vesting % of performance based restricted stock units, maximum	200.00%
Employee Stock Option [Member]
Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Exercise period of options once vested	10 years
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 2,954	$ 4,030	$ 5,044
Weighted average number of years to vesting	2 years 5 months 13 days
Unvested awards - to result in compensation expense	$ 4,900
Employee Stock Option [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Vesting period of options granted	1 year
Employee Stock Option [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Vesting period of options granted	4 years
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 6,255	$ 5,511	$ 1,515
Weighted average number of years to vesting	1 year 8 months 20 days
Unvested awards - to result in compensation expense	$ 7,800
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] \| 2006 Plan [Member]
Stock-Based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Number of shares authorized to issue	3,500,000

Deferred Compensation Plan (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Deferred Compensation Liability [Abstract]
Maximum deferral % of base compensation allowed to participants of deferred compensation plan	50.00%
Maximum deferral % of bonus compensation allowed to participants of deferred compensation plan	100.00%
Our discretionary contributions	$ 300	$ 400	$ 300
Our matching cash contributions represents this % of contributions made by participants of deferred compensation plan	50.00%
Maximum employer contribution match % (of total eligible compensation) to each participant of deferred compensation plan	4.00%
Deferred compensation plan liability	$ 11,394	$ 10,489

Employee Benefit Plan (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Employee Benefit Plan (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Employee Benefit Plan [Abstract]
Maximum contribution % of eligible pre-tax compensation allowed to participants of defined contribution plan	50.00%
Our contributions match	$ 7.6	$ 7.2	$ 6.7
Our matching cash contributions represents this % of contributions made by participants of defined contribution plan	50.00%
Maximum employer contribution match % (of total eligible compensation) to each participant of defined contribution plan	6.00%
Our common stock % in total plan assets	3.60%	4.50%

Fair Value (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Carrying value of senior notes	$ 542,740	$ 542,740
Amount of difference between fair value and carrying value	(70,097)	(111,518)
Senior Notes Due 2020 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Carrying value of senior notes	292,740	292,740
Amount of difference between fair value and carrying value	(26,347)	(44,643)
Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Carrying value of senior notes	250,000	250,000
Amount of difference between fair value and carrying value	(43,750)	(66,875)
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value of senior notes	472,643	431,222
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] \| Senior Notes Due 2020 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value of senior notes	266,393	248,097
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] \| Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value of senior notes	$ 206,250	$ 183,125

Stock Repurchase Plan (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Stock Repurchase Plan (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) shares
Stock Repurchase Plan [Abstract]
Authorized aggregate amount	$ 1,250.0
Total number of shares repurchased since inception of our stock repurchase program (shares) \| shares	36,994,653
Aggregate purchase price of shares repurchased since inception of our stock repurchase program	$ 994.8

Segment Information (Details)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Segment Information (Details)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of retail installment sales stores	45	45
Royalty fee percentage, minimum		2.00%
Royalty fee percentag, maximum		6.00%
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment charge		$ 151,320,000	$ 1,170,000,000	$ 0
Total revenues		2,963,252,000	3,278,420,000	3,157,796,000
Gross profit		1,935,049,000	2,118,109,000	2,184,363,000
Operating (loss) profit		(66,596,000)	(1,007,888,000)	193,462,000
Depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles		80,456,000	80,720,000	83,168,000
Capital expenditures		61,143,000	80,870,000	83,785,000
On rent rental merchandise, net	$ 795,118,000	795,118,000	907,625,000	960,414,000
Held for rent rental merchandise, net	206,836,000	206,836,000	228,847,000	277,442,000
Assets	1,602,741,000	1,602,741,000	1,974,468,000	3,271,197,000
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating (loss) profit		108,106,000	(843,832,000)	359,219,000
Depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles		46,399,000	57,816,000	67,108,000
Capital expenditures		23,415,000	24,416,000	39,225,000
Assets	1,338,546,000	1,338,546,000	1,709,041,000	3,002,875,000
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating (loss) profit		(174,702,000)	(164,056,000)	(165,757,000)
Depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles		34,057,000	22,904,000	16,060,000
Capital expenditures		37,728,000	56,454,000	44,560,000
Assets	264,195,000	264,195,000	265,427,000	268,322,000
Core U.S. [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment charge	151,300,000		1,170,000,000	0
Core U.S. [Member] \| Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues		2,069,725,000	2,371,823,000	2,414,659,000
Gross profit		1,467,679,000	1,644,840,000	1,753,269,000
Operating (loss) profit		(1,020,000)	(959,447,000)	264,967,000
Depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles		39,734,000	49,137,000	57,324,000
Capital expenditures		20,802,000	21,739,000	31,228,000
On rent rental merchandise, net	426,845,000	426,845,000	540,004,000	593,945,000
Held for rent rental merchandise, net	192,718,000	192,718,000	215,327,000	264,211,000
Assets	872,551,000	872,551,000	1,240,593,000	2,519,770,000
Acceptance Now [Member] \| Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues		817,814,000	818,325,000	644,853,000
Gross profit		422,381,000	420,980,000	372,012,000
Operating (loss) profit		105,925,000	123,971,000	112,918,000
Depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles		3,309,000	3,334,000	2,917,000
Capital expenditures		2,330,000	2,473,000	3,833,000
On rent rental merchandise, net	354,486,000	354,486,000	350,046,000	345,703,000
Held for rent rental merchandise, net	7,489,000	7,489,000	5,000,000	4,897,000
Assets	432,383,000	432,383,000	426,827,000	420,660,000
Mexico [Member] \| Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues		50,927,000	63,803,000	72,202,000
Gross profit		35,549,000	42,354,000	51,070,000
Operating (loss) profit		(2,449,000)	(14,149,000)	(21,961,000)
Depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles		3,179,000	5,160,000	6,683,000
Capital expenditures		283,000	204,000	4,164,000
On rent rental merchandise, net	13,787,000	13,787,000	17,575,000	20,766,000
Held for rent rental merchandise, net	6,629,000	6,629,000	8,520,000	8,334,000
Assets	31,415,000	31,415,000	38,898,000	59,841,000
Franchising [Member] \| Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues		24,786,000	24,469,000	26,082,000
Gross profit		9,440,000	9,935,000	8,012,000
Operating (loss) profit		5,650,000	5,793,000	3,295,000
Depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles		177,000	185,000	184,000
Assets	$ 2,197,000	$ 2,197,000	$ 2,723,000	$ 2,604,000

Segment Information Revenue from External Customers by Products and Services (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Rentals and fees	$ 2,500,053	$ 2,781,315	$ 2,745,828
Furniture and accessories [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Rentals and fees	927,537	955,576	938,065
Consumer electronics [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Rentals and fees	553,976	626,668	642,226
Appliances [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Rentals and fees	391,539	415,278	422,979
Computers [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Rentals and fees	148,889	207,906	307,325
Smartphones [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Rentals and fees	93,449	163,667	68,015
Other products and services [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Rentals and fees	$ 384,663	$ 412,220	$ 367,218

Revenue from External Customers and Asset, by Geographical Areas (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Assets	$ 1,602,741	$ 1,974,468	$ 3,271,197
Total revenues	2,963,252	3,278,420	3,157,796
United States [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Assets	1,567,933	1,930,676	3,204,283
Total revenues	2,911,613	3,209,736	3,075,387
Mexico [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Assets	31,415	38,898	59,841
Total revenues	50,927	63,803	72,202
Canada [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Assets	3,393	4,894	7,073
Total revenues	$ 712	$ 4,881	$ 10,207

Earnings Per Common Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net (loss) earnings	$ (105,195)	$ (953,520)	$ 96,422
Basic weighted average shares	53,121,000	53,050,000	52,850,000
Effect of dilutive stock options	0	0	276,000
Diluted weighted average shares	53,121,000	53,050,000	53,126,000
Basic (loss) earnings per common share	$ (1.98)	$ (17.97)	$ 1.82
Diluted (loss) earnings per common share	$ (1.98)	$ (17.97)	$ 1.81
Number of anti-dilutive stock options	3,072,181	2,585,711	2,496,147

- Definition

The amount of net income (loss) for the period per each share of common stock or unit outstanding during the reporting period.

+ References + Details

- Definition

The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

+ References + Details

Unaudited Quarterly Data (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Unaudited Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Total revenues									$ 2,963,252	$ 3,278,420	$ 3,157,796
Gross Profit									1,935,049	2,118,109	2,184,363
Operating (loss) profit									(66,596)	(1,007,888)	193,462
Net (loss) earnings									$ (105,195)	$ (953,520)	$ 96,422
Basic (loss) earnings per common share									$ (1.98)	$ (17.97)	$ 1.82
Diluted (loss) earnings per common share									(1.98)	(17.97)	1.81
Cash dividends declared per common share									$ 0.32	$ 0.96	$ 0.93
First Quarter [Member]
Unaudited Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Total revenues				$ 835,652				$ 877,639
Gross Profit				534,944				564,593
Operating (loss) profit				48,430				56,598
Net (loss) earnings				$ 25,061				$ 27,298
Basic (loss) earnings per common share				$ 0.47				$ 0.51
Diluted (loss) earnings per common share				0.47				0.51
Cash dividends declared per common share				$ 0.08				$ 0.24
Second Quarter [Member]
Unaudited Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Total revenues			$ 749,619				$ 815,343
Gross Profit			500,158				538,529
Operating (loss) profit			27,550				49,701
Net (loss) earnings			$ 9,946				$ 23,147
Basic (loss) earnings per common share			$ 0.19				$ 0.44
Diluted (loss) earnings per common share			0.19				0.43
Cash dividends declared per common share			$ 0.08				$ 0.24
Third Quarter [Member]
Unaudited Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Total revenues		$ 693,877				$ 791,605
Gross Profit		457,226				488,612
Operating (loss) profit		16,700				6,565
Net (loss) earnings		$ 6,181				$ (4,092)
Basic (loss) earnings per common share		$ 0.12				$ (0.08)
Diluted (loss) earnings per common share		0.12				(0.08)
Cash dividends declared per common share		$ 0.08				$ 0.24
Fourth Quarter [Member]
Unaudited Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 684,104				$ 793,833
Gross Profit	442,721				526,375
Operating (loss) profit	(159,276)				(1,120,752)
Net (loss) earnings	$ (146,383)				$ (999,873)
Basic (loss) earnings per common share	$ (2.76)				$ (18.84)
Diluted (loss) earnings per common share	(2.76)				(18.84)
Cash dividends declared per common share	$ 0.08				$ 0.24