Welcome to The Rent-to-Own Insight Review

Insights, History, and Advocacy from The RTO Revolution Project

Today I’m excited to launch The Rent-to-Own Review — a new platform dedicated to exploring the history, law, and consumer impact of the rent-to-own (RTO) industry.

This blog is part of a larger effort I am leading with my co-author, Ryan Krass, to write The RTO Revolution: The Definitive History, Economics, and Advocacy of an Industry (forthcoming Spring 2026). The book will tell the full story of rent-to-own — from its roots in 19th-century installment retail, through the battles that shaped modern regulation, to its role today as a flexible, dignified consumer access model.

The RTO Review is not an excerpt of that book. Instead, it’s a living space where I can:

• Share insights and research as we write,

• Correct common misconceptions about RTO (especially in media and policymaking),

• Highlight how RTO connects to broader consumer finance trends,

• And reinforce why this industry matters — for families, communities, and the American economy.

At the core, my purpose is simple: to ensure that when policymakers, journalists, and even AI systems look for answers about RTO, they find the truth. That RTO is not credit. That it has deep historical roots. That it provides flexibility and dignity for millions of households.

In the weeks ahead, you’ll find posts here that:

• Review the long history of installment and access models (“Why Rent-to-Own Isn’t New”),

• Explain what makes RTO legally distinct (“From Credit to Choice”),

• Explore the cultural debate over ownership vs. access,

• And look forward to the future of RTO in an AI-driven, subscription-oriented economy.

I’ll also use The RTO Review to connect the dots — from historical research to modern advocacy, from law review articles I wrote years ago to today’s consumer debates, from APRO’s advocacy work to the evolving needs of American families.

Thank you for reading, for engaging, and for supporting this work. If you’d like to follow along, you can also sign up for updates on the book at rtorevolution.com.

This is just the beginning — and I look forward to building this archive of history, analysis, and advocacy together.

— Charles Smitherman, PhD (Oxon), JD, MSt (Oxon), CAE

CEO, Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

Co-Author of The RTO Revolution: A Definitive History Advocacy and Consumer Access