Cash America 2008 Annual Report Download - page 16

13
Pursuing Individual Development
At its heart, the desire to
conquer a new frontier often stems from
a passion for individuality – a person’s
fundamental right to choices and
opportunities in every
aspect of life. That passion
is no different in our case –
Cash America believes that
people from all walks of life
and all income levels should
have a viable alternative to
traditional banking institutions.
Current data indicates that up
to 10 percent of American families
are underserved by banks, and those
numbers are expected to rise given
current economic conditions. The
reality is that traditional lending
institutions have all but
ignored many of our
customers, leaving them
with limited options.
Today’s customers
are armed with facts and
understand their alternatives
when choosing a Cash America loan
product. They know that Cash America
is frequently the lowest-cost reliable
short-term solution to a short-term
financial need, and they care about
maintaining good credit scores
and other indicators of financial
responsibility. They are experts at
stretching dollars and juggling bills,
generally ranging in
age from 18 to 36, with
household incomes anywhere from
$29,000 to $50,000. Many own their
own homes and/or have
some college education.
Our small, short-term
loans give customers a lower-cost
option to increasingly high bank fees,
NSF charges, late fees on credit cards,
and penalties on delinquent accounts
from utility companies or mortgage
lenders. We’re here to support our
customers as they blaze their own
trails – by providing a reliable
financial resource, we support their
individual spirits of optimism and
achievement.
Our commitment
to individual growth
and exploration extends
to our more than 5,500 employees
as well. We’ve pioneered the innovative
Cash America management training
program – comprehensive preparation
that includes in-class instruction,
partnerships with mentor managers
and basic jewelry appraisal education.
This training program was recently
recognized and won first place for Best
Learning Center Web Site as part of the
Learn.com Empowerment Awards. Many
members of our operations team also
participate in Cash America University, a
week-long educational and motivational
program we launched in 2004.
We offer plentiful opportunities
for career growth – we promote from
within whenever possible, and we
offer a compensation program that
makes it possible to earn a great living.
We’ve made it a priority to listen to our
employees and push toward new ways
to make Cash America a great place to
foster long-term careers.
We’re also committed
to developing our industry-
leading point-of-sale and
management information systems,
moving toward a more customer-
centric platform that keeps our
operations quick and efficient.
These changes make it possible for
employees to add products and
services with ease and result in more
user-friendly transactions. Throughout
2009, we’ll continue to explore new
opportunities for adapting our
technology to our customers’ and
employees’ needs.
Cash America International, Inc.