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                                                                  EXHIBIT 24.1



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the undersigned directors
and officers of Rent-A-Center, Inc. (the "Company"), a Delaware corporation,
hereby constitutes and appoints J. Ernest Talley, Mark E. Speese and Robert D.
Davis, and each of them, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact with full power
of substitution and resubstitution to sign on his behalf, as a director or
officer, as the case may be, of the Company, one or more Registration Statements
on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") for the purpose of registering under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (i) shares of the Company's Common
Stock, par value, $.01 per share, to be distributed to the Rent-A-Center, Inc.
401(k) Retirement Savings Plan, and (ii) interests in the Plan, and further to
sign on his behalf any or all amendments and any or all post-effective
amendments to the Registration Statement, whether on Form S-8 or otherwise, and
all other documents in connection therewith to be filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each
of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all
intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact or any of them, or their substitute
or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.

EXECUTED this 10th day of March, 2000.




                                                         
/s/ J. ERNEST TALLEY                                        /s/ ROBERT D. DAVIS
- ---------------------------------------                     --------------------------------------------
J. Ernest Talley,                                           Robert D. Davis,
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive                      Senior Vice President-Finance, Chief
Officer and Director                                        Financial Officer and Treasurer
(Principal Executive Officer)                               (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

/s/ MARK E. SPEESE                                          /s/ J. V. LENTELL
- ---------------------------------------                     --------------------------------------------
Mark E. Speese,                                             J. V. Lentell, Director
Vice Chairman of the Board and Director

/s/ JOSEPH V. MARINER, JR.                                  /s/ L. DOWELL ARNETTE
- ---------------------------------------                     --------------------------------------------
Joseph V. Mariner, Jr., Director                            L. Dowell Arnette, Director and President

/s/ PETER P. COPSES                                         /s/ LAURENCE M. BERG
- ---------------------------------------                     --------------------------------------------
Peter P. Copses, Director                                   Laurence M. Berg, Director