Deferred Compensation Plan

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Deferred Compensation Plan

Note O: Deferred Compensation Plan

Effective July 1, 2009, the Company implemented the Aaron’s, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) an unfunded, nonqualified deferred compensation plan for a select group of management, highly compensated employees and non-employee directors. On a pre-tax basis, eligible employees can defer receipt of up to 75% of their base compensation and up to 100% of their incentive pay compensation, and eligible non-employee directors can defer receipt of up to 100% of both their cash and stock director fees. In addition, the Company elected to make restoration matching contributions on behalf of eligible employees to compensate for certain limitations on the amount of matching contributions an employee can receive under the Company’s tax-qualified 401(k) plan.

Compensation deferred under the Plan is credited to each participant’s deferral account and a deferred compensation liability is recorded in accounts payable and accrued expenses in the consolidated balance sheets. The deferred compensation plan liability was approximately $6.3 million and $3.5 million as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Liabilities under the Plan are recorded at amounts due to participants, based on the fair value of participants’ selected investments. The Company has established a Rabbi Trust to fund obligations under the Plan with Company-owned life insurance. The obligations are unsecured general obligations of the Company and the participants have no right, interest or claim in the assets of the Company, except as unsecured general creditors. The cash surrender value of these policies totaled $5.8 million and $3.5 million as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and is included in prepaid expenses and other assets in the consolidated balance sheets.

Deferred compensation expense charged to operations for the Company’s matching contributions totaled $306,000, $231,000 and $130,000 in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Benefits of $77,000 have been paid as of December 31, 2011. No benefits were paid in 2010.