Tower Loan: Company Profile & Background Check FAQs

Tower Loan was founded in 1936 and is headquartered in Flowood, Mississippi, in the Jackson metropolitan area. The privately held company has spent nearly nine decades in the consumer finance business, growing from its Mississippi roots into a multi-state lender. Its primary business is consumer installment lending: providing personal loans that customers repay in fixed monthly installments, along with related offerings such as retail sales financing through merchant partners.

According to the company, Tower Loan operates more than 260 branch offices across cities and towns in Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri, Illinois, Texas, Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee. Each branch serves local customers directly, handling loan applications, underwriting within company guidelines, payments, and collections. This branch-based model means most of the company's roles are customer-facing positions in local offices rather than centralized call center jobs.

The company's workforce includes branch managers, assistant managers, customer service representatives, loan processors, collectors, and corporate staff at its Flowood headquarters. Tower Loan is known for hiring management trainees and developing them into branch managers through hands-on experience in lending, customer service, and office operations. Because employees handle cash, customer financial records, and sensitive personal data such as Social Security numbers and credit information, consumer finance companies like Tower Loan typically apply careful screening standards during hiring.

Company culture and employee programs: Tower Loan emphasizes promotion from within, with many branch managers beginning as trainees who learn the consumer lending business on the job. Work environments are small, team-oriented branch offices where employees interact with customers daily. Benefits vary by role and location, but consumer finance employers of this type commonly offer:

Candidates should confirm current benefit details for a specific role during the hiring process.

Yes. Employers in the consumer finance industry, including Tower Loan, are legally permitted to conduct pre-employment background checks on job candidates, provided they follow applicable federal, state, and local laws. In the United States, screening through a consumer reporting agency is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which requires written consent, proper disclosures, and adverse action procedures. Lending businesses may also be subject to state licensing rules that impose standards on the people they employ.

Tower Loan is generally reported to conduct background checks as part of its hiring process, which is consistent with standard practice across the consumer lending industry. Branch employees handle cash, process loan documents, and access customers' financial and identity information, so screening is a routine step for employers in this sector. The specific scope of a Tower Loan background check may vary by role, state, and branch, so candidates should review the disclosure forms they receive during hiring.

While steps can vary by location and position, the Tower Loan hiring process typically begins with an online or in-branch application. Candidates may complete a phone screening followed by an interview with a branch manager or district supervisor, and management trainee applicants may meet with regional leadership. Candidates who receive a conditional offer are usually asked to consent to a background check before their start date is confirmed, and some positions may include additional pre-employment steps such as a credit review, subject to state law.

Turnaround time depends on the searches ordered, the responsiveness of courts and agencies, and how many jurisdictions appear in a candidate's history. Many background checks are completed within a few business days, while reports involving county courthouse research in multiple locations can take longer. Candidates can learn more by reviewing background check turnaround times.

The employer determines which searches to include. For a role at a consumer lender like Tower Loan, a background check may include some or all of the following:

Candidates should review their disclosure and consent forms to understand which searches will be conducted for their specific role.

Lookback periods depend on the type of search and the laws of the state where the candidate lives or works. Under the FCRA, consumer reporting agencies generally cannot report most negative information older than seven years, though criminal convictions can often be reported further back under federal law, with exceptions for certain higher-salary positions. Some states impose stricter limits, so different searches within the same report may carry different lookback windows.

Tower Loan does not publish a detailed public policy on hiring candidates with felony records, and decisions are typically made on a case-by-case basis. Employers in financial services commonly weigh the nature of the offense, particularly convictions involving theft, fraud, or dishonesty, against the duties of a role that involves cash handling and customer financial data. Many states and cities have enacted "ban-the-box" laws that limit when employers can ask about criminal history. Candidates with records are encouraged to answer application questions honestly and be prepared to provide context.

Candidates will typically be asked to provide written consent before a background check begins, usually through a standalone disclosure and authorization form. Applicants should be prepared to supply accurate personal information, including full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address history. Providing accurate details helps ensure searches cover the correct jurisdictions and avoids delays in the hiring timeline.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is a federal law that governs how consumer reporting agencies collect, use, and share background check information, and it also regulates employment credit reports. Employers must obtain written consent before ordering a report, and if they intend to take adverse action based on the results, they must provide the candidate a copy of the report and a summary of rights, along with an opportunity to dispute inaccurate information. For a deeper overview, read this introduction to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what Tower Loan may see and helps you identify potential inaccuracies before they affect your job application. In one secure report you can review:

Create your report in minutes at Checkr Personal Background Checks. To showcase verified credentials proactively, build a free Checkr Profile you can share with recruiters, hiring managers, or potential employers.

Check your report status in the Candidate Portal. Or, visit the Checkr Help Center for FAQs, dispute steps, and to contact support.

The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.