F&I
Plug’s new Trade Desk app was designed to help dealers accurately and efficiently determine the trade-in value of EVs produced by other manufacturers and generate market-rate wholesale offers. +
Cox Automotive and Kelley Blue Book report March was a good month for new vehicle affordability as sales surged, income growth improved and transaction prices and payments declined. +
Volkswagen will not raise U.S. new vehicle prices through at least the end of May, joining a group of manufacturers who have announced discounts and freezes as tariffs on imported vehicles take effect. +
Lotlinx’s latest VIN-based Quarterly Vincensus Report finds that, despite a March sales surge for new and used vehicles, aging inventory undermined profitability over the course of the first quarter. +
Director Fan Jin told attendees of this week’s J.D. Power Forum that U.S. car shoppers can now lease new Hyundais from Amazon Autos, which is stocked with inventory from dealer lots. +
Southeast Toyota Finance’s Casey Gunnell Jr. will succeed the retired Bill Shope as president while Charles Gruszczynski and Michael Hollis have been promoted to group vice president. +
Dealertrack (div. Cox Automotive)’s All-Loan Index improved to 96.4% in March, a 3.1% year-over-year gain and the highest level of auto loan access since December 2022. +
Sen. Bernie Moreno’s USA CAR Act would allow buyers of American-made vehicles to deduct interest paid on their auto loans, formalizing a tax policy repeatedly floated by President Donald Trump. +
Stellantis will offer U.S. buyers a choice between April incentives and an employee discount through the end of the month. Hyundai and Genesis prices are frozen for the next 60 days. +
Edmunds analysts say 84-month loans accounted for 19.8% of U.S. new vehicle financing in the first quarter of 2025, an all-time high and a 25.3% increase from the year-ago quarter. +
Ford has launched “From America, For America,” a new campaign offering employee discounts on most of the factory’s U.S. lineup, in a bid to offset a new tariff on imported vehicles that goes into effect today. +
President Donald Trump has spared vehicle manufacturers and some auto part suppliers from sweeping new “reciprocal” tariffs announced today. Both remain subject to 25% tariffs announced in March. +
U.S. new-vehicle sales reported to Automotive News showed multiple double-digit gains and few losses in March as new tariffs set to go into effect starting April 3 are expected to raise prices. +
The “Big 6” publicly traded U.S. auto dealer groups are growing in size, sales and profitability as they hold onto the top positions in Automotive News’s annual ranking of the Top 150 Dealership Groups. +
President Donald Trump said Speaker Mike Johnson is crafting a policy that would allow Americans who take out loans for U.S.-built vehicles to deduct the interest from their taxable income. +
Assurant Vehicle Care Technology Plus is a new service contract offering coverage for high-tech in-vehicle components as well as common repairs to the customer’s smartphone. +
President Donald Trump announced increased tariffs on new vehicles and some parts imported for sale into the United States, effective April 3, a move experts say will raise prices and reduce sales and production. +
Experian has launched Cashflow Score, a new solution designed to help finance sources gauge creditworthiness by accessing and analyzing consumer-permissioned transaction data. +
Point Predictive’s latest Auto Lending Fraud Trends Report finds auto finance sources face an estimated $9.2 billion in loss exposure, fueled primarily by “first-party” credit application fraud. +
Attorney Tom Oscherwitz says generative AI-powered “deepfakes” are giving criminals new ways to defraud dealers and finance sources and spurring the development of new detection tools.+
Dealertrack’s Credit Availability Index improved 3% year-over-year in February, but negative indicators such as subprime share, term, down payments and negative equity added risk to loan portfolios. +
Citing low unemployment and “solid” market conditions, the Federal Reserve Board held firm to its 4.25% to 4.5% target lending rate, extending a pause that began in January following a series of quarter-point cuts. +
vAuto reports U.S. sales of all pre-owned vehicles increased by 5.6% to 1.57 million units year-over-year, but certified pre-owned sales were down 3.4% compared with February 2024. +
F&I wait times are on the rise, according to CDK’s 2025 Friction Points study, hampering dealers’ ongoing — and largely successful — efforts to reduce total transaction times and generate referrals. +
Kelley Blue Book reports the average cost of a U.S.-sold new vehicle increased by 1% year-over-year to $48,039 in February but declined by 1.3% from the prior month. +
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the annual rate of inflation fell from 3% in January to 2.8% in February on a year-over-year basis, slightly below the forecasted rate of 2.9%.+
Automotive News’s annual dealer census finds U.S. retailers added 171 dealerships in 2024 but lost franchises as domestic manufacturers lost scores of stores while their import rivals gained ground. +
700Credit’s Ken Hill warns dealers who utilize digital deal jackets that, without modernization of certain processes and safeguards, customer data may be at risk. +
Edmunds reports the U.S. auto finance market demonstrated stability in the face of uncertainty in February, with modest increases in loan cost, amounts financed, payments and terms. +
Experian reports the average amount financed in a U.S. new vehicle transaction was $41,572 in the fourth quarter, a 2.6% increase, but with a slightly lower average monthly payment of $600. +
President Donald Trump has granted a one-month exemption to steep new tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico for U.S. automakers, demanding a shift toward U.S. production in return. +
Automotive News reports Hyundai, Kia, Subaru and Mazda notched year-over-year U.S. new vehicle sales gains in February, including a fifth straight record month for Hyundai and Kia, led by the Genesis marque. +
The Presidio Group/NCM Associates year-end report finds F&I income per unit retailed increased slightly in 2024 while gross profit per new vehicle retailed fell by 33% to $2,247. +
Five of the Big 6 publicly traded dealer groups are generating at least $2,000 in F&I gross profit per vehicle retailed, according to the latest quarterly report from Automotive News. +
Subaru, GM and Tesla top S&P Global Mobility’s latest Automotive Loyalty Awards rankings for dealer, manufacturer and make, respectively, as overall brand loyalty improves to 51.6%. +
InformedIQ.com’s Jessica Gonzalez says a recent U.S. Treasury report proves artificial intelligence is changing the auto finance industry in several ways, enhancing efficiency as well as risk. +
Few of the leading economists surveyed by Wolters Kluwer expect the Federal Reserve to announce an interest rate cut at its March meeting as inflation shows few signs of abating in 2025. +
TransUnion’s latest credit insights report forecasts gains in auto, home and unsecured personal loan originations tempered by concerns over changing federal policy and paused interest rate cuts. +
Lotlinx’s Q4 Quarterly Vincensus Report finds sales of hybrid vehicles increased by 23% between the third and fourth quarter of 2024, accounting for 22% of all U.S. new vehicle sales. +
Cox Automotive and Moody’s Analytics’ New Vehicle Affordability Index improved to 37.7 in January as Americans earned higher incomes and prices normalized following strong year-end sales. +
Cox Automotive announced U.S. franchised and independent dealers sold 1.4 million used vehicles in January, an 8% year-over-year improvement, as days’ supply ticked down to start the month. +
A Protective Asset Protection survey found that 57% of U.S. dealers said at least half their customers bought F&I products online last year and 60% believe offering those products online improved sales. +
Reynolds and Reynolds reports sales retention ticked up to nearly 44% in 2024 despite the fact that 24 of 38 brands saw a decrease in repeat buyers, including one that finished in the single digits. +
The consumer price index rose for the fourth straight month in January, pushing inflation to a 3% year-over-year increase in the same month the Fed announced a pause to interest rate cuts. +
The Dealertrack Credit Availability Index improved to 95.4 in January, a 2.9% year-over-year improvement driven in part by a 100-basis-point market share gain for subprime borrowers. +
NADA analysts say U.S. dealers were on track to sell 15.6 million new units in 2025 at the end of January, a fifth straight year-over-year increase but a minor letdown following a strong December. +
TransUnion now offers a creditworthiness score based on the applicant’s banking activities, potentially adding options for car buyers without access to “mainstream” credit. +
Jeep owners say their infotainment screens are lighting up with unwanted, frequently appearing ads for an extended factory warranty. The Drive’s Caleb Jacobs investigates. +
A memo sent to Nissan dealers and reviewed by Automotive News’s Urvaksh Karkaria suggests the automaker has launched an aggressive new tiered sales bonus program. +
Volvo moved 50,820 new units worldwide in January, a 5% year-over-year decline offset by a 17% improvement in sales of EVs and plug-in hybrids. +
Automotive News reports U.S. Hyundai, Kia and Mazda dealers enjoyed double-digit gains in new vehicle sales compared with January 2024 while Ford and Toyota suffered modest losses. +
President Donald Trump levied new tariffs of 25% on goods imported from Canada and Mexico and 10% on imports from China with no exemptions for vehicles or auto parts. +
Analysts say econtracting adoption has slowed for consecutive quarters but improved dramatically compared with the fourth quarter of 2023. +
An eLEND Solutions survey found 90% of respondents believe AI-based pricing is contributing to inaccurate online quotes. +
WardsAuto’s Alysha Webb offers tips dealers can use to counter an expected shortfall of more than 1 million off-lease units and help prevent future shortages. +
The Federal Reserve Board’s first meeting of 2025 ended with its target lending rate unchanged as the agency pursues its “dual mandate” to limit inflation and unemployment. +
A new partnership that pairs Reynolds and Reynolds’s DMS with Sunbit’s prescreening technology was designed to allow dealers to deliver automated financing offers to service customers. +
More than two-thirds of U.S. dealers who responded to the Kerrigan Dealer Survey fear EVs will hurt business in 2025, likely contributing to a six-year low in profit expectations. +
In a survey of 3,900 U.S. franchised dealers, Presidio Group analysts found gross profit per vehicle fell in 2024 while new vehicle sales, F&I income and total revenue improved. +
Brady Jones has joined Prosidium as executive vice president of dealer success for the U.S. market following a successful tenure at Cilajet. +
Experts say identity fraud is on the rise and costing the American auto industry billions while inconveniencing legitimate customers. The Detroit Free Press investigates. +
700Credit will integrate its services into Botdoc Connect, promising faster and more efficient hard and soft credit pulls with enhanced data security. +
Discounts of up to $2,630 for a 2024 Cybertruck tell a different tale than that predicted by Tesla executives when the fully electric pickup hit the market. Laurence Iliff offers expert analysis for Automotive News. +
Kelley Blue Book analysts say Americans spent an average of $49,740 on their new vehicle purchases in December, threatening a record set during peak pandemic-era inventory shortages. +
Conecta founder Andrés Huertas believes listening to dealers can help auto finance sources reduce their second-biggest business expense. Auto Fin Journal has the exclusive. +
Westlake Financial announced the launch of a new program that will allow some car buyers seeking financing to make their down payment using Bitcoin and avoid taxes incurred from its sale. +
The Tesla Model 3 moved up in iSeeCars’ annual rankings of the nation’s best selling used vehicles, but pickups and SUVs continued to lead the market in 2024. +
Polly will unveil Professional Insurance Platform, the latest iteration of its dealership customer-facing auto insurance solution, at 2025 NADA Show. +
Edmunds’s latest auto finance report finds average monthly payments passed the $750 mark in the fourth quarter, corresponding with an average amount financed in excess of $42,000. +
Chase Auto has named 25-year industry veteran Leslie Wims-Morris as CEO, replacing Peter Muriungi, who will take on the same role at Chase Connected Commerce. +
U.S. new light-duty vehicle sales rose to 15.7 million in 2024, a 2.5% year-over-year increase driven by big gains among certain brands, marques and types and capped by a 4.1 million-unit fourth quarter. +
In a new lawsuit, the FTC and the attorney general of Maryland say the three-store Lindsay Automotive Group made millions by systematically overcharging customers. Executives denied the charges. +
Tesla sold 1.79 million EVs worldwide in 2024, down 1.1% from the prior year despite a fourth-quarter push that included offers of 0% financing and free charging. +
ACE’s Gil Van Over warns dealers that econtracting and an increasingly digitized F&I process will not deter the same bad behaviors practiced by “kinks” in the four-square days. F&I and Showroom has the exclusive. +
S&P Global forecasts a 41% year-over-year decline in leased vehicle returns in the first half of 2025. Experts say the low inventories and incentives of 36 months ago will likely affect supplies for at least a year. +
The Federal Trade Commission announced a recordbreaking settlement with AutoCanada over a slew of fraud charges the agency leveled against the dealer group’s 10 U.S. rooftops. +
The latest new-vehicle sales and finance reports from Cox Automotive show strong sales and credit availability as incentives offset higher prices to sustain affordability. +
Chairman Jerome Powell said interest rate reductions would slow next year while announcing an expected quarter-point cut to end 2024 with a target range of 4.25% to 4.5%. +
Attorney Terry O’Loughlin offers a history and summary for F&I and Showroom readers as the new rule winds its way through the courts and NADA opposition. +
Decisive election results and falling interest rates pushed Cox Automotive’s Dealer Sentiment Index into positive territory as a tumultuous 2024 draws to a close. +
PCMI announced the addition of loyalty program management capabilities to its Policy Claim and Reporting Solutions platform to help dealers drive fixed ops revenue and retention. +
Ford Motor Co.’s U.S. dealers sold 166,373 new Fords and Lincolns in November, a 14.3% increase from the same month a year ago, the factory reported. +
Experian’s latest auto finance report finds U.S. consumers’ monthly payments ticked up for new vehicles and down for used, corresponding with minimal changes in loan amounts. +
The Automotive News Data Center reports Big 6 public auto dealerships experienced an overall decrease in F&I gross profit per vehicle in the third quarter. +
Lexus and Honda led all premium and mass-market manufacturers for the fourth consecutive year as rising prices worked against most brands. +
The Federal Reserve’s recent rate cuts in addition to an increase in automakers’ incentives are helping to stabilize the auto market, a good sign for dealers and consumers. WardsAuto's Nancy Dunham reports.+
Declining interest rates, increased incentives and personal income gains have led to the best new-vehicle affordability level since August 2021. +
New-vehicle incentives are up by more than 60% heading into the final stretch of 2024, helping dealers clear inventory off their new-vehicle lots. +
British financial institutions may flee the auto lending sector after a bombshell appeals court ruling put them on the hook for massive consumer payouts. +
New-vehicle incentives have continued their growth trend as factories compete for sales and help dealers move their remaining 2024 inventory. +
When customers refinance, dealers lose F&I income and underwriting profits. Falling interest rates have pushed more Americans who have secured an auto loan in the past 24 months to say they are “likely” to refinance soon, according to the latest TransUnion survey. +
Vanguard Dealer Services' Mickey Quinn urges dealers to address long-term customer engagement in sales and F&I training programs. +
Americans still want to buy new vehicles, but an increasing price gap will require consumers to adjust their expectations or settle for pre-owned. +
A new partnership between EasyCare and Petra Automotive Products will pair Petra’s “high-performance” chemicals and proprietary training with EasyCare’s product suite. +
Wolters Kluwer’s Q3 Auto Finance Digital Transformation Index shows econtracting adoption slowed in the third quarter but continues to advance in year-over-year and four-year trends. +
ACE’s Gil Van Over assures Agent Entrepreneur readers F&I professionals are within their rights to end a transaction with customers who don’t intend to make their payments. +
Anomaly Labs CEO Marty Hu believes his company’s AI-powered F&I training tool will help dealers complete compliance checklists while F&I professionals sharpen their skills again AI “customers.” +
Terry O’Loughlin of Reynolds and Reynolds warns Agent Entrepreneur readers that agents may not be spared from personal liability when regulators target dealerships. +
Analysts say more than one-third of upside-down car buyers owed more than $10,000 on their prior loans in the third quarter, with 7.5% owing more than $15,000. +
Edmunds analysts fear a growing number of 84-month auto loans could indicate that new-vehicle buyers are stretching beyond their financial means. +
Dive into the surprising history and latest developments pertaining to OFAC checks with ACE’s Penny Bell in an F&I and Showroom exclusive. +
EFG Companies announced the launch of Wealth Builder Profit Participation Suite, a new program that guarantees a profit per unit retailed increase of $206,400 per F&I producer, per year. +
Kevin Hull will succeed Wade Bontrager as president of National Truck Protection Company, the company announced. Bontrager will continue to serve as an NTP board member and advisor. +
Buckeye Dealership Consulting has hired Jim O’Connell as COO and Martin Gutierrez as business development manager, according to Auto Remarketing’s BHPH Report. +
Asbury Automotive outlined internal processes as part of a formal denial of wrongdoing following accusations from the Federal Trade Commission of systematic payment packing. +
MOTOR Information Systems has named CNA National among its honorees for the 2024 MOTOR Top 20 awards, a program designed to recognize “innovative and exciting new developments." +
