Recent Stories
Consumer auto loan rates are declining

After four federal interest rate hikes in 2018 and three reductions last year, consumer auto loan rates are easing, according to analysts who track loan patterns and dealers committed to finding the best rates for their customers.
Joe Knoepfler of Knoepfler Chevrolet in Sioux City, Iowa, said that using educational videos and training staff helped boost F&I sales.
Marketing means explaining F&I products to consumers

Educating consumers before they arrive at the dealership about why they need such products is critical, pros say.
Remaining compliant as regs change

F&I trainers, auditors and software providers help dealerships be compliant by alerting them to new laws and regulations, including changes that may be coming.
Killer clown case spawned auto career
There's always a back story. For Terry O'Loughlin, director of compliance for Reynolds and Reynolds, a case involving a killer clown led him on the path to an automotive career.
Dealerships benefit by valuing employees
Lamborghini Broward and Honolulu Volkswagen completed 2017 without any employee turnover. One of the secrets to their success? Generous and flexible paid time off.
New York's Paragon sweetened Clunkers deal
Brian Benstock reduced management headcount, lowered advertising costs by targeting his existing customers and embraced Cash for Clunkers.

Prestige Auto lost 5 dealerships, but efficiency and cash helped keep it steady
Operating lean, working harder to get financing for customers and selling more used vehicles softened the blow of losing five dealerships at Prestige Automotive.
Barnett Auto Group cross-trained staff, brought discipline to ad spending
Carl Barnett Sr.'s three dealerships retailed 1,452 new and 1,069 used vehicles in 2017 and is tracking to exceed those numbers in 2018. Things weren't nearly as good during the recession.
When leases dried up, Michigan dealer Bill Perkins retrained his staff in the art of retailing
When new-car leasing dried up, dealer Bill Perkins retrained employees to sell through retail contracts and schooled them about the ins and outs of selling CPO vehicles.
Atlanta dealership group fights distracted driving

Jim Ellis Automotive Group is seeking to reduce vehicle fatalities with a campaign urging its customers and Atlanta community to "pledge to drive safe."
Buy a vehicle, get a personalized website

Sesi Motors sets up personalized websites for customers of its three dealerships as a way to enhance customer retention, by communicating service schedules and more.
Software giant Reynolds big in forms, too
Reynolds and Reynolds has grown into a dealership software giant that — among other things — is a leading supplier of retail installment sales contracts, consumer lease agreements and other support documents that are federally and state compliant. Last year it celebrated 150 years of legacy.
From one-man show to industry leader
Paul Askos, founder of service contract provider Western National Warranty Corp., was the kind of guy who did the right thing, even when it seemed like the wrong thing for business.
Tarnished image? Put your best face forward
When a fraud scandal hits, dealer interviews, community outreach aid damage control
Big Brother is watching, but should he?
As awareness of fraud and identity theft intensifies, will dealerships latch on to video recording as a way to deter misbehavior in the F&I office? Transaction videos have a downside, experts say.