Recent Stories
Jackie Charniga
Score another one for offering more F&I products online

A new study from F&I provider Protective Asset Protection underscores industry claims that more F&I product information is accessible online than ever before, and consumers are responding to the increased transparency.
Robust profits trump inventory worries

Layering pent-up customer demand and government stimulus over typical seasonal benefits boosted scores of Cox Automotive's dealer sentiment study into record-breaking territory.
More of Canada's used cars are flowing into U.S.

J.D. Power estimates that the flow of vehicles from the north has increased because of microchip inventory shortages.
Katarski: Dealers are not concerned about “a used vehicle that they’re going to get stuck with.”
Dealers go with their gut amid price surge

During the used-vehicle spike driven by soaring customer demand, dealership operators are relying less on used-car pricing tools and more on intuition.
Auto lender favored in Military Lending Act case

A district judge in Virginia sided with a subprime lender in a class-action lawsuit over compliance.
Jackie Charniga
Fraud scams surge in financial services

A new report from TransUnion finds that fraudulent attempts in financial services are on the rise, with identity theft as the leading fraud risk for lenders. 
Tamia Fleming celebrates her 2015 Toyota RAV4 Limited with a sign the dealership made for photos.
Reversing course on remote delivery pays off for Vermont dealership

The general manager at Alderman's Chevrolet-Buick-GMC says the decision to enforce in-store vehicle delivery ensures customer loyalty and has improved service profits.
Jackie Charniga
Loan-to-value ratios rise in Q1

Credit bureau Experian anticipates even higher loan-to-value ratios in the second quarter, driven up by high transaction prices amid the chip shortage.
Experian expands employment services with new tool

Verified income and employment have become more critical than ever in areas outside mortgage, where those items have been required for years, largely because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Soft-pull technologies driving 700Credit partnership boom

The acceleration of digital retailing transactions during the coronavirus pandemic is prompting dealerships to incorporate soft credit pulls and credit screenings earlier in the process.
Algorithmic vehicle sales
Save a little heart — and art — in shift to digital sales

Data scientists may be best suited to mastering online retailing, but human relations remain important.
All 6 publics raise F&I profit per vehicle

AutoNation was the only public retailer in the quarter to report profit per vehicle over $2,000.
Jackie Charniga
With digital sales, some customers still want direct help

Digital retail provider Roadster found in a study in conjunction with the National Automobile Dealers Association that a large percentage of consumers who purchased a vehicle online interacted with someone at the dealership remotely for assistance.
Auto lenders ease credit access in Q1

Two reports on consumer credit suggest auto lenders loosened standards for subprime consumers as the nation took on greater amounts of asset-backed debt.
Chip shortage shifts F&I product sales trends

F&I product companies say dealership sales of service contracts and guaranteed asset protection products are rising, though products such as key fob protection and tire-and-wheel are falling by the wayside.