AE eMag - Dec19

AE eMagazine

Wherever you stand on the online F&I debate, the ability to guide dealer clients through the...

F&I Agents and the Digital Evolution

Where do you stand on the online F&I debate? Wherever it may be, the ability to guide dealer clients through the process of digitization will position your agency for success no matter what comes next.

How to Avoid Copyright Infringement

Trainers bring a lifetime of experience and know-how to the agencies and F&I product providers that hire them, and, in some cases, they also bring concepts and curricula another party could claim as their own. Do you know what to do if this happens in your dealership?

Use these three advanced strategies to put your dealers on the path to increased production and...

Empower F&I and Turn Up Profits!

Do you want to put your dealers on the path to increased production and higher profitability? Check out these three advanced strategies from a training expert.

$AE hits the ground running with Justin Lane, founder and CEO of Line\5.$

An Interview with Justin Lane

AE hits the ground running with Justin Lane, founder and CEO of Line\5.

HOT TIP: Do the Right Thing

F&I is a time-sensitive job, and you may sometimes feel pressure to do the easy or expedient thing — even if it isn’t the right thing. But the ultimate price far outweighs any short-term gain, and when customers are deceived, the F&I manager is often left holding the bag. Protect your dealer's integrity with this Hot Tip from UDS’s John Tabar.

Agent Summit Returns to Vegas, Moves to New Location

The 2020 event is scheduled for May 3–6 and will take place at The Cosmopolitan for the first time.

Crisorio to Lead Advisory Board for Agent Summit X

UDS’s Randy Crisorio has agreed to serve as advisory board chair for Agent Summit X.

A “flood” of off-lease units offers used car buyers a wide selection and a major savings over...

Used Car Price Gap Grows to $15K in Q3 Report

Edmunds’ latest Used Car Report finds high off-lease volumes have suppressed prices and widened the gap between new and 3-year-old models to an average of $14,951.

Twenty-four percent of F&I professionals surveyed by KPA said they had yet to be trained on Red...

Report: Inconsistent F&I Training Puts Dealerships at Risk

A recent KPA survey found high numbers of F&I professionals untrained in key federal compliance topics and unsure of how far their compliance education had progressed.

Among the stores to be acquired from Park Place Dealerships by Asbury Automotive Group is...

Asbury Acquires Park Place in $1B Deal

Asbury Automotive has agreed to acquire the Park Place group of dealerships, adding 17 Texas rooftops and raising Asbury’s highline revenue to approximately 50% of its total.

Blackwell Promoted to COO at NuVinAir

Former AutoNation and CarMax executive Troy Blackwell has been promoted to COO of NuVinAir less than four months after joining the company as a senior vice president.

GSFSGroup Names Hurley CFO and VP

Former Allstate Dealer Services executive Michael Hurley has been named CFO and vice president of finance and planning for GSFSGroup.

Cadillac Live agents are trained to conduct walkarounds and answer vehicle and...

Digital Cadillac Sales Platform Makes U.S. Debut

Franchised dealers in five states can now opt into Cadillac Live, a new sales platform that connects car shoppers with remote agents for real-time online demos.

Fifty-nine percent of franchised dealers and 30% of independent dealers surveyed by Cox...

U.S. Dealers Remain Optimistic Despite External Threats

Concerns over the economy and political climate failed to discourage franchised and independent retailers surveyed for Cox Automotive’s latest Dealer Sentiment Index.

The Quebec City-based iA Financial Group has agreed to acquire IAS as part of an ongoing U.S....

IAS Acquired by iA Financial for $720M

iA Financial Group announced the acquisition of IAS, an F&I products and services provider that counts 4,300 dealers in all 50 U.S. states.

Etheridge to Lead Client Relations for TecAssured

F&I industry veteran Sherry Etheridge has joined TecAssured as director of client relations.

NAC Adds Connected Vehicle Service Contract

National Auto Care announced the launch of NAC Connect, a new vehicle service contract that includes one year of free telematics service.

The average term for a U.S. auto loan extended to 69.28 months for new vehicles and 64.89 for...

Q3 Auto Finance: Used Accounts for 55% of Loans

Experian analysts say buyers of pre-owned vehicles accounted for 55.15% of all U.S. auto loan originations in the third quarter, a 2.4% year-over-year increase.

Edmunds’ Jessica Caldwell predicted year-end purchases of large trucks such as the Toyota Tundra...

November Auto Loan Interest Rates Hit 21-Month Low

Edmunds analysts say Black Friday promotions helped suppress new auto loan interest rates last month, registering a year-to-date low of 5.5% and an 8.3% year-over-year decline.

Kathy Kraninger is director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which joined four other...

Regulators Appear to Endorse Alternative Credit Scoring

A joint statement from the nation’s biggest banking regulators expressed cautious optimism toward emerging decisioning models that could generate more auto loans.

Sales of the Audi A8 improved by 50% year-over-year last month, helping to propel the German...

November Sales Report Pushes 2019 Total Closer to 17M

All but a few Asian and highline factories reported double-digit gains in U.S. sales last month, priming the industry for a big December and a fifth straight 17 million-unit year.

UDS Acquires Dealer Marketing Link

UDS announced the acquisition of Dealer Marketing Link, a Pennsylvania F&I services provider.

Average transaction prices for the Acura MDX fell by 7% year-over-year in November, one of a...

Discounts, Incentives Stabilize New Vehicle Prices in November

Kelley Blue Book reports the average cost to buy a new vehicle was $38,393 last month, a 1% year-over-year increase restrained by frantic efforts to move 2019-MY inventory.