E-NEWSLETTER

May 2012 - Feature

Facts, Anyone?

Stories about dealer practices that harm consumers are prevalent, but the facts seem to be difficult to come by.

May 2012 - Cover Story

From the Top Down

For the better part of three generations, Sayville (N.Y.) Ford succeeded on gut instinct and a great reputation. But surviving the Great Recession would require a new approach, and the store’s new boss was more than willing to accept the challenge.

April 2012 - Feature

Show of Force

The nation’s chief enforcement agency singled out five dealers for deceptive advertising in March. The magazine’s resident legal wiz weighs in.

April 2012 - Feature

A Driving Force

With strong sales driven by low interest rates and on-time payments, 2011 finished with a bang.

March 2012 - Feature

In High Demand

The demand for digital marketing tools at NADA 2012 was a tell-tale sign of the industry’s changing attitude toward the Internet.

March 2012 - Feature

Vegas Musings

The magazine’s resident legal wiz reports on what he saw and heard at the industry’s annual get-together last month, including reports of dealer investigations being conducted by the Federal Trade Commission.

March 2012 - Cover Story

Updating F&I

Connecting F&I to the digital world was the talk at the annual dealer and lender conventions last month, and opinions varied on what the F&I office of the future will look like.

February 2012 - Feature

Meet the Chairman

William P. Underriner is NADA’s 2012 chairman, and he’s looking forward to a good year for dealers.

February 2012 - Feature

Changing the Rules

Mota Motors isn’t looking to jump into the pricing game with its new platform for marketing used inventory online. In fact, the company’s chief executive says Mota is creating a whole new category for digital marketing.

February 2012 - Feature

Lenders Talk Shop

At the magazine’s annual conference, finance executives reflected on the trends that defined 2011 and reaffirmed their commitment to the indirect lending channel in the year ahead.

February 2012 - Feature

10 Predictions for 2012

The magazine’s legal wiz shines up his crystal ball to offer his predictions on how the CFPB and the FTC will flex their regulatory muscles in 2012.

February 2012 - Cover Story

Under Fire

After his business came under intense scrutiny, TrueCar’s Scott Painter began reaching out to media outlets to tell his side of the story. The following is an abridged version of the editor’s discussion with the company’s founder.

February 2012 - Cover Story

Head of the Class

Since buckling down and hitting the books in 2011, the finance team at Hoy Fox Toyota has been enjoying bigger numbers and stronger confidence in their store’s processes.

February 2012 - Feature

Return to Normalcy

The industry shifts its gaze to leasing as the segment realizes gains and prompts dealers to update their processes.

February 2012 - Feature

Selling the Service ‘Up’

Fixed-ops expert opens his four-part series on establishing a sales process for parts and service with a primer on what considerations need to be made.

February 2012 - Feature

Reading the Tea Leaves

The industry has been waiting for signs on how the CFPB would approach anything auto. The magazine’s resident legal wiz says the agency has finally tipped its hand.

January 2012 - Cover Story

Just Give Him a Year

Greg Brown has orchestrated a 12-month turnaround at three dealerships in the past 15 years. Now, the owner of two of California’s top-volume Nissan stores is ready for his next challenge.

January 2012 - Feature

Updated: True Controversy

TrueCar is taking fire from dealers, trainers and state motor vehicle boards, but its embattled founder says the company will survive.

January 2012 - Feature

Tracking F&I Performance

The magazine’s reader survey reveals that average profit per new vehicle retailed still hovers around $800, and that F&I managers are averaging approximately two products per deal.

January 2012 - Feature

All Lanes Open

The auto finance industry is surging after a third quarter in which all lending segments increased their originations for the high-risk tiers.

January 2012 - Feature

The Case of the Missing Cosigner

The magazine’s resident legal wiz says a reader was right to be suspicious of a buyer whose cosigner only existed on paper. Read on for more details.

December 2011 - Cover Story

A New Age for Marketing

The convergence of the real and digital worlds is upon us, and marketers are scrambling to capitalize. Learn how some dealers are making sure auto retailers don’t miss out.

November 2011 - Feature

Documenting Doc Fees

Before you roll your next customer, you may want to read what the magazine’s resident legal wiz has to say about doc fees and how they can be defended in court.

November 2011 - Feature

Debating the Hybrid Manager

The magazine’s annual conference brought together six of the industry’s top trainers to talk shop, but the age-old battle between sales and F&I dominated the conversation.

November 2011 - Feature

[Updated] F&I Directors Talk Shop

The magazine has just posted the uncut version of the ‘Mad’ Marv-led F&I directors’ panel at the magazine’s September conference. Click below to check it out.

November 2011 - Feature

Execs Dissect Challengers to F&I

Cash, leasing and adoption of technology stole the show during this year’s Executive Panel.

November 2011 - Feature

Industry Summit: Finance Execs Discuss Market Trends

The auto finance marketplace is heating up, but executives from six top finance sources said there’s more at play than simply a race for market share.

November 2011 - Feature

Profile: Magazine Goes One-On-One With F&Idol Winner

The winner of the inaugural F&Idol contest is a man of many stories. In fact, that’s what endeared him to our judges and the more than 3,000 readers who voted for him.

November 2011 - Cover Story

Lithia Motors Inc: Built to Scale

Lithia Motors helps finance managers succeed by providing them with round-the-clock support from a dedicated sales and finance operations team.

October 2011 - Feature

Mobile Tools Migrating Into Sales and F&I Processes

The pace of mobile technology adoption is quickening, and companies are lining up to help dealers transition to a mobile marketplace. Here’s a breakdown of seven solutions that are available now or will be in the near future.

October 2011 - Feature

2Q Analysis: Below-Prime Goes Prime Time

In the second quarter, finance sources continued their drive down into the high-risk credit tiers and consumers continued to pay on time. But the magazine’s resident finance insider wonders how long those trends can continue in this month’s review of quarterly auto finance trends.

October 2011 - Feature

Reorganizing the Desk

The desk can be critical to a dealership’s success, but overstepping its boundaries can leave a store vulnerable. The magazine’s F&I pro draws a line in the sand.

October 2011 - Cover Story

Setting the Pace

Meet the seven finalists for F&I Dealer of the Year, the winner of which will be profiled in the magazine’s November issue.

September 2011 - Cover Story

Down But Not Out

After nearly 20 years of steady growth, Easterns Automotive founder Robert Bassam almost lost it all. Learn how old friends and a new business model put his operation back on track.

September 2011 - Feature

Beware False Prophets of Profit

‘Da Man’ says it’s time for dealers to stop believing in the flawed logic that says it’s impossible to make a profit in today’s Internet age.

August 2011 - Feature

Buy-Sell Mistakes to Avoid

Before you think about selling or expanding your operation, check out this buy-sell primer for avoiding four possible landmines on the road to a sale.

August 2011 - Feature

To Charge or Not to Charge

Can you charge a customer’s down payment to a credit card? The magazine’s legal wiz says the answer has more to do with economics than the law of the land.

July 2011 - WebXclusive

Bubble Economics: Predicting the Used-Vehicle Correction

ALG’s Eric Lyman talks to the magazine about the potential pricing bubble looming over the used-vehicle market in this exclusive interview with F&I and Showroom magazine.

July 2011 - Feature

First Quarter Delivers Optimistic Outlook

Delinquencies and dollar volume of at-risk loans continued to fall in the first quarter, and auto finance sources responded, with shares of loans to credit-challenged buyers increasing by 11.1 percent. Experian Automotive’s director of automotive credit provides a snapshot of other auto finance trends from the quarter.

July 2011 - Feature

Alphera Wants to Make Auto Loans as a Captive

Alphera Financial Services is feeling a little freer these days. In fact, according to the company’s top exec, becoming a captive is a real possibility for the five-year-old company.

July 2011 - Feature

A New Lease on Profits

By all accounts, leasing is back, but that doesn’t mean your F&I profits have to suffer. F&I trainer breaks down a process for making leasing a win-win for the finance office and the dealership.

July 2011 - Feature

More Questions than Answers as CFPB Gets Set to Go Live

The leadership may still be up for grabs at the CFPB, but the newly formed consumer watchdog agency will hit the ground running on July 21.

July 2011 - Cover Story

Dealer Eliminates BDC, Creates Hybrid Department

Eliminating the business development center could be the death knell for any dealership in today’s Internet age, but not for Honda of Tenafly. In fact, it’s had the opposite effect.

June 2011 - Feature

Make the Most From the Leased

The magazine’s 2010 F&I Dealer of the Year opens its playbook to reveal six tried-and-true products that make for great lease add-ons.

June 2011 - Feature

Cloudy Outlook: Market Insiders Offer Their Prediction for 2011

The industry is facing another possible crisis, but nobody seems to be in panic mode just yet.

May 2011 - Feature

Rethinking Leasing

What if there was an F&I product on your menu that could guarantee the trade-in value of your customer’s vehicle? Leasing expert breaks down the fundamentals of this often-overlooked option.

May 2011 - Cover Story

Checks and Balances

As the finance director and compliance officer for three stores, Charlene Burch-Heinzig has helped keep her group on the road to success.

April 2011 - Feature

Fourth-Quarter Push

April 2011 - Feature

Money for Nothing, Leads for Free

March 2011 - Feature

Ready to Charge Ahead

It’s clear that lenders and dealers are feeling good about the road ahead. The two sides met at the 2011 Vehicle Finance Conference to reaffirm the importance of their relationship.