NADA Report: F&I Income Up 15 Percent Over 2010
Aftermarket income rose in 2010 with a 15 percent increase in F&I dollars and a 7 percent increase in service contract dollars from 2009, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association's 2011 NADA Data report.
With gross margin on the sale and new vehicles still hovering below 5 percent last year, dealers continued to look to the F&I office to make up for lost profits, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association's 2011 NADA Data report.
Aftermarket income rose in 2010, with a 15 percent lift in F&I dollars and a 7 percent increase in service contract dollars from 2009. Penetration rates on service contracts also picked up last year after rates dropped to a four-year low.
"The ability to obtain finance for customers improved, too," the report stated. "A renewed focus on F&I, resulting in higher finance penetration rates for both new and used units, and a greater emphasis on customer understanding and satisfaction in F&I yielded better performance."
More Auto Finance

Interest Rates Further Squeeze Auto Consumers
Last month’s hike and a potential second increase this month add to a growing list of inflation woes that could continue to dent overall car sales.
Read More →
Mind Your Process
Consistent steps taken in various aspects of the F&I office can make valuable differences over time, similar to an outline for a best-selling book.
Read More →
Top Five Credit Application Fraud Flags
Compliance audits regularly reveal bad habits that can lead to fraud charges and should have been stamped out decades ago.
Read More →
More Auto Loans for the Taking in August
Riskier categories were on the uptick for the month as lenders loosened access in several areas while balancing out the exposure in another, Cox Automotive reported.
Read More →
July Was Hot for Auto Borrowers
Credit proved readily available for many, but most loans left buyers in negative territory, Cox Automotive said.
Read More →
Dealer Lender Preferences Revealed
When lenders provide consistent, fast service, their overall satisfaction scores with dealers greatly improve, according to JD Power research.
Read More →
Auto Refi Savings Surge
Consumers with 84-month auto loan terms who refinanced saved the most on monthly payments, according to a new report by auto refinancing provider Caribou.
Read More →
Subaru Enters Lending Business
The automaker follows other brands in adding captive financing in the U.S., and says the move will strengthen its position here.
Read More →
Positive Equity Reaches Record High
Mainstream vehicle owners who bought a car seven years ago are likely to have positive equity when trading in for a new vehicle, according to second-quarter Edmunds data.
Read More →
Dealerships Are Paying the Price for Extended Car Loans
Growing negative-equity scenarios mean such lengthy terms should be addressed in a forward-looking way to make them work for the dealer and the consumer down the road.
Read More →