Swapalease: March Approval Rates Exceed 70%
Approval rates on Swapalease’s online marketplace were up 4.8% in March, registering a 70.7% approval rate, the highest since October.

Lease takeover credit approval rates increased to nearly 71% in March. Analysts believe some lessees are using tax refund checks as down payments.
Photo by dference via Pixabay
CINCINNATI — Online car lease marketplace Swapalease.com reports credit applicants registered a 70.7% approval rate in March, a rise from the February rate of 65.9%.
A higher number of qualified applicants led to more lease takeover approvals, analysts said. Only 67.3% of lease applicants were approved in March 2018. March approval rates also were the strongest for the first quarter, having started at 67.5% in January, followed by a slight dip to 65.9% in February.
“We are impressed by the number of applicants looking to take over another person’s lease for the month of March, as well as the increase in lease approvals,” said Executive Vice President Scot Hall. “It is very likely that we saw more activity in March from people receiving their tax rebate checks and using them toward a lease in our marketplace, which in many cases avoids a down payment.”
More Auto Finance

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 →
Trade-Ins in Negative Equity Reach New Heights
As such trade-ins rise in frequency, so do monthly loan payment amounts and interest rates, according to second-quarter data compiled by Edmunds.
Read More →
Auto Credit Plentiful
June numbers show lenders are readily granting access, including to risky borrowers, as consumers leverage themselves to take on high prices.
Read More →
Automotive Consumers Sink Further in Debt
Most financing metrics hit records in the second quarter as more buyers locked themselves into long terms and high monthly payments.
Read More →
Porsche Financial Services Shifts Structure
After 36 years with Porsche, the Financial Services Chief Financial Officer Konrad Riedl is retiring, and the department is realigning its management structure.
Read More →
Tariffs Could Raise Insurance Premiums
As U.S. import tariffs affect repair costs, consumers might find it more affordable to replace a damaged vehicle, according to recent Insurify tariff analysis.
Read More →
Smaller Loans, Longer Terms
The youngest generation of car buyers is more likely to finance less expensive vehicles, more than half of generation Z consumers borrowing less than $25,000.
Read More →
New Cars a Tad More Affordable
May averages show that combined circumstances gave auto consumers slightly better buying power for the month, though average prices were up year-over-year.
Read More →
First-Quarter Sees Long Auto Loan Growth
Experian data show more consumers are tapping the method, along with refinancings, to afford buying. Meanwhile, subprime borrowers are getting more access.
Read More →
Mastering Credit Friction
In this video, Josh Krach explains how to turn credit friction into an advantage.
Read More →