HANOVER, Md. — More auto finance experts are set to be a part of the first in a series of upcoming roundtable discussions about consumer protection and more hosted by the Federal Trade Commission.

Officials have invited Tommy Moore, Jr., president and chief executive officer of First Investors Financial Services Group and president of the National Automotive Finance Association.

The NAF Association recapped these roundtables will be held around the country to gather information on consumers' experiences when buying or leasing vehicles. Officials think the roundtables will explore consumer protection issues related to the sale, financing and leasing of the consumer vehicles consumers most often use — cars, SUVs and light trucks.

FTC leaders also extended the opportunity to two Hudson Cook partners — Tom Hudson and Michael Benoit. Hudson is set to be part of a panel discussing how dealer financing operates, and Benoit is expected to contribute to a discussion of the use of GPS and starter-interrupt devices in vehicle finance.

This first roundtable is scheduled for April 12 at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit. Wayne State is the co-host of the event that's open to the public. 

Basically, federal officials are seeking to educate themselves on whether stricter guidelines should be instituted under the new Dodd-Frank Financial Reform act, which will also create a Consumer Protection Bureau.

In a statement released by the FTC, the Fed explains, "With prices averaging more than $28,000 for a new vehicle and $14,000 for a used vehicle from a dealer, most consumers seek to lease or finance the purchase of a new and used car. Financing obtained at a dealership may provide benefits for many consumers, such as convenience, special manufacturer-sponsored programs, access to a variety of banks and financial entities, or access to credit otherwise unavailable to a buyer.

"Dealer-arranged financing, however, can be a complicated, opaque process and could potentially involve unfair or deceptive practices," officials noted.