The Federal Reserve board kept interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, halting a streak of 10 consecutive increases when policymakers had the opportunity. Cox Automotive chief economist Jonathan Smoke sees the Fed pushing rates higher again in July but doesn’t expect ... [Read More]

Zurich North America said it now is offering its F&I vehicle protection service contracts (VSCs) through Caramel, a digital checkout platform for independent dealers and private party buyers and sellers. The company highlighted through a news release that the move ... [Read More]

Cox Automotive reported that credit availability for auto finance recently dropped to a two-year low. And the April 2023 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices orchestrated by the Federal Reserve showed that level might stay there for ... [Read More]

There was dry humor but few dry eyes when the National Automotive Finance Association gave the first Jack Tracey Pinnacle Award to Tom Hudson last Thursday at the Non-Prime Auto Financing Conference in Plano, Texas. After playing a 10-minute tribute ... [Read More]

The American Recovery Association is seeking a new executive director. According to an industry message the organization sent last week, ARA highlighted eight characteristics it is looking for among potential candidates, including: —A self-starter with the ability to work independently ... [Read More]

The next opportunity for the Federal Reserve to modify interest rates arrives next Wednesday. Cox Automotive chief economist Jonathan Smoke recapped some of the most important information policymakers likely might consider when deciding whether or not to lift rates again, ... [Read More]

StoneEagle grew its operation on Monday. The orchestrator of administration systems for F&I product providers as well as metrics and menus solutions for dealers nationwide, announced the acquisition of Pencilwrench, whose technology can help technicians and service advisors write accurate, ... [Read More]

Late last week, Acrisure, which combines people and high tech to deliver an array of products including insurance, reinsurance and  cyberservices, announced the formation of the Acrisure Protection Group. The group is designed to be a full-service finance and insurance ... [Read More]

It’s not uncommon for consumers with softer credit scores to seek the longest contract terms possible to get a manageable monthly payment. Conversely, Experian is seeing consumers with strong credit scores ask for shorter terms to offset rising interest rates. ... [Read More]

Spot deliveries now are back on the radar of federal regulators. The Federal Trade Commission acknowledged on Wednesday and began the request for comment process involving a petition it again received from six consumer advocates to create regulation involving what ... [Read More]