With the staff at SubPrime Auto Finance News fresh for 2017, we gathered up some noteworthy announcements that arrived while we celebrated the close of a great year with family and friends.

Among some of the highlights that came during the past few days included an update on defaults, an acquisition by RouteOne and TransUnion settling with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in an agreement set to cost the credit bureau nearly $20 million.

First, here is the latest default information stemming out of the S&P/Experian Consumer Credit Default Indices generated by S&P Dow Jones Indices and Experian.

Data through November indicated auto financing defaults recorded a 1.00 percent default rate in November, down 8 basis points from October.

The auto finance default rate hasn’t been that low since last July when S&P and Experian pegged it at 0.93 percent.

Analysts determined the latest composite rate — a comprehensive measure of changes in consumer credit defaults — remained unchanged on a sequential basis as both the October and November readings stood at 0.87 percent.

First mortgages also came in flat in November, holding at 0.70 percent. S&P and Experian added the bank card default rate rose 5 basis points in November compared with from the previous month to settle at 2.81 percent.

S&P and Experian noticed three of the five major cities saw their default rates decrease in the month of November.

Dallas posted the largest decrease, reporting in at 0.66 percent, which was down 10 basis points from October.

New York saw its default rate decrease by 2 basis points to 0.91 percent in November, and Chicago reported a decrease to 0.96 percent, down 1 basis point from the previous month.

Los Angeles watched its default rate increase, up 8 basis points to 0.70 percent.

Miami's default rate spiked to 1.44 percent, up 38 basis points in November and setting a 12 month high. The default rate increase of 38 basis points is unmatched in Miami since January 2013.

David Blitzer, managing director and chairman of the index committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices. explained a historical review of Miami's basis points movement in November shows increases since 2005, suggesting a seasonal up-trend in defaults for the month of November.

“Recent data paint a picture of a strong economy, and lower consumer credit defaults reflect this,” Blitzer said. “Default rates are modestly lower than a year ago, even as continued strength in home sales, auto sales and retail sales are supporting expanded use of consumer credit.

“Money market rates rose after Election Day, the Fed raised the target range for the Fed funds rate (in December) and has indicated that further increases lie ahead. The favorable default trends are likely to be tested in 2017 as interest rates rise,” he continued.

Among the five cities regularly tracked in this report, Blitzer reiterated Miami has consistently shown the highest default rate.

“One factor may be that home prices rising in Miami and mortgages are the largest portion of the city composite rate,” he said. “While Dallas home prices are rising faster than Miami, Dallas prices fell far less in the housing bust and have rebounded to new all-time highs.

“Miami home prices remain more than 20 percent below the highs set in 2006,” Blitzer went on to say.

Jointly developed by S&P Indices and Experian, analysts noted the S&P/Experian Consumer Credit Default Indices are published monthly with the intent to accurately track the default experience of consumer balances in four key loan categories: auto, bankcard, first mortgage lien and second mortgage lien.

The indices are calculated based on data extracted from Experian’s consumer credit database. This database is populated with individual consumer loan and payment data submitted by lenders to Experian every month.

Experian’s base of data contributors includes leading banks and mortgage companies and covers approximately $11 trillion in outstanding loans sourced from 11,500 lenders.

TransUnion’s CFPB settlement tops $15M

TransUnion said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the credit bureau agreed to settle with the CFPB stemming from a civil investigative demand (CID) the regulator delivered back on Sept. 14, 2015.

TransUnion explained in the filing posted on Dec. 29 that that the CID was focused on common industry practices relating to the advertising, marketing and sale of consumer reports, credit scores or credit monitoring products to consumers by the company’s consumer interactive segment.

In connection with the agreed settlement, TransUnion indicated that it has executed and delivered a “stipulation and consent to the issuance of a consent order,” pursuant to which TransUnion will accept the issuance of a consent order by the CFPB requiring TransUnion to:

• Implement certain agreed practice changes in the way TransUnion advertises, markets and sells products and services offered directly to consumers, including more robust disclosures regarding the nature of the credit score being provided as well as confirming consumer consent if the product or service is being sold through the use of a negative option feature (such as a trial period becomes a recurring paid subscription unless the consumer affirmatively cancels their registration).

• Develop and submit to the CFPB for approval a comprehensive compliance plan detailing the steps for addressing each action required by the terms of the consent order and specific time frames and deadlines for implementation.

TransUnion acknowledged that it will incur a one-time charge of approximately $19.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2016, consisting of the following:

— Approximately $13.9 million for redress to eligible consumers.

— A civil money penalty to be paid to the CFPB in the amount of $3.0 million.

— Current estimate of $2.5 million for additional administrative, legal and compliance costs we will incur in connection with the settlement.

“The CFPB is expected to recommend the aforementioned settlement to the director for final approval,” TransUnion said in the filing signed by senior vice president Mick Forde about the agreement reached on Dec. 22.

RouteOne acquires MaximTrak

In a deal effective as of Dec. 20, RouteOne acquired the assets of MaximTrak and its related business in a move that means MaximTrak will operate through its wholly-owned subsidiary RouteOne Holdings. 

The company insisted the acquisition will bring together two long-time partners to deliver a seamless vehicle F&I sales process.

Executives explained the vehicle purchase process has undergone fundamental changes in recent years, and will continue to do so with increasingly rapid speed. Consumers and dealers alike expect consistency and seamless transition across all physical and digital sales channels. 

As a result, both RouteOne and MaximTrak have been pursuing aggressive strategies to innovate the sales process on behalf of their respective customers.  RouteOne and MaximTrak’s complementary strategies have now come together to deliver on the vision of a complete sales and F&I solution that meets OEM, dealer and consumer needs — any time, any place, and on any device.

While reiterating MaximTrak will be operated by RouteOne Holdings, a wholly-owned subsidiary of RouteOne, officials mentioned MaximTrak leadership and team members remain in place and continue to operate from the MaximTrak offices in Pennsylvania.

RouteOne and MaximTrak employ approximately 400 people with offices in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Canada, as well as local staff in major markets. Directly and through partnerships, RouteOne and MaximTrak have customers in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

“RouteOne has had a long and successful relationship with MaximTrak, and we share very similar cultures, values and DNA,” said RouteOne chief executive officer Justin Oesterle. “We are excited to have made this acquisition happen as we believe it creates significant value for all our customers at the OEM, finance source, provider, and dealer levels. 

“It also creates strategic and economic value for RouteOne’s owners: Ally, Ford Credit, TD and Toyota Financial, all of whom supported the investment,” Oesterle continued.

“I, and the entire RouteOne team welcome MaximTrak to the family.  We look forward to doing great things together for the industry,” he went on to say.

The companies added RouteOne and MaximTrak product integration began prior to the acquisition and will now be further developed and strengthened on an expedited basis.

MaximTrak was founded in 2003 by the Maxim family.

“The entire MaximTrak team is excited and energized by the growth opportunities that this transaction represents for our customers, employees and key stakeholders. Like RouteOne, MaximTrak is an established, innovative leader in the F&I space,” MaximTrak president Jim Maxim Jr. said.

 “Where RouteOne excels in the finance elements of F&I, we excel in the “I” side of the equation and in developing technologies that optimize the dealership process and ultimately dealer profitability through F&I product sales,” Maxim continued. “Together, with our combined scale, talents and product line-ups, we will be able to provide a complete digital workflow from initial customer contact and first pencil to finance, aftermarket and eContracting across online, mobile and in-store channels. 

“With that, our emphasis will be on helping our customers deliver a buying experience they control and one that consumers actually want,” he added.