The automotive industry responding to the need for qualified service technicians continued this week with an automaker joining the effort. Volkswagen said it recognizes the need for vehicles to be in the hands of students to help educate and equip tomorrow’s technicians with the tools necessary for future employment. During the next few months, Volkswagen […] [Read More]

Lincoln is following the Blue Oval’s strategic path with Rivian, which continues to make headway with an array of noteworthy companies. This week, Lincoln announced that it is working together with Rivian to develop an all-new electric vehicle previously announced as part of Ford’s original investment in Rivian. Lincoln said in a news release that […] [Read More]

Swapalease.com reported that the approval rate for vehicle-lease credit applicants on its website finished 2019 at a strong pace. Site officials reported this week that the approval rate came in at 72%, marking a rise from the November rate of 67.1%. Swapalease.com found that December contained a slightly higher number of applicants with qualifications for […] [Read More]

AUL Corp. thinks so highly of chief information officer Jose Fleites that the F&I provider promoted him this week to a dual executive position. AUL president and chief executive officer Jimmy Atkinson appointed Fleites to the role of chief operating officer in addition to retaining his duties as CIO. According to a company announcement, Fleites […] [Read More]

Finance companies and other service providers involved with auto financing now have a bit more clarity about what the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau constitutes as abusive practices. Last week, the bureau issued a policy statement providing what the regulator called a “common-sense framework” on how it intends to apply the “abusiveness” standard in supervision and […] [Read More]

“Pfaff purchasing model seeks to ease buyer frustrations.” That was among the Auto Remarketing Canada headlines in September, as one of the most well-known dealer groups based in Toronto announced a brand new approach to its purchasing model. Auto Remarketing Canada checked back in with Pfaff Automotive president and chief executive Chris Pfaff in November […] [Read More]

Now that the IRS is processing tax returns, the Federal Trade Commission is ramping up its assistance and educational efforts in conjunction with Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week, which runs from Feb. 3-7. In an effort to help both consumers and small businesses like independent and buy-here, pay-here dealerships, the FTC is co-hosting a series […] [Read More]

How do dealers track walk-in traffic? Well, to many, it may be more obvious and seem more beneficial to focus on tracking click rates and website visits these days. But according to auto marketing industry veteran Miranda Pyette, that may not always be the case. Pyette’s company, Miranda Pyette Automotive, recently purchased the Australian company […] [Read More]

Earlier this month, the American Bankers Association Economic Advisory Committee projected that the Federal Reserve wouldn’t adjust interest rates. Thus far, the forecast from that collection of 15 bank economists is holding true as the Federal Open Market Committee voted unanimously to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 1.50% to 1.75%. […] [Read More]

Big news in automotive buy-sell, M&A and investment continues to dominate January headlines, as the nation’s largest used-car retailer is now investing in one of the auto industry's major research websites.   CarMax announced Wednesday it has invested $50 million in Edmunds and is obtaining a minority stake in the company, while also partnering with Edmunds.  […] [Read More]