Over the Thanksgiving Holiday, my whole family got together at my sister’s house in coastal North Carolina for a multi-generational tradition: making Brunswick stew from scratch in a mammoth cast-iron pot (think witch’s cauldron).  The stew takes on a bold flavor, after more than half-dozen ingredients take on a full day of hot-coal smoke from […] [Read More]

Penske Automotive Group said Wednesday that its purchase of CarSense announced in December has officially closed. CarSense, a standalone used-car retailer whose no-haggle model focuses on late-model units. It has five stores throughout the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia metro areas, including southern New Jersey. “We are pleased to welcome the CarSense team to Penske Automotive Group, […] [Read More]

Wantalease.com reported on Wednesday that prices on most of today’s popular leases are increasing slightly entering January. However, analysts found there are 16 models still being offered for $199 monthly or less, and one unit still has a lease deal for less than $150 monthly. That’s for the Nissan Sentra SV at $139 per month. […] [Read More]

Risk management and training provider Recovery Industry Services Company (RISC) recently announced its 10th continuing education course is now available completely online with special 50-percent discount on registration. The latest course covers anti-corruption/bribery matters as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The material is designed to benefit professional recovery agents and recovery agency […] [Read More]

As part of its annual giving program, Sheehy Auto Stores announced on Wednesday that it donated $161,000 to 23 charities in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, Va. Each of the company’s dealerships partnered with various non-profit organizations located in the communities they serve. "Our employees and family of dealerships do much throughout the year in donating […] [Read More]

IHS Markit recognized auto manufacturers and brands for loyalty leadership at its 21st annual Automotive Loyalty Awards during the Automotive News World Congress on Tuesday night. General Motors received the evening’s top award, “Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer,” and winners in more than 30 categories were recognized, including Ford for “Overall Loyalty to Make.” ”We are proud […] [Read More]

When reading through an email message or some other kind of material, the voice of the person who compiled it will stream through my mind if I know the individual’s tone and delivery. Not sure if this phenomena happens to other people or if it’s just the condition I have after more than 40 years […] [Read More]

Announcements recently arrived involving PassTime GPS, Heritage Acceptance and Sword Apak. LEVERAGE, the service corporation of the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates (LSCU) that equips credit union partners with products and services to fulfill day-to-day needs, named PassTime GPS as its preferred GPS provider. Officials explained this technology can provide credit unions with […] [Read More]

Pearl Technology Holdings reported on Wednesday it has recently combined its equity calculator, VehicleXchange with its “buy direct from consumer” platform, Trade In Concierge. The unification of the two programs allows dealers to search vehicles they wish to buy directly from consumers by year, make, model and trim. “Buying inventory directly from consumers is the […] [Read More]

With vehicle shopper preference for SUVs and crossovers apparently strengthening and not waning, Cox Automotive chief economist Tom Webb is confident used-car managers should find higher amounts of those units flowing through the wholesale market this year, especially as off-lease models. It’s all part of the wholesale surge where Webb is expecting overall wholesale volume […] [Read More]