Dominion Dealer Solutions has released a new equity alert tool that’s meant to further empower dealers to pull in-service customers into the buying market.   The company explained DealActivator can mine the store’s database for highly-qualified equity customers from sales and service, delivering data to the dealer daily.  Dealers can locate quality inventory at better prices, […] [Read More]

After revealing third quarter results that included double-digit increases in used sales, Lithia Motors announced late last week it has acquired a new Toyota store out West. The dealer group has bought Bitterroot Toyota, which is located in Missoula, Mont. The store will be renamed Lithia Toyota of Missoula, and will add $45 million in […] [Read More]

CHICAGO — A new TransUnion study found that people who monitor their own credit files open significantly more new auto loans and credit cards, and perform generally as well on those loans as consumers who do not monitor their own credit. The company's study determined that consumers who monitor their credit in any given credit […] [Read More]

NEW YORK — The most recent index results from Fitch Ratings indicated U.S. auto ABS loss rates rose 12 percent from levels seen in August, though performance was notably stronger in September than in past years to close out the third quarter. Despite the uptick in losses, analysts said September's low loss levels underscore the […] [Read More]

CARY, N.C. — As the October sales month winds down, used-car sales projections for the period are up. SubPrime Auto Finance News compiled the sale forecasts for October from TrueCar.com, Edmunds.com and CNW Research. While the numbers may vary, the experts agree that sales are headed in a positive direction.   TrueCar, in its October used-car […] [Read More]

ELIZABETH, N.J. — A new Arizona-based vendor screening company today launched what it's calling the first online compliance management system for the auto lending industry. Vendor Transparency Solutions explained that it developed an industry-specific, comprehensive, supplier screening solution designed to assist the lending community to reach the highest level of compliance. The tool is also […] [Read More]

The third quarter was strong for Lithia Motors in its used-car operations, but the dealer group has its sights set higher — and management says there’s some work left to do. The retailer has raised its monthly used-vehicle sales goal by 25 percent, and during Wednesday’s quarterly conference call, president and chief executive officer Bryan […] [Read More]

As Group 1 Automotive  posted record third-quarter net income as a company and watched its used-vehicle retail operations generate strong gains, too, president and chief executive officer Earl Hesterberg said he “wasn’t particularly happy” with the wholesale side of its performance. First reiterating the upbeat news, Group 1 reported record third-quarter net income of $31.3 […] [Read More]

Nowadays, a dealer can assume that most every customer that comes through the store’s doors has searched the Internet once or twice before deciding on a dealership to try out. But how and when are shoppers turning to search engines, dealership websites and third-party sites during the shopping process? A new white paper from AutoTrader.com […] [Read More]

Since the recession of 2008 — when many automakers were left with too many vehicles and not enough buyers — the industry remains wary of overproduction. And according to Black Book analysts, the industry may be heading toward an “over-production issue with smaller cars.” The company contends that though more manufacturers are producing a higher […] [Read More]