IRVINE, Calif., and SANTA MONICA, Calif. — The fiscal cliff is all the talk in Washington, D.C., since lawmakers must decide if the Bush-era tax cuts and a 2-percentage point payroll tax deduction among other elements will be extended by Jan. 1. Kelley Blue Book did some calculations recently to find out exactly what these […] [Read More]

SARASOTA, Fla. — Leedom and Associates is closing out the year with one more event for training, networking and more  — the 2012 Buy-Here, Pay-Here Credit & Collections Conference. The conference that's scheduled to include skip-tracing expert Alex Price, AutoStar Solutions president and chief executive officer Allen Dobbins and others is set for Dec. 4–6 […] [Read More]

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — With Thanksgiving just around the corner, now is a good time for me to take a step back from politics and industry news, and focus instead on the larger picture. After all, dealers have a lot to be thankful for this year. Since the Great Recession began four years ago, our industry […] [Read More]

A deal long in the making has come to a close. Hertz Global Holdings announced this morning that it has successfully completed its previously announced acquisition of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group. As a result of the transaction, Dollar Thrifty has become a  wholly owned subsidiary of Hertz. [Read More]

In keeping with its goal of serving all professionals within the collateral recovery industry, Recovery Industry Services Co. formally introduced the Buy-Here, Pay-Here Collateral Recovery Certification Program. RISC said this comprehensive certification program has been endorsed by the National Alliance of Buy-Here, Pay-Here Dealers and is designed for BHPH stores that service their own in-house […] [Read More]

CarMax recently opened its first dealership in the Denver market, and the company said on its website that a second store in the area is “coming soon.” The newest addition is located at 2600 West 104th Avenue in Federal Heights, Colo. The store consists of more than 27,000 square feet, employing more than 65 associates […] [Read More]

Auto classifieds site KSL.com announced this week that it is linking Carfax Vehicle History Reports purchased by dealers to their listings on the website.  With dealers now able to offer KSL.com car shoppers free Carfax reports, they can help foster trust and convert shoppers into buyers, officials noted. [Read More]

To Lenny Checheris and company, it’s all about the “guests.” As general manager of Luther Bloomington Hyundai in Bloomington, Minn., Checheris says customer service is at the forefront of everything the dealership does, from its complimentary showroom snacks to text-message service appointments to its instant-answers live chat. “We all really work hard at the same […] [Read More]

After seeing considerable dips in prices in the past few months, adjustment rates in the lanes are slowing down, says Black Book’s  Ricky Beggs, and Hurricane Sandy may be behind the change. Beggs told Auto Remarketing, “We didn’t have any more adjustments this week over last week that were increases, but we had fewer overall […] [Read More]

KAR Auction Services said Monday that it is seeking amendments to its credit agreement, dated as of May 19 of last year. The company explained that amendments to the credit agreement would provide KAR with greater flexibility, including modifications to increase the amount of restricted payments that are, among other things, dividends, stock buybacks and […] [Read More]