In another sign repossession volumes could be softening, the American Bankers Association discovered that consumer delinquencies fell in all 11 loan categories the association tracks — including auto loans. According to the fourth quarter Consumer Credit Delinquency Bulletin, the composite ratio — which tracks delinquencies in eight closed-end installment loan categories — fell 10 basis […] [Read More]

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently released a bulletin clarifying that financial institutions under federal supervision may be held responsible for the actions of the companies with which they contract — including operators such as skip-tracers and repossession agencies. The CFPB said it will take a close look at service providers’ interactions with consumers and […] [Read More]

Leaders from both the National Automobile Dealers Association and American Truck Dealers are asking members to take part in NADA’s new Dealership Workforce Study that will analyze employee compensation, benefits, turnover and other data. NADA and ATD member dealers have until May 2 to share their feedback, and the association emphasized there is no cost […] [Read More]

When Harris Interactive released the results of its 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend study recently, one particular European car brand celebrated its second straight year claiming top honors among luxury automakers, while a Japanese brand displaced a Big 3 rival atop the rankings of full-line automakers. Winning the Luxury Automotive category this year was Mercedes-Benz, while […] [Read More]

On tap for tomorrow, the American International Automobile Dealers Association will be addressing ways dealers can cut down on energy and maintenance costs of a rooftop during a free Webinar. The session will focus on what the AIADA contends is one of the most “expensive” energy costs of a dealership: lot lights. The 30-minute Webinar, […] [Read More]

Cars.com has predicted that the 2013 Nissan Altima may surpass the Toyota Camry for a title the latter has held for the past 10 years. The site’s analysts noted they are expecting a significant increase in sales for the newly redesigned Altima, which could result in the unit being named the best-selling sedan in the […] [Read More]

Kelly Blue Book is cautioning dealers during the months ahead to watch out and make sure they don’t “overpay” for fuel-efficient vehicles running through the auction lanes. Though high fuel prices have made these compact and subcompact gas sippers a hot seller and an attractive option for many consumers, Kbb.com contends “with so many new […] [Read More]

On Monday, Mercedes-Benz USA appointed a new general manager of pre-owned and fleet operations to replace Bart Herring, who has been named general manager of product management. Promoted to the pre-owned/fleet position is Mark Webster, who will step into this role on May 1. His most recent post was as the company’s area manager for […] [Read More]

TrueCar.com’s newest study examined gender differences in vehicle buying based on more than nine million retail purchases in 2011. As dealers might have suspected, analysts discovered men prefer flashy or brawny vehicles while women prefer import brands and smaller vehicles. “While gender preferences amongst the buyers of various automotive brands still exists, the gap is […] [Read More]

General Motors turned to someone with a military background to be its first chief diversity officer. Accepting the role Monday was Capt. Kenneth Barrett, who retired from the U.S. Navy. “Diversity is and has been a key component of our success including diversity of work force and diversity of customer base — it can only […] [Read More]