Brain+Trust, a provider of data and compliance services in automotive and other industries, has joined automotive information technology standards organization Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail. In a news release, STAR said Brain+Trust, which specializes in data management, data privacy, regulatory compliance, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and future readiness, brings more than 100 years of combined […] [Read More]

J.D. Power has closed the deal on its acquisition of Autovista Group, a provider of automotive data, analytics and industry insights, opening the door for its move into Europe and Australia. In a news release, J.D. Power said the transaction will integrate Autovista’s data sets, insights and industry expertise with J.D. Power’s predictive analytics, valuation […] [Read More]

As the company pledged to do when releasing some initial findings late in January, Open Lending Corp. pushed out its entire 2024 Vehicle Accessibility Report this week. The report aims to illustrate how traditional underwriting practices have alienated and excluded many creditworthy near- and non-prime consumers, providing insights to help automotive finance companies offer reasonable […] [Read More]

Twin sisters Tracie Lane and Molly Johnson established Washington State Titling Services almost a year ago because of the challenges they experienced working at dealerships in the Northwest. This week, the pair said their sister company — the Title Twins — gained access through West Virginia’s Clearinghouse to broaden capabilities in the vehicle and vessel […] [Read More]

CarGurus has gone all in on CarOffer, closing its deal to take over 100% ownership of the digital wholesale platform in December. But, the company said in its fourth-quarter 2023 earnings call, getting a return on that investment is going to take time. CarGurus’ digital wholesale operation recorded ... [Read More]

Sometimes a trend surfaces in the car business that’s “natural,” like what Experian noticed after compiling its auto finance data for the fourth quarter. According to Experian’s State of the Automotive Finance Market Report released on Thursday, the average interest rate for new-vehicle financing reached 7.2% in Q4, up from 6.1% a year ago. Meanwhile, […] [Read More]

The Colorado Automobile Dealers Association has partnered with inSearchX’s AskOtto.AI generative artificial intelligence platform for its 2024 Denver Auto Show, coming up April 4-7 at the Colorado Convention Center. The collaboration is designed to strengthen auto buyer engagement and accelerate auto purchases, providing personalized vehicle recommendations, proprietary car analyses and access to vehicle services such […] [Read More]

Wholesale vehicle price declines in Canada eased a bit last week, dropping by an average of 0.39%, following a 0.55% decline the prior week, according to the latest analysis from Canadian Black Book. The CBB report shows car prices dropping by 0.55%, while the truck/SUV segment prices decreased by 0.24%. The trend since the year […] [Read More]

Continuing efforts to combat rising vehicle theft rates, the government of Canada is investing $15 million to support law enforcement agencies fighting the growing crime rates. Members of the government, including Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, democratic institutions and intergovernmental affairs, as well as reps from the Montreal Police Service gathered last week to […] [Read More]

The vast majority of car buyers say the dealership experience affected their decision to buy and made them feel confident in their choice, according to a survey by experience agency ChangeUp. The company’s report, “Why the Dealership Experience Still Matters,” showed 84% of the more than 1,200 recent car purchasers surveyed agreed that their dealership […] [Read More]