Rate, a fintech company in operation since 2000 and already involved in mortgage lending and digital financial services, entered auto financing on Wednesday in collaboration with Westlake Financial. The company launched Rate Auto Loans within the Rate App, expanding its digital platform beyond home financing and advancing its vision of delivering an all-in-one lending experience. […] [Read More]

Perhaps slowing sales is the only impediment for the ongoing digital evolution of automotive retailing and financing. The Q4 Auto Finance Digital Transformation Index from Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions showed digital adoption sustained an end-of-quarter dip in line with car sales, but the long-term trajectory of digital transformation remains robust. Despite this 4.64% quarterly dip […] [Read More]

F&I managers looking to polish their skills using the Reynolds and Reynolds docuPAD eContracting system can take advantage of an exclusive program now offered at the Automotive Training Academy by Assurant in Atlanta. Assurant expanded access for automotive professionals beyond the program’s original location in The Woodlands, Texas, where docuPAD has been part of the […] [Read More]

Vervent got some help with its successor servicing responsibilities for the majority of Tricolor Holdings’ approximately 100,000 subprime auto loans by announcing an expanded partnership with Quanta Credit Services on Tuesday. Vervent began taking on successor servicing chores last fall across the Tricolor auto finance portfolio following the company’s Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing in September. […] [Read More]

America’s Group has moved into another new state: Iowa. The company announced its first location in the Hawkeye State, acquiring Plaza Auto Auction in Mount Vernon. The auction, founded in 1963 by Bob and Norma Edleman, will now operate as America’s Auto Auction Iowa. It is one of the few remaining evening dealer-only sales in […] [Read More]

This week is National Vehicle Safety Recalls Week, and two companies are intent on delivering its message to check your vehicle for open recalls. BizzyCar, a recall management platform for dealerships, is encouraging drivers and dealerships to take action on the millions of recalls that remain unrepaired nationwide. According to BizzyCar’s 2025 recall analysis, 28.4 […] [Read More]

In today’s competitive automotive market, a dealership’s success isn’t solely measured by the number of vehicles sold. True long-term profitability lies in customer retention, and the service department is the linchpin of this strategy. With looming tariffs poised to impact the industry, building trust and fostering loyalty in the service lane has never been more […] [Read More]

Team Velocity is launching a new Apollo. The automotive digital retailing and integrated technology company announced a “major upgrade” to its Apollo AssistantAI, a move the company said strengthens its Apollo integrated digital retailing and website performance platform to help dealerships convert more website traffic into real sales and service opportunities. The upgraded AssistantAI, embedded […] [Read More]

In 2025, the automotive industry was defined by an in-progress recovery that was increasingly complicated by affordability hurdles and regulatory shifts. As we move into 2026, retail sales are expected to flatten, and likely even dip slightly, as higher expenses and costs drive increased focus on affordability. The retail landscape may be relatively steady, but […] [Read More]

Luke Godwin has his finger on the pulse of the independent used-car dealer. For starters, he’s a dealer himself as owner of Godwin Motors in Columbia, S.C. He’s also a consultant working with independent dealers and a frequent speaker at industry conferences and 20 groups, not to mention co-host of the popular Independent Dealer Podcast. […] [Read More]