Dealers are not feeling optimistic as the year finishes. Dealer sentiment in the fourth quarter dropped to the lowest level since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Cox Automotive Dealer Sentiment Index (CADSI) released Wednesday. Cox Automotive reported the current market index is below the threshold of 50, coming in at 43 […] [Read More]

Say you have a used-car shopper who is both price-conscious and cautiously approaching fuel efficiency. For an auto retailer, a plug-in hybrid may be the route to entice that consumer and help ease them into the alternative-fuel market, if data from CarMax is any indication. Amid high gas prices earlier this year, CarMax found that […] [Read More]

Some good news for dealers amid the holiday season: prices on wholesale vehicles continue to fall, and it's becoming slightly easier to get these cars on their lots than it was a year ago.  A least two industry indices measuring wholesale vehicle prices have reached their lowest levels in 15 months, respectively. Black Book’s Used […] [Read More]

GWC Warranty wanted to give dealers recommendations to develop new processes designed to increase customer satisfaction and build loyalty. So this week, the provider and administrator of automotive F&I products released a free eBook titled, “A Dealer’s Guide to Transparency in the Sales and F&I Process.” “Auto dealers have made great strides towards being more […] [Read More]

Ernst & Young (EY) recently announced the release of a new pulse poll examining technology leaders’ perspectives on the economic downturn heading into 2023. In October, EY surveyed 250 senior business leaders at U.S. technology companies to see how they are preparing for a potential recession. The poll uncovered that 74% of business leaders in […] [Read More]

Inovatec Systems now has some proof about its platform security. The provider of cloud-based software solutions for finance companies and other lenders announced on Tuesday that that its platform has obtained ISO 27001 certification of its information management system, ensuring that all data privacy and information security activities comply with strict ISO 27001 mandates. The […] [Read More]

Carputty, a fintech company out to modernize both auto financing and vehicle ownership, announced the closing of a $12.3 million Series A funding round. This raise, co-led by Fontinalis Partners and TTV Capital, brings Carputty’s total funding amount to $21.96 million. Additional investors include Porsche Ventures and Grand Ventures, as well as Kickstart Fund, who […] [Read More]

James Waldron recently recovered more than just a high-line Mercedes-Benz. The CEO of Texas-based 1st Adjusters helped to lead federal officials to quite a fraud scheme that included several other luxury vehicles. Advantage Automotive Analytics recapped the incident for SubPrime Auto Finance News after the risk mitigation company and GPS provider included Waldron in a […] [Read More]

Shifting consumer trends are changing the way car dealerships do business in the 21st century. As more consumers buy cars online, many dealerships are forced to compensate for thin profit margins, sometimes even by selling company land to make ends meet. These unique challenges underscore the growing need for industry-wide adaptation. The analog tools that […] [Read More]

Findings from the End of Year Car Shopping 2022 study from Cars.com indicate that buyers in the market for a vehicle are more likely to opt for new than used, but there was some good news for the pre-owned operations at dealerships. Namely, a good chunk of buyers plan to bring … [Read More]