Triggered in part by the performance of vehicle financing, TransUnion’s Credit Risk Index — a measure of aggregate credit risk in the nation — dropped at the conclusion of 2013 to its lowest level since 2005. Analysts determined the Credit ... [Read More]

I had a fascinating conversation the other day with Pete Radike, director of product management for Fiserv, a Wisconsin-based company that processes and services vehicle leases and loans on behalf of captive and indirect lender partners. I’d called him after ... [Read More]

Fitch Ratings recently reported that normalizing underwriting terms for U.S. auto loans and leases contributed to a modest deterioration in asset quality metrics during the fourth quarter. Still, firm analysts believe finance companies remain focused on emerging risks tied to ... [Read More]

From captive finance companies to one-lot buy-here, pay-here dealers, the entire industry is seeing a shift to a ‘new normal,’ which includes smaller down payments, longer terms and negative equity being rolled into a larger financed amount. While metal is ... [Read More]

Finance companies still aren’t shying away from giving contracts to subprime consumers based on the fourth-quarter information from Experian Automotive. According to its latest State of the Automotive Finance Market report, Experian highlighted today that financing became easier to obtain ... [Read More]

Officials highlighted that independent dealers using Frazer management software and offering Preferred Warranties extended service contracts for pre-owned vehicles can now import data from their DMS directly into Preferred’s eContract portal. Preferred’s proprietary eContract program can allow dealers to instantly ... [Read More]

Moody’s Analytics and Equifax are uniting to host a free webinar aimed at answering a pair of questions. Loan originations in automotive are leading the credit rebound, but which lenders are at the forefront and which consumers are they targeting? ... [Read More]

Dealertrack Technologies today announced the completion of its acquisition of Dealer.com, a provider of comprehensive digital marketing solutions and services for the automotive retail industry. Rick Gibbs, former chief executive officer of Dealer.com and one of its co-founders, will lead ... [Read More]

During the same week the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau “strongly urged” companies to make credit scores more readily available, a bill passed through the U.S. House aimed at limiting the authority of the bureau, which the measure’s author called, “a ... [Read More]

If the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau gets it way, potential buyers who have a credit card account will already know their credit score before they walk on the lot or enter the F&I office looking to complete vehicle financing. On ... [Read More]