Dealer OPS & Leadership
U.S. Auto Loan Debt Hits a Record $1.69 Trillion
Key Takeaways: U.S. auto loan debt reached a record $1.69 trillion in Q1 2026, up 37% since 2018, driven by rising vehicle prices, elevated interest rates and loan terms stretching to unprecedented lengths. Nearly 1 in 4 new-vehicle buyers in Q2 2026 financed loans...
Why the Lump Sum Auto Protection Model Is Under Pressure and What Dealers Should Be Doing About It Now
It happened to software. Then music. Then television, fitness, meal delivery, and eventually to automobile ownership itself. The subscription model did not merely change how consumers paid for things. It changed what they expected from every purchasing relationship...
ASE Education Foundation Receives $25 Million Federal Grant to Put a New Generation of Service Technicians to Work
The four-year U.S. Department of Labor initiative pays for employers to hire and keep new auto, collision, and truck technicians — and gives the industry a proven way to grow the workforce.
The Invisible Tax on Dealership Advertising
For years, automotive retail has approached digital advertising as a volume game. The prevailing assumption has been that more traffic, more impressions and more leads naturally translate into more sales. However, as inventory costs rise, margins tighten and consumer...
F&I Fraud Starts Before the Paperwork Is Done
Every dealer knows the feeling. The credit application looks clean. The payoff checks out. Everything on paper points to a straightforward deal. Then someone pulls the title and the whole thing unravels. By the time this is spotted, it’s usually too late. The sales...
Beyond Clean Data: Why Model Validation Is the Real Test for AI in Auto Lending
Auto lenders today are now realizing that AI can speed up approvals and funding, sharpen fraud detection, and tighten compliance, provided the data feeding those models is clean, complete, and unbiased. That advice is sound, but it stops short of the real question...
Modernization Delays Are Becoming Competitive Liabilities
Something significant is already reshaping automotive finance, and the data is beginning to bring into focus what many lending professionals have been experiencing firsthand. A recent nationwide survey of lending professionals across banking, auto finance, and fintech...
How Auto Dealers Can Keep Their Advertising Fresh in the AI Era
There was a time when a well-produced TV ad gave a dealer a real edge. Getting something that looked and sounded polished took budget, coordination, and some patience. Most dealers couldn't produce at scale. Those that could, stood out. That window has largely closed....
Why Great Dealership Products Die at the F&I Desk
F&I managers are among the most incentive-driven professionals in any industry. Their livelihoods are built on commission structure, and every minute they spend in the F&I office is a calculated decision about where to focus attention. When a new product lands...
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