Tag Archives: recession

November Auto Sales Surge, Set Up Strong End to 2012

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November might have gotten off on the wrong foot with Hurricane Sandy and Nor’easter, but it ended with a bang, bringing in bigger sales and shocking auto industry analysts.

Overall, auto sales in the United States were up 15 percent in November to 1.14 million, and the annualized industry sales rate was 15.56 million compared to 13.6 million last November. As predicted, many of the car shoppers who were planning to buy their car in October but were prevented by weather conditions still made their way back to dealerships in November.

Some of the big winners of November were Honda with sales up 39 percent, BMW up 45 percent, VW up 29 percent, and Toyota up 17 percent. Honda’s Executive Vice President of Sales John Mendel called November’s numbers “a true sign that our business has recovered” and predicted that they would see a “strong finish” in 2012.

Going into the last month of 2012, dealerships have the potential to move a lot of inventory and post record sales numbers, and Special Finance Group can help your dealership bring in even more business with its Complete Special Finance Solution. A highly-trained telemarketing staff, better leads, and social media outreach to find more potential customers; these are only some of the tools available to Special Finance Group’s associated dealerships. To learn more about Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution, click here or go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com.

Want to learn more about Special Finance Group? You can like Special Finance Group on Facebook, follow Special Finance Group on Twitter, and connect with Special Finance Group on LinkedIn!

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Auto Industry: How Did Hurricane Sandy Affect Sales Numbers?

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November is reaching an end, and auto industry analysts are looking back at Hurricane Sandy’s effect on sales in the final days of October and determining if there even was a negative or positive effect on sales numbers.

As surprising as it is, the industry as a whole still posted a very strong October, even as many dealerships had to close their doors for days or weeks. Sales from earlier in the month and from other areas of the country were strong enough to make October 2012 the best October since before the recession. Volkswagen posted a 22 percent year-over-year gain, and Chrysler, Toyota, and GM had 10 percent, 16 percent, and 5 percent gains respectively.

Industry analysts have estimated that the storm delayed tens of thousands of sales, which sounds like bad news at first. They predicted, however, that these auto sales will still happen in the coming months, and after the storm, there will be even more potential car buyers as many people are replacing their damaged or lost cars after the storm. In other words, the auto industry might have seen a short-term set-back with the storm, but it will not slow down the upward sales trend in 2012.

Could your dealership be bringing in more sales, particularly with sub-prime credit customers? Go to www.specialfinancegroup.com and learn more about the Complete Special Finance Solution! Also, get the latest news from Special Finance Group by liking Special Finance Group on Facebook, following Special Finance Group on Twitter, and checking out Special Finance Group on LinkedIn!

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1 in 4 Auto Loans in 2012 Were Subprime

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A new study released earlier this month showed that 1 in 4 new auto loans in 2012 were obtained by consumers with subprime credit.

The findings, which were released by Experian Automotive, showed that 25.41 percent of consumers who got auto loans in 2012 had challenged credit. Meanwhile, consumers applying for auto loans for a new car on average were approved for $474 more than in 2011, and consumers applying for auto loans for a used car on average were approved for $370 more. Surprisingly, monthly payments stayed about the same for both new and used car loans.

Dealerships that are not promoting a special finance department are missing out on a huge segment of potential customers. Over a quarter of approved auto loans went to subprime credit consumers, and probably more loans could have been approved if dealerships were bringing in more subprime credit clientele. This is why Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution is so important. We have years of experience working with dealerships, and we’ve seen our dealerships bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional revenue every month and additionally strengthen their parts and service departments.

We like to use the analogy of a pie. One piece is the sales, one piece is service, one piece is parts, and one piece is special finance. In our mind, special finance is not an afterthought for a successful dealership. Without a strong special finance department, a giant piece of the pie is missing, and that dealership will never realize its full potential.

You can learn more about the Complete Special Finance Solution by going to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com. Also, be sure to connect with us by liking Special Finance Group on Facebook, following Special Finance Group on Twitter, and connecting to Special Finance Group on LinkedIn.

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NBC: Auto Industry Is “Little Engine That Could” In Recovering Economy

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Looking at America’s current economic situation, there are many industries that are still struggling for a comeback, but one industry is thriving in 2012 and is literally driving the economy.

2012 has been a good year for the auto industry. Sales are up, delinquencies are down, and auto loans are more accessible than ever. NBC’s Bottom Line praised the auto industry’s success and high sales in the United States despite the challenges facing the industry, and they dubbed the auto industry the “little engine that could” referring to the famous children’s book character. In the book, a long train of cars needs to be pulled over a mountain, and all of the big engines complain and refuse to pull it. When no one steps up, a little engine volunteers for the job, even as everyone around him says he can’t pull the train over the mountain. In the end, he beats the odds, and his mantra “I-think-I-can” turns into “I-thought-I-could.”

While praise is encouraging and can push people to work harder, it is better to be a big dog than an underdog. It is better for people to always expect great things than to be surprised when a dealership posts big profits. Do you want people to look at your dealership and think, I think they can, or do you want them to think, Of course they can? Part of becoming a “big dog” is utilizing a dealership to its fullest potential, and Special Finance Group can help a dealership realize that potential. With the Complete Special Finance Solution, a dealership can move more inventory, serve more customers, and bring in more customers to every other department including parts and service.

To learn more about Special Finance Group and the Complete Special Finance Solution, go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com. You can also connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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Credit, Auto Sales Top Last Year’s Customer Complaints

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What are the two biggest customer complaints of last year? One might guess landlord disputes, billing issues, or false advertising, but in actuality, customers’ top complaints were regarding car sales/repairs and credit/lending problems.

Car dealerships, especially those dealing with subprime auto loans, should be concerned about these complaints. After all, their day-to-day work encompasses both credit and auto sales. They are extremely vulnerable to customer complaints, even if they are doing a great job.

Why do customers complain more about car sales and credit-related issues? Well, our culture has been hardened and skeptical of car salesman, and time and again the credit reporting industry has confused consumers and punished them for not understanding their credit health. People come into a dealership with ammunition, ready to go to battle with the sales person, and if they don’t get a premium interest rate, they sometimes take it personally. Why don’t they deserve a better rate? Why can’t they get the car they want? Will they ever have the chance to rebuild their credit history?

Dealerships in the Special Finance Group network have a definite advantage over other dealerships when it comes to subprime auto loans. First, Special Finance Group dealerships don’t have to spend hours every day calling leads and trying to get customers in the door. Instead, Special Finance Group’s call center contacts those leads and schedules appointments for potential customers. From the start, the customer feels like a priority before they even step in the door. The Special Finance Group representative builds a sense of excitement for the appointment, and rather than waiting around for a salesperson to notice them, the customer can go to their scheduled appointment and get on with their day. It makes the process easier and more pleasant for the customer, and it is more likely that the customer will have a positive experience buying a car, even if they have poor credit or no credit.

Want to learn more about the Complete Special Finance Solution? Go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com, and connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You can also contact Special Finance Group by phone at 212-239-7270 or by e-mail at info@specialfinancegroup.com.

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Wall Street Journal Calls 2012 “A Green Light for Car Loans”

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Last week, one of the nation’s most trusted sources of financial news said that now is the time for car buyers to say yes and get into that new or used car.

The Wall Street Journal’s article “A Green Light for Car Loans” laid out all the reasons why there has never been a better time for consumers to buy and dealers to sell, even if the car buyer has poor credit. Most lenders have changed their auto loan standards to give consumers with poor credit the opportunity to re-establish their credit history and improve their credit score. Car buyers, including sub-prime borrowers, have returned the favor by keeping up with their payments, mainly because car repossession is easier than a home foreclosure or collecting on credit card debts. The U.S. chief executive at Toyota Motor Corp was happy with the trend, stating, “We are seeing more ‘subprime,’ which is good,” and Gary McAlister, general manager at the Fairway Ford Lincoln Subaru dealership in South Carolina, was pleased that “the credit issue has eased up.”

News stories like the Wall Street Journal’s recent piece are giving a push to consumers on the fence about buying a car, and the first place they go to look for a car or a car loan is the internet. Special Finance Group wants to help dealerships make the most of this extraordinary time by working tirelessly to match lenders with car buyers. With the Complete Special Finance Solution, dealerships in the Special Finance Group network get access to Special Finance Group’s online resources, their leads generated through internet advertising and social media outreach, and a call center full of highly trained customer service representatives whose sole task is setting up appointments for network dealerships. With Special Finance Group, dealerships can get more customers in the door and sell more cars without taking time away from the dealership or distracting the sales team from what they do best, which is selling cars.

You can learn more about the Complete Special Finance Solution here, and get the latest news and updates from Special Finance Group by liking Special Finance Group on Facebook, following Special Finance Group on Twitter, and connecting with Special Finance Group on LinkedIn.

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Subprime Loans Bring In High Profits for Car Dealerships, Low Delinquencies for Consumers

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Lenders might have shied away from customers with poor credit in recent years, but sub-prime auto loans are proving to be a great idea for American car buyers and dealerships alike.

According to Fitch Ratings, the U.S. auto loan market is continuing to thrive and improve, even as lenders are approving sub-prime credit clientele. There were less charge-offs and 30-day delinquencies in the second quarter, and overall, lenders had extremely low credit losses. Besides that, car sales have kept going up through the summer and are expected to hit their height of the year in August before plateauing in autumn. Now more than ever, dealerships can get more car buyers approved and move more of their inventory out the door, raking in massive profits.

Dealerships across the country are putting more time and money into their special finance department, but there is a downside to all of it. Unfortunately, many salespeople are spending their time calling auto loan leads and trying to get people in the door than they are actually selling cars. This is where Special Finance Group comes in. Special Finance Group supplements a dealership’s special finance department and gives the dealership more time to sell and less hassle getting people in the door. Dealerships in the Special Finance Group network have access to a call center that turns leads into car loan appointments as well as their own auto loan leads and targeted online advertising.

To learn more about Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution, go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com, and keep up with the latest from Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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Why Generation Y Isn’t Buying Cars (And How to Change It)

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Once upon a time, not that long ago, young drivers couldn’t wait to get their first car. They would anxiously await their 16th birthday, hoping for a car in the driveway with a giant bow so they could throw a tantrum because it was the wrong color. Nowadays, Generation Y is turning out to be significantly less interested in cars, and it is showing in car sales numbers. In 2001, car buyers under 35 made up 24.4 percent of sales, nearly a quarter of sales. In 2010, only 9 years later, that percentage has dropped by almost half to 12.7 percent.

Why aren’t young drivers buying new cars? Some people say that young people once used cars as a form of self-expression and individuality, but other outlets like Facebook and Twitter are a cheaper way to achieve that. Others point to the rising popularity of Zipcars or other car-sharing services, and they claim that car companies don’t know how to appeal to a young generation.

All of these opinions are almost completely wrong. Facebook is not stealing away car sales. Nobody ever got to work driving a Tweet, and if someone honestly believes that young people bought cars to express themselves, their opinion isn’t exactly well-informed. Having a means of transportation is a necessity, and blaming low car sales amongst young people on social media is laughable. Car-sharing is the only factor worth taking into consideration amongst these ideas, and car-sharing is certainly not the only reason why young drivers are not buying new cars. Young people are not buying new cars for the same reason why young people are renting instead of buying an apartment or house. Generation Y is still recovering from the toxic combination of a poor job market and student loan debt, and in their minds, buying a new car is a luxury, not a necessity.

How can dealerships get past a young driver’s hesitant nature and tap into this market? The answer is simple: used cars. Used cars are more economical and will not lose their value as quickly as new vehicles. If more dealerships encouraged young car shoppers to check out their lower-cost used inventory, they would move a lot more inventory and renew an interest in young drivers to stop by a dealership in the first place. Car dealerships don’t need to do battle with Facebook or do anything out of the ordinary. Young people still need cars, and dealerships can still sell cars so long as they understand the challenges facing Generation Y.

If your dealership is looking to attract more car buyers of all ages, learn more about Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution here. Also, you can learn more about Special Finance Group by liking Special Finance Group on Facebook, following Special Finance Group on Twitter, and following Special Finance Group on LinkedIn.

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Car Shopping for Credit Challenged Consumers Starts Online

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When people need answers for anything nowadays, they instantly go to the internet. If you aren’t sure about something, you Google it. If you are picking out a restaurant, you check out reviews on Yelp. It only makes sense that Internet shopping and research has become a large part of the car shopping process even before someone sets foot in a car dealership.

A new study by Redshift Research shows that consumers are even more dependent on the internet during the beginning stages of car shopping than many in the industry believed. Over a third of consumers check out car dealerships’ websites and research car makes and models online, and 18 percent spend time on car manufacturers’ websites. Chris Green of Motoring.co.uk, which sponsored the study, claims that engaging online customers is “the only way to win in this challenging market.”

While the study did not comment on sub-prime credit consumers, this target group is very likely to go to the internet first when looking for an auto loan. They know that they have poor credit, and they know that going to dealership after dealership and getting turned down will only serve to frustrate them and hurt their credit with numerous inquiries. By searching for dealerships willing to work with sub-prime clientele, they can cut down on their time hunting for a car and an auto loan.

The beauty of Special Finance Group is how they connect these online car shoppers with dealerships within their network, particularly customers with poor credit. Special Finance Group has a strong online presence through their website, their Facebook page, and numerous other social networking sites, and dealerships enrolled in Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution get connected with car shoppers ready and eager to buy, bringing in hundreds of thousands in additional sales.

You can learn more about Special Finance Group and what the Complete Special Finance Solution can do for you by checking out http://www.specialfinancegroup.com, liking Special Finance Group on Facebook, and following Special Finance Group on Twitter.

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Defaults Down for Auto Loans, New Yorkers

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In some good news for New York auto dealerships, loan defaults continued to drop in May down to a 1.03% default rate.

Loan defaults overall have dropped almost continuously in the past year, but auto loans in particular have hit record lows. Last month’s 1.03% rate was the lowest rate in 8 years, even as sub-prime loans were made more readily available to American consumers. Interestingly enough, the New York City area has also seen a drop in overall defaults from 1.94% in May 2011 down to 1.61% in May 2012.

These figures are very promising for car dealerships in the New York City area, especially those with a special finance department. Lenders are ready to work with car shoppers who don’t have great credit or even good credit. In return, consumers are repaying those loans and lowering the risk for car dealerships to keep working with consumers with low credit or no credit.

Is your dealership making the most of this perfect car buying climate? Special Finance Group wants to improve and supplement your dealership with our Complete Special Finance Solution which includes two in-house special finance experts, access to our fully-staffed business development center, and much more. To learn more about the Complete Special Finance Solution and what Special Finance Group can do for you, go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com. Also, you can find the latest news from Special Finance Group online by liking Special Finance Group on Facebook and following Special Finance Group on Twitter.

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