The retail automotive market has found itself in an interesting situation. On one hand, retail sales are rebounding nicely, with strong price pressure coupled with continued low interest rates. On the other hand, all signs are pointing to an increased environment for regulatory scrutiny from an hyper-focused Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and various local officials.
New leadership within the CFPB has signaled through their rulemaking agenda that automotive lending practices will garner increased scrutiny. New legislative bodies within state and local governments in many areas have followed suit to respond to discriminatory lending practices and perceived predatory consumer behavior.
Couple this renewed regulatory interest and sales environment, with a host of new fraud and cybersecurity schemes that can trip up any company, no matter how big, and the situation gets even more convoluted.