Categories
Business Growth

Pre-Qualification Boosts Car Loans

Earlier this year, used-car retailer CarMax launched a pre-qualification capability that reveals personalized financing terms, including the monthly payment and APR. This new online financing tool empowers customers to shop vehicles nationwide, with no impact to their credit score. Filters such as down payment, length of loan, and monthly payment can be adjusted, showing only those vehicles that meet their budget parameters. According to company executives, budget continues to be top of mind for consumers in the current economic environment of inflation and rising interest rates. CarMax intimated that conversion rates were very high for buyers utilizing the pre-qualification tool.

While online loan applications are nothing new, a pre-qualification tool that provides monthly payment options and APR without affecting the shopper’s credit score could be very valuable for your credit union. The bigger step is reaching customers and informing them about your tools before they start shopping for vehicles. Savvy CarMax leaders took a page from the marketing best practices playbook, with a press release, social media ads, and search optimization ads. End result? Increased loan volume, increased used car sales, and a bevy of data on consumer financial health to guide future pricing and loan rates.

Your credit union might already offer a quality pre-qualification tool, but how are you getting the message out?

Categories
Business Growth Economy

Putting Customers First to Increase Revenue

We are nearing the first full month with the new Administration and there has been a lot of activity from the White House. Vaccine distribution is rolling out, COVID-19 cases are trending down across much of the country, and Congress has a stimulus package to address. All of these actions bode well for the retail automotive industry. However, auto lenders have several other factors to consider going forward. The average interest rate on a five-year new car loan declined by 38 basis points, and the average four-year used car rate dropped 45 basis points during 2020 according to Bankrate.

Bankrate also predicts that new and used car interest rates will continue their downward trend.  With shrinking interest rates and reduced volume, what steps can your institution take to bolster its auto loan portfolios, especially when competing on a low interest rate is no longer enough to motivate potential buyers to choose your auto loan?

One option is actively promoting auto loan refinance options. Simply helping consumers save a dollar can increase your auto loan income exponentially in this hyper-competitive lending market.

Categories
Business Growth

Subprime Competition is Heating Up!

Eric Fruithandler, Senior Sales Executive, Specialty ChannelAccording to the latest data from Experian and Equifax, subprime market share increased 4.15 percent year-over-year, with independent auto financing capturing the majority of the market.

As the subprime market continues to expand, the industry has also seen more independent financing companies backed by private equity firms pop up. Competition is heating up and lenders are continuing to loosen their standards. While the experts at Equifax see this as a sign of “health” in the sector, many lenders see competition as another hurdle they must face in the quest to build loan volume.

So, how can lenders protect themselves from loss of marketshare?

If financial institutions continue to increase their loan cap which inconsequentially increases APR, eventually consumers will be unable to sustain the high loan payments that come with their new vehicle. In addition, not all lenders are willing to extend a $20,000+ loan to subprime consumers and compete on rate. Rather than falling into the trap of over-extending themselves, financial institutions are learning how to compete on the value of their loan.

In terms of being valuable to their dealership partners, this means:

  • providing accessible lending representatives during dealership hours;
  • having a quick turn-around on loan decisioning;
  • providing understandable guidelines on the types of consumers that are eligible for their loans;
  • implementing a quick and efficient funding process; and,
  • making the F&I manager’s job easier.

Seems pretty straightforward right? You’d be surprised at how many lenders struggle with consistency in these areas. While ease of access and clear guidelines are important in simplifying the F&I process, smart lenders understand that making their loan valuable to the consumer outside of pure APR can significantly alleviate the pressure on the F&I manager and increase the dealership’s PRU.

Of everyone in a dealership, the F&I manager has the toughest job. Consumers walking into the showroom are already interested in buying a car. Consumers in the service drive are there because they need service. For the most part, consumers in the F&I office never even thought about consumer protection products when contemplating the purchase of a vehicle. They walk through the door with defenses raised and skepticism turned on high.

Now imagine the F&I manager was equipped with a loan that provided the consumer complimentary consumer protection products, like a vehicle service contract. Instead of starting the conversation trying to overcome high consumer skepticism with a sales pitch, they are positioned as an advisor. As the F&I manager discusses the type of loan the consumer qualifies for, they have the easy transition into the F&I selling process as they explain all the benefits that come with the loan. At the conclusion, they can then ask if the consumer would like to extend the benefits to the full term of their loan. As you can imagine, this is a much easier sell.

In addition, the value that consumer protection products bring to the table assure the customer that both the dealership and the lender recognize the worth of their business no matter their financial position.  This significantly enhances both the financial institution and dealership’s brand in the eyes of consumers, resulting in increased customer loyalty and referrals. All of this, of course, means increased business and revenue for you and your dealership partners.

With over 37 years of experience in innovating agile consumer protection products that give our partners an edge in the market, EFG is your key to driving business and increasing loan volume. Contact us today to turn the heat up on results.