Categories
Compliance F&I

Control is an Advantage with Non-Interest Income

Karen Klees, Certified Consumer Credit Compliance Professional

 

Contributing Author: Karen Klees, Certified Consumer Credit Compliance Professional, EFG Companies

In a new world order of uber-competitive interest rates and shrinking profit margins, a significant number of lenders are supplementing revenues by promoting and marketing privately-labeled consumer protection products.  While still reeling from the implementation of formal compliance processes relative to financing, discussion has grown louder regarding FTC and CFPB involvement in the oversight of the sale of F&I products.

There are many elements to consider as you review your current policies and procedures for your existing product offerings.  On a positive note, having a suite of private-labeled products provides the ultimate control in pricing (and profit), and significantly more control in making sure your product offering passes the litmus test from a consumer perspective.

This being said, applying compliance standards and scrutiny to the partners you have chosen to be a third party administrator or insurer is growing in importance.  A recommended starting point, as you evaluate or re-evaluate product offering, is to ask a simple question:  Does the product’s benefits fulfill a real and mathematically calculable customer need (or have risk)?

Categories
Compliance

2015 Compliance 101

Karen Klees, Certified Consumer Credit Compliance Professional

 

Contributing Author: Karen Klees, Certified Consumer Credit Compliance Professional, EFG Companies

2015 is here and the CFPB is keeping up the pressure on compliance regulation. Everyone is wondering what the year will look like. Will more lenders implement flat rates? Will the CFPB find a way to extend their influence into the F&I space? Will Congress step in and impose restrictions on the CFPB? With so much up in the air, dealerships and lenders alike are waiting with baited breath to see what 2015 has in store.

As your new year’s resolution, focus on and hone your lending institutions operations by focusing on the following:

  • Developing a robust compliance management system;
  • Managing complaints; and,
  • Understand the role your vendors play in compliance.