F&I

While watched by the Financial Conduct Authority, finance and insurance still delivers welcome profit for car dealers. Debbie Kirlew reports

The Financial Conduct Authority wants to reduce the risks of finance promotions on social media. AM examines what it means for motor retailers' marketing.

Darren Mornin, Next Gear Capital managing director, discusses stock funding and how the business is working with retailers to expand their businesses

In this latest '5 Minutes With' interview, I ask Alphera Financial Services director Alex Royall about some of the work UK motor retail is doing ahead of changing FCA regulation, including affordability checking when a consumer wants to buy a car.

Experts point to some of the structural elements which could help make car dealerships more sustainable in tough economic conditions, from rates reviews and refinancing to tax reliefs.

Car finance sales opportunities remain for motor retailers despite tougher economic conditions, new business models and the upcoming FCA Consumer Duty requirements

Digitalisation and flexible monthly payments or usership plans could pave the way for further innovation in the field of vehicle finance

Armed with the right motor finance solutions, dealers are well placed to help buyers into their next used car despite the storm of high vehicle prices, rising interest rates and squeezed budgets.

As the October 31 deadline for implementation plans for FCA Consumer Duty looms, compliance experts share their advice for UK motor retailers.

As consumers are coming under increasing financial strain from soaring inflation and the cost-of-living crisis, so car dealerships are stepping up to help them through these challenging times.

The role of the car dealership’s business manager is evolving – and digitalisation is playing its part in that change.

Car dealerships are facing a double whammy of rising overheads and diminishing consumer finances after the Bank of England (BoE) further increased interest rates this month to 1%.

AM-online examines the impact of technology and e-commerce on the traditional in-showroom process of providing point of sale motor finance

As Q1 draws to a close with what is likely to be a quieter than normal March plate change month, AM took a look at the new car finance offers being served up by some of the sector’s leading brands.

The future of franchised retailers’ motor finance FCA ruling on discretionary commissions has lead to greater transparency, but few dealers are reporting any noticeable variation to income as a result.

Independent used car dealerships and supermarkets have been best positioned to adapt to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rule banning discretionary commission models that was brought into force last January.

With December’s publication of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) second consultation on its new all-encompassing Consumer Duty protocols and the automotive retail sector now subject to commission disclosure regulations, motor finance has once again been reassessing how it operates.

As car retail sector experts predict that subscriptions could take over from PCPs as the most popular way to fund a private vehicle, AM compared Q4's offers to see how they compare.

Discounts on new car retail offers have dropped slightly by 1.9% quarter-on-quarter to £1,672 on average in Q4, according to the latest AM data.

Motor finance companies and car dealers have borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, but how well have they overcome the challenge of motorists' 1.8 million requests for finance forbearance.

Lenders and finance platform providers report increased online vehicle financing activity, albeit mixed with dealership interaction, although the trend is far more pronounced in used than new.

Six months on from the introduction of new Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulations, automotive retailers should be starting to see an impact on average commission levels as they adapt to a new way of working.

Bumper chief commercial officer Jack Allman speaks to AM editor Tim Rose about the aftersales finance provider's plans for 2021.

Coronavirus has driven an uplift in motor finance digital applications this year, but 2021 looks set to bring further effects for dealerships regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Here AM examines three key impacts.