Bianca Chan

Lenders dip down credit spectrum, boost originations in 2Q

As auto lenders opened their books of business to borrowers further down the credit spectrum, total auto debt increased 4.8% year over year to a record $1.3 trillion, according to the New York Federal Reserve Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit.  The report, which uses data from Equifax, showed that auto debt from loans […]

• Bianca Chan
• August 16, 2019
• Credit Performance

Citizens One, VW Credit top dealer satisfaction survey

As vehicle sales slow and consumers look to secure financing outside the dealership, lenders’ credit analysts and sales reps are becoming critical elements in a smooth auto finance operation. That’s what the latest J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Dealer Financing Satisfaction Study found based on results from 16,800 retail credit and 2,100 floorplan provider evaluations from […]

• Bianca Chan
• August 15, 2019
• Customer Experience

Carvana ramps up car-buying business

Carvana is allocating more marketing dollars and technological capabilities to the company’s business of buying cars, something Chief Executive Ernie Garcia called “a significant fundamental step toward achieving our long-term goals.” As the company continues to expand geographically, light inventory has been a “pinch point” for Carvana, Garcia said in the company’s second-quarter earnings call […]

• Bianca Chan
• August 14, 2019
• Customer Experience, Sales & Marketing

CarLabs readies phase 2 of AI-chatbot for Kia Motors Finance

Kia Motors Finance customers will be able to make account-specific queries online as soon as the first quarter of 2020, CarLabs.AI Chief Executive Martin Schmitt told Auto Finance News. The AI-chatbot developer integrated a navigational chatbot onto the captive’s website in April, which directs customers to the right resource and answers questions such as, “When […]

• Bianca Chan
• August 13, 2019
• Customer Experience, Exclusive, Innovation & Technology

Fair eyes new debt funding

Fair is in discussion with a "major global financial institution" for as much as $500 million of debt funding, Co-Founder Georg Bauer told Auto Finance News. To date, the 3-year-old vehicle subscription company has raised $1.5 billion in funding over nine rounds. "Once this [funding] is closed, we are picking up our work with the […]

• Bianca Chan
• August 12, 2019
• Capital Markets, Exclusive, Innovation & Technology

Aussie fintech to enter US auto market

On the heels of growing its Canadian presence, Australian startup CarDeals2Me is in the “final stages” of preparations for a U.S. rollout, Chief Executive Shaun Sumaru told Auto Finance News. The 2-year-old company will start testing a new product in the U.S. next quarter that enables consumers to complete the vehicle purchase and finance process […]

• Bianca Chan
• August 9, 2019
• Customer Experience, Exclusive, Innovation & Technology, Sales & Marketing

Westlake likely to take over SNAAC servicing

Westlake Portfolio Management will likely be tapped to handle servicing for Security National Automotive Acceptance Co.’s portfolio, Auto Finance News has learned. SNAAC announced yesterday that it will shutter operations this month. No firm details were given regarding the third-party servicer, but Westlake Portfolio Management has been ramping up business, reaching more than $500 million […]

• Bianca Chan
• August 8, 2019
• Exclusive, Operations

Carvana, HCA, Tricolor to explore AI at AFS

Three tech heavyweights from Carvana, Hyundai Capital America and Tricolor Auto Acceptance will take the stage at Auto Finance Summit 2019 to discuss innovative applications for machine learning and artificial intelligence. The session is slated for Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 11:30 a.m. PT and the rest of the agenda can be found here. The 19th […]

• Bianca Chan
• August 8, 2019
• Innovation & Technology