The Association of Finance & Insurance Professionals is the sanctioning body for the F&I trade.
AFIP sets the standard for technical competence and ethical conduct in the United States and assists in other countries (including Canada and many in Europe, South and Central America) as needed.
AFIP certifies in-dealership financial services personnel and provides a host of compliance and best practices products.
The Association of Finance & Insurance Professionals was the vision of Laurie DiGiovanni, an F&I executive who saw a need for the F&I industry to govern their own business practices and have an active voice regarding the laws that were to impact and define them. She envisioned an organization that would educate F&I personnel, encourage and offer support for compliance initiatives, and advocate on behalf of dealers and the industry at large.
With Laurie’s direction, AFIP was founded in 1989 by Ford Motor Credit Company, GMAC, Bank of America, Dealer Based Services (the company that was owned at the time by AFIP’s current chairman, David Robertson), and many others. Laurie eventually handed the reigns over to industry veteran and long-time personal and industry supporter, David Robertson.
The AFIP Certification Program was created as a response to the barrage of changing regulations in the automobile finance industry.
AFIP began offering the state law module and the Walsh Institute for Ethical Behavior ethics module (in addition to the previous requirement to sign the Code of Ethics) in 2003.
In 2004, AFIP launched the Senior Certification Course (recasting the existing AFIP Certification Course as the Basic Certification Course), making the AFIP Certification Program the first and only legal and ethical training continuing education program for in-dealership financial services personnel in the US.
In 2007, AFIP launched the Enhanced AFIP Certification Program. The enhanced program features: the Carlaw F&I Legal Desk Book by the dealership lawyers at Hudson Cook in place of the old, bulky regulation-based text; an expanded multimedia set; course syllabus and study guide; online, on-demand testing at one of the hundreds of testing centers across the nation, and more!
AFIP launched the Master Certification Course in 2008 to act as the third tier in AFIP's program. Master candidates are expected to pass an expert level exam in order to complete their continuing education and receive certification.
In 2018, AFIP launched the Lifetime Master Certification Course. This is the final tier in the AFIP program. This certification was designed to keep members of the Association current and up-to-speed on new regulations, best practices, fines, laws, and new issues on the radar that F&I practitioners need to be aware of.
In 2020, AFIP announced it's partnership with Product Prep to offer the Compliance Prep program, their new monthly subscription offering.
In 2021, AFIP announced and launched the new AFIP LMS (Learning Management System). This new state-of-the-art LMS gives Association members access to enhanced program features: the electronic Carlaw F&I Legal Desk Book by the dealership lawyers at Hudson Cook; a new course syllabus and easy shorter study modules; online testing proctored from your home or office.
AFIP has a threefold mission:
to give a voice to the F&I practitioner;
to protect the interests of the F&I profession, F&I professionals and their customers;
and to support the companies that serve the F&I function.
Chairman
Shannon Robertson
Executive Director
Member Benefits President
Director of Finance
Tevis Grisso
Executive Vice President
Trey Vann
Sr. Account Executive
Jessica Urias
Director of Operations
Vicki Gleason
Journal/News Editor