First ADCO Seminar Affirms Key Industry Need
COLLEYVILLE, TEXAS – March 31, 2019 – The Association of Dealership Compliance Officers (ADCO) hosted its first training seminar and certification March 24-27 in Dallas, Texas. The response to the event underscored the need for a single-point resource for dealership...
Kyle Van Boemel Receives $1,500 AFIP Scholarship
AFIP awarded Kyle Van Boemel, a Northwood University junior majoring in automotive marketing and management, the Jakob Murray Lange Memorial scholarship for his exemplary work as a dealership intern during the summer of 2018. Shannon Robertson, AFIP’s executive vice...
Northwood University and AFIP Announce Online Retail Automotive Executive MBA
MIDLAND, Mich. – The Richard DeVos Graduate School of Management at Northwood University, in collaboration with Association of Finance and Insurance Professionals’ Executive Director David Robertson, has announced it will be accepting students for a specialized Master...
Packing payments? …it’s still illegal
In deference to one of my oldest friends in the car business, Jim Ziegler, payment packing is illegal. And not just in California, where it’s prohibited by statute. The practice qualifies as an “unfair or deceptive act or practice” at the state level and an “unfair,...
Is there an MLA / GAP Workaround? …what about discrimination?
The Department of Defense’s interpretation of the Military Lending Act (MLA) in late 2017 set up seemingly insurmountable barriers to selling GAP to military personnel. The most obvious road block was the 36% MAPR ceiling and the requirement to include the...
Robertson Nominates Pat Ryan for Automotive Hall of Fame
The Department of Defense’s interpretation of the Military Lending Act (MLA) in late 2017 set up seemingly insurmountable barriers to selling GAP to military personnel. The most obvious road block was the 36% MAPR ceiling and the requirement to include the...
Pepe Auto Group Receives Culture of Compliance Award
Five years ago, AFIP executive director Dave Robertson set a goal of having Pat Ryan inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. Earlier this year, a post-NADA convention Automotive News article on Robertson’s quest prompted an invitation from the Hall for a...
GAP cannot be included in a RISC for military families, even if the MAPR is under 36%
White Plains, New York – August 29, 2018 – The Association of Finance & Insurance Professionals (AFIP) announced that Pepe Auto Group is the first New York state recipient of its new Culture of Compliance award. The award recognizes Pepe Auto Group’s...
Scam FTC emails carry malware!
For practical reasons, GAP cannot be financed in a retail installment sale contract (RISC) involving a buyer or co-buyer eligible for protection under the Military Lending Act (MLA), even if the creditor is willing to comply with MAPR disclosures and...
Changes to Credit Security Tools Impact F&I Process
DEALER ALERT! Scam FTC emails carry malware! Nefarious hackers never miss a beat. They seized on the FTC’s recent emphasis on establishing a formal mechanism for addressing customer complaints as a way to get past small business cybersecurity measures. The...
The Seven Deadly Sins of F&I
A recent amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act implements changes to the Initial Fraud Alert, extending its duration from 90 days to 1 year. Also, consumers now have the ability to freeze their credit at no cost. The changes were initiated by the new...
Notice to those completing the AFIP Certification Course
Current economic conditions and today’s litigious environment make paying close attention to regulatory compliance and best practices a must for dealers across the U.S. The following errors and bad practices are the seven most common reasons...
A Working Knowledge of the Laws and Working with the Laws Is Not the Same Thing
AFIP Certification On-line Training Now on LightSpeed AFIP is proud to announce our partnership with LightSpeed, a nationally recognized interactive virtual training system provider. LightSpeed now hosts the AFIP Certification Online Training...
Suspicious Activity Box Procedures
DEALER ALERT! Scam FTC emails carry malware! Nefarious hackers never miss a beat. They seized on the FTC’s recent emphasis on establishing a formal mechanism for addressing customer complaints as a way to get past small business cybersecurity measures. The...
CONGRATULATIONS ALEC BOND Jakob Murray Lange Northwood Scholarship WINNER!
Please note the following as it relates to the IRS 8300 procedures if the Suspicious Activity Box is checked – the form is being filed voluntarily. (The dollar amount received in cash and / or by a qualifying instrument(s) does not exceed...
The Best Gets Even Better June 1
The Jakob Murray Lange 2017 Northwood Scholarship recipient is Alec Bond. Alec, who hails from Linden, MI, is majoring in Automotive Marketing and Management. He completed an internship at Great Lakes Companies and Graff Chevrolet Okemos last...