The Road to ROI with F&I

There are several laws and regulations set by the federal and state governments to control automotive dealerships, and it can be stressful and straining for you to keep up with them all. You will not only be working on ensuring you keep up with all the required laws, but there is the challenge of knowing whether you are implementing them in a legally acceptable way. This is where compliance audits come in handy.

Nowadays, there are multiple state and federal regulations regarding automotive dealerships. These regulations' primary intent is to protect consumers as well as employees from unethical practices. 

You risk paying hefty fines and other consequences if you run afoul of these regulations, not to mention the damage to your reputation. Thus, the best thing to do is always ensure you maintain a dealership that adheres to state and federal regulations. Below are the top five ways of ensuring your dealership remains compliant.

Dealership compliance is a vital consideration, especially after the creation of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. It is your job to keep up with numerous regulations, from marketing to F&I and inventory. Although it seems like a lot of work, these five strategies can help keep your dealership compliant.

If you are running a dealership, you must have known by now that having a robust internal control environment is a crucial success factor in your business. With the proper internal controls and consistent audits, your organization cannot only achieve the set goals but also guaranteed operational efficiency and effectiveness.

DESIGNING A SUCCESSFUL F&I PROCESS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Having a well-established F&I department is one of the most important things for financial growth. Establishing strong profit centers within your organization helps you ensure that the purchase process is well monitored by scrutinizing the customer. Some of the ways that the F&I process helps dealerships are; access client credit reports, review credit application, and budget clients' credit reports and leases or loans within the set guidelines of financial institutions such as banks, financial companies, and lease companies. Conducting a successful F&I process plays an important role in client engagement and attracting prospects through the opening.

Top 10 Dealership Laws and Regulations

As we have already discussed, the automotive retail industry faces a complex challenge of complying with the stringent legislation as set by state and federal governments. Many dealerships have often fallen short of expertise, time, and workforce to uphold the mandatory requirements.

In part two of our article, we break down the regulatory language and jargon to help you understand what the federal and state is required of you.

Most automotive managers are so pre-occupied with bottom-line results (driving profits) above all else. And that's fair enough since today's auto retail industry is more competitive than ever. Nevertheless, the cowboy car dealer days are well over. 

In the automotive industry, laws and regulations are always being updated and changed. It’s essential to keep up on the latest information and news and also be consistent with Deal Audits. Here are a few tips to consider when needing to keep your dealership compliant.

For dealerships to be successful, they must stay compliant with the latest state and federal regulations. By implementing an internal audit plan, you will employ the routine checks and balances your dealership needs for compliance.

Unfortunately, fraud does occur within automotive dealerships. By committing to a routine system of checks and balances, you will also strengthen your dealership against internal fraudulent activity. You will also feel confident that you are employing the best people and the best practices.

While there are no laws that require you have to hire a compliance officer, there's a chance that without a hyper-focus on compliance, you could wind up breaking actual laws as a result.

Let us explain.