The last five years of trading profitability have been some of the most dramatic in the history of the industry. Here is a run-down of the last five years’ EBITDA (which is earnings before...

With the 2022 reporting season now well underway, it’s apparent that only the most proactive profit- and efficiency-focused groups can match the 2021 results which had a built-in non-recurring stock...

This month, we are going to look at a good news story – how many of Britain’s dealer groups are world beaters in terms of maximising their used car business. In 2021, many dealers were pleased to...

The vast majority of UK motor retailers are appointed representatives (ARs) of a regulated principal for their insurance activities. Some are also ARs for the promotion of finance. In both events, 8...

In our articles so far this year, we have covered aftersales and used cars in terms of showing what’s important. This month we will look at your lifeblood and your biggest cost: people. People...

Economic factors such as rising inflation and interest rates are accelerating change in consumer confidence. GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index decreased to -41 in June, a new record low....

It’s against my nature to focus on negatives, but with the Consumer Duty looming increasingly large with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) due to announce their finalised plans for what have...

The FCA’s latest consultation is geared towards tackling ‘sludge’ – here’s how you can shape its decision and prepare for the changes On 14 May, the FCA published a consultation paper. Now...

How our F&I guru has recognised how to turn his weakness into a strength and enabled him to concentrate on the numbers that matter I’m dyslexic, which means that for me, reading and writing...

Cambria Automobiles CEO Mark Lavery has been announced as the keynote speaker at the Future of F&I conference being held on 2 April. The announcement comes alongside the reveal of the full speaker...

2020 is set to see significant changes in motor retailing. This theme of change will not be new and nor is it unique to motor retailing. What matters is how the sector chooses to react. Having been...

The FCA is clamping down on commission. We investigate how you might be affected and what to do Us Brits love to talk about the weather, don’t we? It came as no surprise then, that on 1 March, and...

2020 is set to see notable changes to the Finance and Insurance (F&I) landscape. Santander has been working for some time, both internally and with its OEM and retailer partners, to consider how...

I have a teenage daughter who got all excited at the back end of last year with a rocking tune by Cristian Marchi that hit the charts, called Baker Street. Later, sat round the dinner table my wife,...

“It’s not the strongest of the species, nor the most intelligent that is likely to survive, but the one most adaptable to change.” This quote is often famously attributed to Charles Darwin, and...

By Andy Tong I’ve been involved in training F&I business managers for over 20 years, after being one myself for almost a dozen – through the wonder years of the eighties, the dynamic nineties,...

By Andy Tong Dichotomy. The Cambridge dictionary says that the meaning of the word is ‘A difference between two completely opposite ideas of things’. We often see this in politics where elected...

The results are in. 2016 has set a new record with 2.69 million new cars registered, presenting 2017 as a challenging year. With political uncertainty, Sterling depreciation and the SMMT forecasting a...

So, the FCA’s new rules on GAP insurance are in force. They’re the culmination of months of market study, consultation and feedback but now they’re finally here. I know some dealers have decided to...

Imagine the scene. A posh office in Canary wharf. it is June 2013, the FCA has just been formed from the ashes of the OFT and the FSA, and the great and the good from their senior management teams...