Blogs
Hope on wheels for charities
Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, Sept. 3
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No company wants to say “no” to a worthy, needy cause. But when the economy goes in the tank, everyone cuts back. Sure, folks still dig deep when a humanitarian tragedy like the Haiti earthquake occurs. But the idea of finding spare corporat ...
Continue reading "Hope on wheels for charities" » Sep 3 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Rattner's book suggests nobody gets it
Posted 1:10 pm U.S. ET, Sept. 3
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Some buzzers are going to conclude: Boy, that Ghosn doesn't get it. He turned down a mighty kingdom to keep his little princedom.
Others are ...
Continue reading "Rattner's book suggests nobody gets it" » Sep 3 1:10 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Do we need an FHA-like agency to back car loans?
Posted 10:31 am U.S. ET, Sept. 3
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That subprime market is bigger than ever, industry analyst Jesse Toprak told me yesterday. The www.TrueCar.com analyst said that customers with credit scores of up to 680 are often now included in that group -- and that means the group has swelled to as much as 60 percent of the market.
"We're seeing many consumers and dealers gi ...
Continue reading "Do we need an FHA-like agency to back car loans?" » Sep 3 10:31 am U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
August opposites for Japan, United States -- but clouds loom over Rising Sun
Posted 8:57 am U.S. ET, Sept. 3
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Domestic sales here shot up 47 percent, reportedly the biggest monthly jump since 1968, for a 13th straight month of gains. The total includes cars, trucks and buses. But the bounty of buyers is still stunning, given Japan's anemic economy and decade-long trend of falling sales.
And it looks all the better ...
Continue reading "August opposites for Japan, United States -- but clouds loom over Rising Sun" » Sep 3 8:57 am U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Dan scrubbed toilets through slump; his store benefits today
Posted 10:25 am U.S. ET, Sept. 2
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For those dealerships that survived, "we're all stronger for it, and it will definitely pay off," said Roseland, who saw revenue at his northern California store drop by almost 40 percent.
Roseland says his expense management will be ...
Continue reading "Dan scrubbed toilets through slump; his store benefits today" » Sep 2 10:25 am U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Fuel pricing not ideal for some new models
Posted 1:28 pm U.S. ET, Sept. 2
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Gasoline prices will stay relatively cheap for the entire Labor Day weekend, according to U.S. Energy Department figures released yesterday. For pump-price watchers, that means $2.68 a gallon on average, up 9 cents from last year but still lower than $3.68 in 2008, $2.80 in 2007 and $2.73 in 2006, according to Reuters.
And the ...
Continue reading "Fuel pricing not ideal for some new models" » Sep 2 1:28 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Credit approvals ease … just a touch
Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, Sept. 1
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That’s welcome news for finance managers who have faced tougher loan approvals since the credit crunch began in late 2008.
The average credit score on new-vehicle loans fell a couple of points to 772. That’s down ever so slightly from 774 i ...
Continue reading "Credit approvals ease … just a touch" » Sep 1 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Dealers still want more credit availability
Posted 10:34 am U.S. ET, Sept. 1
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"One of the big drivers of used-car success is the restoration of credit," Maroone told me on Tuesday.
Yes, it's improving. And credit for prime an ...
Continue reading "Dealers still want more credit availability" » Sep 1 10:34 am U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Ohh, that pesky SAAR figure
Posted 6:31 pm U.S. ET, Sept. 1
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But what does it mean? How does it compare? Who won? Who lost? Why?
That's analysis. And that's where the fun comes in.
And of all the tools used to analyze sales data, the seasonally adjusted annualized sales rate (SAAR) is potentially the most confusing. It's designed to level out the differences in demand over the ...
Continue reading "Ohh, that pesky SAAR figure " » Sep 1 6:31 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Hyundai-Kia's U.S. cooperation and competition: It's all in the family
Posted 3:13 pm U.S. ET, Sept. 1
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No official joint venture was announced. And both Kia and Hyundai were unwilling to share details -- including about financial arrangements and production volume -- when I visited the plant ...
Continue reading "Hyundai-Kia's U.S. cooperation and competition: It's all in the family" » Sep 1 3:13 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Used-car business rises, but dealer groups want more credit restored
Posted 11:21 am U.S. ET, Sept. 1
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Difficulty finding good used-vehicle stocks has been a problem all dealerships have faced for many months. Another continuing challenge with the used-car busines ...
Continue reading "Used-car business rises, but dealer groups want more credit restored" » Sep 1 11:21 am U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
