Category Archives: Regulatory Compliance

Guest Article Jim Ragodna: Compliance vs. Ethics: The Lines are Getting Blurry in the Car Business


By Jim Ragodna. Ethics and compliance are different from each other, but both are vitally important to the long-term success of dealerships and automotive professionals. Often the terms “unethical” and “illegal” are used interchangeably. Ethics is personal – it means … Continue reading

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Guest Contributor Jim Radogna: F&I Fact vs. Fiction


By Jim Radogna. It’s not uncommon for me to be asked to weigh in on the occasional compliance conundrum posed on some social media forum. Many such inquiries involve disagreements about long-held beliefs in F&I and whether or not they’re … Continue reading

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Guest Contributor Jim Radogna: Dealer Fees Under Attack


By Jim Radogna. Two recent actions for alleged dealer fee violations in South Carolina and Indiana are a potential cause for concern in other states due to the likelihood of copycat legal actions. While these states had no caps on … Continue reading

Posted in Coverage, Doc Fees, Indirect Financing, Regulatory Compliance, TIL Disclosures, Truth in Lending Act | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Minnesota Dealership and Lenders Prevail in Fair Credit Reporting Act Litigation


By Greg Johnson. Can an auto dealership be liable for damages when it transmits a customer’s credit application to several financial institutions through an automated on-line credit application system and the financial institutions pulls the customer’s credit report without express … Continue reading

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Dealership Arranged Financing: The Indirect Auto Lending Process


By Greg Johnson. This article addresses the indirect auto lending process (a/k/a “dealer arranged financing”). While the article relies heavily on cases I have defended for dealerships here in Minnesota, the same process is involved across the nation. In Minnesota, … Continue reading

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Auto Dealer Risk Management: Negotiating Dealer-Lender Agreement Terms


By Greg Johnson. Car sales are booming and lenders are clamoring for indirect financing business.  Now is a great time for dealers to dust off and review their Dealer Agreement (a/k/a lender master financing agreements) with lenders, particularly the warranty, … Continue reading

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Auto Dealers & Regulatory Compliance: If the FTC Comes Knocking


 Dealerships have become subject to increased regulation and enforcement, particularly in the areas of consumer advertising, consumer finance and consumer privacy. I recently posted an article to this blog entitled: Auto Dealer Arranged Financing: 51 Laws a Dealer Must Know. … Continue reading

Posted in Auto Dealer, Consumer Leasing Act, Errors & Omissions, Indirect Financing, Regulatory Compliance, TIL Disclosures, Truth in Lending Act | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Auto Dealer Arranged Financing: 51 Laws Dealers Must Know


By Greg Johnson. It’s no secret that auto dealerships have become subject to increased regulation over the past several years, primarily in the areas of consumer advertising, consumer finance and consumer privacy. Although the recession of 2007-2009 was primarily related … Continue reading

Posted in Auto Dealer, Dealer Reserve, Errors & Omissions, Indirect Financing, Regulatory Compliance, TIL Disclosures, Truth in Lending Act | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Speaking at Automotive Dealer Subprime Sales Success Workshop on April 7-8th in Atlanta, Georgia.


I will be a speaker at the Automotive Dealer Subprime Sales Success workshop on April 7-8th in Atlanta, Georgia. I will be speaking on two related topics.  First, about F&I compliance and class action litigation issues (spot delivery, acquisition fees, … Continue reading

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Auto Dealer-Arranged Financing: When must TIL Disclosures be Provided?


By Greg Johnson. I recently posted an article, “Auto Dealer-Arranged Financing and the Truth in Lending Act: Understanding the Basics.”  This is one of several posts that get more specific. Under the federal Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”), 15 U.S.C. § … Continue reading

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