Mark and Bob talk about the evolution of credit unions' relationship with auto dealers and indirect financing, what the pandemic was like, and what it is like to finance vehicles these days.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [0:51] Mark describes why he needed to purchase his first pickup truck
• [2:24] Bob shares his professional background 
• [4:08] Discussion about liquidity and interest rates
• [8:13] Bob discusses lending during the pandemic and how the value of automobiles has risen
• [11:18] The value of a Tesla and the impact of the battery cost and which are the better-selling vehicles
• [17:47] Discussion of the inventory of new vehicles and how online shopping has impacted the credit union business in terms of providing loans
• [24:05] Bob talks about the due diligence needed to work with a  dealership

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• During the pandemic, parts were difficult to source for new cars, and dealers had low inventory. They realized that they didn’t need to carry such a large inventory because people would wait for a car they had ordered.
• The impact of purchasing batteries for cars like a Tesla hasn’t been felt yet. It will be interesting to see whether a vehicle with a new battery will have a higher value.
• Online shopping has impacted the car lending business. The finance companies show up on a drop-down menu, and credit unions won’t have a significant space to be seen.

RESOURCE LINKS

Mark Ritter Website

Mark Ritter LinkedIn

Keystone Lending Alliance Website

BIOGRAPHY: Bob Brant

For the past 15+ years, Bob Brant has been the CEO of Keystone Lending Alliance. KLA is a western PA-based CUSO specializing in facilitating auto financing for members throughout the northeast United States