Affordability is a critical concern for many borrowers with a highly fluctuating vehicle market. In 2024 AFG will continue highlight a vehicle each month that showcases how the program offers a more affordable payment compared to conventional financing. You can use these examples to promote the program or to start a conversation with a borrower about the benefits of the program. Just open the examples below in Canva and customize them for your own campaigns.
Vehicle Quotes
Balloon Program
Lease Program
Testimonials
December 2024
SPOTLIGHT ON: TIMBERLAND FCU
Chad Feather, VP Member Relations at Timberland FCU shared his own experience with the program recently.
November 2024
SPOTLIGHT ON: RESIDUAL BASED FINANCING
AFG hosted a series of educational webinars this year on the basics of how residual based financing works and its advantages. Having a solid understanding of this type of financing can help you present the program with more confidence. Here’s a link to the recording.
October 2024
SPOTLIGHT ON: AFG’S ENHANCED DEALER TOOLS
AFG hosted a webinar on September 19th where we showcased the latest updates to AFG’s dealer tools (the Dealer Inventory Download, the AFG hot sheets and the Dealer Resources Website). The updates have been designed to help dealers better serve customers and maximize efficiency. In case you missed it, click play below to watch the recording.
September 2024
SPOTLIGHT ON: THE BORROWER
A borrower who had recently moved to Florida from New York recently reached out us looking for a lender in his area. In his original outreach Tyler said:
“Florida needs more of this kind of financing. I’ve had balloons on all my trucks up in NY for years. They’ve always worked out very well and 10x better than a lease. “
In the end, we were able to connect him with a credit union that lends nationally:
“Park City was great to work with and I was able to secure a 2024 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro! Furthermore, the payment savings are significant and fit my budget. I was able to use the payment calculator and the numbers from the dealership to dial in my exact payment and down payment preferences. Thank you, again, for a terrific consumer experience. “
August 2024
SPOTLIGHT ON: FIRST EAGLE FCU
Dorothy Spilker, VP and Chief Operations Officer at First Eagle FCU, shared the following with AFG recently:
Members will apply for a $60,000 car loan.
We get the loan, we work it up, and they have no idea on a conventional loan what that payment’s going to be. They’re thinking the payment’s going to be $450-$500 but in today’s environment with the high rates, all of a sudden, they’re looking at, wow, my payment is going to be $900. And then they put the brakes on.
But then we are able to say, let’s look at the AFG program. It opens up the conversation of how they can go with what they wanted to purchase in the beginning, a $60,000 vehicle of their choice, something that they really had their eye on and they wanted. Then we found a way that we can finance it, in an affordable way with the program.
July 2024
SPOTLIGHT ON: TCT FCU
Our partner TCT FCU does an outstanding job at marketing the AFG program. We asked their Chief Lending Officer to tell us about the strategies they use to promote the program to members at last year’s AFG User Conference. Click play to learn more.
June 2024
SPOTLIGHT ON: ROYAL AUTOMOTIVE
Click below to hear how Royal Automotive helped a customer find an affordable vehicle.
May 2024
SPOTLIGHT ON: DUPACO COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION
Jarod Thornton, Consumer Lending Supervisor at Dupaco, shared this member testimonial:
When I spoke with the member, he said he “enjoyed having the flexibility of having a lower payment while having a newer car.” He appreciates all of the options that were presented to him for the end of his term and is happy with the positive equity he currently has in the vehicle.
April 2024
SPOTLIGHT ON: TRIUS FCU
March 2024
SPOTLIGHT ON: THE BORROWER
Hear from Ritchie, a borrower who just traded in his 2018 VW Passat and bought a 2022 Subaru Impreza Sport. Click play to see how he was able to roll in negative equity and keep his payment steady on the program!
February 2024
SPOTLIGHT ON: PORTLAND LOCAL No. 8 FCU
December 2023
SPOTLIGHT ON: TOGETHER CREDIT UNION
Elizabeth Valk, Branch Manager at Together Credit Union recently shared this member testimonial about the program (Value Plus is Together CU’s chosen brand name):
Our member loves our Value Plus program! She said she would never go back to the “conventional” purchase, as the VP program allows the freedom to upgrade to any new technology after the loan term. She loves that it was so easy to transition from conventional to VP and loves the payment affordability.
November 2023
SPOTLIGHT ON: FIRST EAGLE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
October 2023
SPOTLIGHT ON: FIRST NORTHERN CREDIT UNION
Paul Biles, VP of Financial Services, Business Development, & Indirect Lending at First Northern shared this comment at the 2023 AFG User Conference this month:
Rising vehicle prices are creating an affordability crisis. Many car buyers are priced out of the market. The average new vehicle payment is over $700, and the average used vehicle payment is over $500.
First Northern Credit Union’s Driving Sense alternative offers monthly payments up to 40% less than conventional financing!
September 2023
SPOTLIGHT ON: SIKORSKY CREDIT UNION
Zach Hasselbarth, consumer lending manager at Sikorsky recently shared this in a panel discussion webinar:
“We’ve seen a lot of people coming off leases, who are familiar with leases, but love the vehicle. There’s a lot of good equity in the vehicle, so they want to keep it. But again, having that lower payment is a great option. So we’ve had a lot of people come off a lease buyout with the larger trucks, the ones that cost $60,000 to $70,000. You’re looking at the Silverados, the Ford F-150s.
All those have been very beneficial with our borrowers because they continue to keep that low payment. And then with that, you know, they’re able to get that car they want, keep it for a couple of years, and then have the option if they don’t want to wait full term, they could trade it in tomorrow if they want. They have the vehicle. All those are good benefits and perks.
We’ve also noticed, we are starting to get some families involved. We just had a husband and wife who closed yesterday on their two auto loans because they thought the product was so great. They pulled the other one in to do it.”
August 2023
SPOTLIGHT ON: MCDONALD AUTO GROUP
Leslie Hansen, Finance Director at McDonald Auto Group, shared this testimonial about the AFG program:
“I highly recommend having a partnership with Auto Financial Group.
For many years, McDonald Auto Group and I have been using the AFG program with Frankenmuth Credit Union’s Driving Sense. The portals that AFG has created for each of our dealerships are easy to navigate. The submission of information is straightforward and printing of the documents uncomplicated. We have greatly benefited from this partnership by putting together deals that didn’t work on a standard retail contract or a standard lease.
Just recently, we partnered with Michigan United Credit Union and their lease program. Although there were multiple credit union lease options to use, our decision to use this particular credit union was solely based on the fact that they used AFG for their guaranteed values and the excellent AFG dealer support that was provided.
The excellent training provided by AFG was a win for the lease program with all five of my stores including finance managers and office staff. Almost immediately, our Chevrolet store was able to pick up 4 additional sales because of the AFG guaranteed values that beat any manufacturers residual and payment. Auto Financial Group has proven to be an excellent partner for us and an important part of our sales and customer retention strategy at McDonald Auto Group. AFG would be a tremendous asset to any dealership looking to pick up additional sales by offering unique options to their customers. AFG has my highest recommendation.”
July 2023
SPOTLIGHT ON: COMMUNITY RESOURCE FCU
Community Resource Federal Credit Union has an excellent blog and they recently featured the AFG program as part of an entry on auto loans. Click below to read the full entry:
June 2023
SPOTLIGHT ON: ROYAL FORD
Ronnie Harrington, Finance Manager at Royal Ford, shared this testimonial about the AFG program:
“A discussion between dealership co-workers about a recent sales transaction revealed some awareness worth sharing. It was assumed the customer was closed at longest term of 96 months to get the lowest monthly payment. As it turned out, the payment was for the AFG Auto Advantage loan for a 72-month term saving the borrower two years on term and overall, and a lower monthly payment.
We can put the borrowers in a better position using the AFG program. It offers the borrower a lower monthly payment and puts them in a possible better position if they wanted to trade the vehicle in prior to maturity.”
May 2023
SPOTLIGHT ON: STRAITS AREA FCU
Damon Proctor, Consumer Lending Supervisor, shared this testimonial about Straits Area FCU’s experience with the AFG program:
“AFG has been crucial to our auto portfolio in the past 18 months because of the rise in vehicle prices. Many of our members are on a fixed income. By having the AFG option, we are able to get more members into a vehicle they want for the payment that fits their budget. Since SAFCU is involved in many small communities, word spreads quickly of how SAFCU was able to help get the member a vehicle that many other financial institutions could not. The AFG program has bettered our reputation and given us another option to create the best possible member experience that we strive to achieve each day.”
April 2023
SPOTLIGHT ON: TRIUS FCU
March 2023
SPOTLIGHT ON: AUTOFLEX
February 2023
SPOTLIGHT ON: PA CENTRAL FCU
