Dylan Citron

CU Xpress Lease Partners with Mid-Hudson Valley FCU

CU XPRESS LEASE PARTNERS WITH MID-HUDSON VALLEY FCU

HAUPPAUGE, NY – CU Xpress Lease, the nation’s leading credit union lease program and a Fusion Auto Finance lease product, announces their partnership with Mid-Hudson Valley FCU.

MHVFCU began to offer auto leasing to its members in Ulster, Dutchess and Orange Counties of NY on April 1st2019.

Founded in 1963, member-owned MHVFCU has over $1.04 billion in assets. With a network of more than 77,000 members, 812 businesses partners, and 13 branches, it is one of New York state’s largest credit unions.

Steve Carle, Senior Vice President / Chief Lending Officer for MHVFCU stated, “The Hudson Valley region represents one of the top lease markets in the U.S. By working with CU Xpress Lease, we are able to add value to our members with affordable vehicle financing while enhancing the credit union’s dealership exposure. Additionally, leasing provides us an opportunity to immediately expand our automotive portfolio. Since leasing is becoming more popular due to lowered monthly payments and no money down requirements, we know our potential will only increase with this new service for our members.”

Added Robert O’Hara, Vice President of Strategic Alliances for GrooveCar: “We are excited to partner with Mid-Hudson Valley FCU and look forward to bringing the CU Xpress Lease program to their members. Consumers are payment-driven and leasing provides a true medium for credit unions such as MHVFCU to capture that market share without the responsibility of managing the residual risk when the lease matures.”

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GrooveCar Direct Announces 19 New Program Partners in Q1 2019

GROOVECAR DIRECT ANNOUNCES 19 NEW PROGRAM PARTNERS IN Q1 2019

GrooveCar Direct, the nation’s leading online auto loan growth partner for credit unions, announces 19 new program partners in Q1 2019. Joining the program in Q1 2019 are:

  • AFL CIO Employees FCU, Washington DC, with assets of $50 million, serving 4,992 members
  • Berkeley Community FCU, Moncks Corner SC, with assets of $12 million, serving 2,374 members
  • Cedar Point FCU, Lexington Park MD, with assets of $497 million, serving 43,647 members
  • Cove FCU, based in Edgewood KY, with assets of $64 million, serving 7,777 members
  • Destinations CU, based in Baltimore MD, with assets of $60 million, serving 7,747 members
  • EPB Employees CU, based in Chattanooga TN, with assets of $28 million, serving 2,321 members
  • Family Advantage FCU, based in Spring Hill TN, with assets of $66 million, serving 7,523 members
  • First Eagle FCU, based in Owings Mills MD, with assets of $90 million, serving 9,262 members
  • Golden Plains CU, based in Garden City KS, with assets of $657 million, serving 79,136 members
  • Greenville Heritage FCU, based in Greenville SC, with assets of $99 million, serving 12,284 members
  • Greenwood Municipal FCU, based in Greenwood SC, with assets of $42 million, serving 6,301 members
  • Health Care Professional FCU, based in Richmond IN, with assets of $24 million, serving 3,516 members
  • K.U.M.C. CU, based in Shawnee KS, with assets of $28 million, serving 2,579 members
  • Kimberly Clark CU, based in Memphis TN, with assets of $113 million, serving 10,353 members
  • LCRA CU, based in Austin TX, with assets of $22 million, serving 2,678 members
  • Southern CU, based in Chattanooga TN, with assets of $22 million, serving 2,615 members
  • Town of Hempstead Employees FCU, based in Baldwin NY, with assets of $127 million, serving 8,406 members
  • Valwood Park FCU, based in Carrollton TX, with assets of $22 million, serving 3,888 members
  • WCU CU, based in Decatur AL, with assets of $25 million, serving 3,439 members

GrooveCar Direct is a leading member engagement program, allowing credit union partners the ability to reach members throughout the entire auto research and purchase cycle. Credit unions can provide a more consistent and complete member experience, creating an environment to guide the member along the path to auto loan closure.

Third-party sites are the most used sites for car shopping, used by 78% of shoppers. When combined with the trust and reliability of the credit union, the program provides a solid channel for deepened relationships and member engagement.

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How to Get Your Car Spring Ready

HOW TO GET YOUR CAR SPRING READY

Winter is coming. While that may be true for the hit HBO television show, it’s not for car owners and lessees in the northeast. Those cold, early mornings of defrosting your car are finally in the rear view mirror. Spring is right around the corner and with the change of season comes new car maintenance responsibilities. Here are the top four ways to make sure your car is ready for spring:

1. Wash Your Car, Undercarriage & Floor Mats

While you should consistently wash your car throughout the year, it is especially important to thoroughly wash your car after months of driving through road salt. Over time, a buildup of road salt can cause damage and rust the undercarriage of the car. Road salt can also eat away at your car’s paint. As we head into the spring, be sure to wash away any excess salt. Even spray down the floor mats inside your car to get rid of any salt carried in from your shoes.

2. Replace Your Wiper Blades for Unobstructed Vision

After a long winter filled with ice and snow, wiper blades are left streaking and squeaking across your windshield. Ineffective wiper blades can create a real danger by impairing a driver’s vision. Rather than risk your safety during April showers, act now and provide yourself an unobstructed view. Replacing your wiper blades is a relatively inexpensive way to make sure your car is ready for the spring season.

2. Replace Your Wiper Blades for Unobstructed Vision

After a long winter filled with ice and snow, wiper blades are left streaking and squeaking across your windshield. Ineffective wiper blades can create a real danger by impairing a driver’s vision. Rather than risk your safety during April showers, act now and provide yourself an unobstructed view. Replacing your wiper blades is a relatively inexpensive way to make sure your car is ready for the spring season.

3. Check Your Tire Pressure

With lower temperatures comes lower tire pressure. The unforgiving winter cold can significantly lower your tire pressure, which can cause more wear and tear on the tires, as well as lower fuel efficiency. Tire pressure should always be monitored, especially as we head into a warmer weather season. Be sure to reference your car’s owner manual to ensure your tires are inflated to the recommended PSI. Also, be sure to inspect the tread of your tires to confirm that they are still in good shape.

4. Continue Servicing Your Car

No matter what season it is, it is always important service your car regularly. Timely oil changes, filter replacements and fluid refills are essential to keep your car running at peak performance. Always reference your car’s owner manual for more information about which parts of your car should consistently be serviced and when.

4. Continue Servicing Your Car

No matter what season it is, it is always important service your car regularly. Timely oil changes, filter replacements and fluid refills are essential to keep your car running at peak performance. Always reference your car’s owner manual for more information about which parts of your car should consistently be serviced and when.

For lessees of Fusion Auto Finance, be sure to reference our “No Surprises” Wear and Tear Policy” as a guide for servicing your leased vehicle. Stay informed on what qualifies as acceptable and normal wear and tear, as well as what is considered excessive and chargeable.

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CU Xpress Lease Sees Record Growth in 2018

CU XPRESS LEASE SEES RECORD GROWTH IN 2018

HAUPPAUGE, NY – CU Xpress Lease, the nation’s top performing vehicle lease program for credit unions, has announced that 2018 represented another record year as volume reached $707 million, a 45% YOY increase. This increase in volume was driven by the 19,384 leases originated in 2018, a 41% increase compared to 2017.

Additional takeaways from CU Xpress Lease’s 2018 performance include:

  • Borrowers had a 770 average FICO score
  • 65% average look-to-book ratio on transactions
  • 100% residual value repaid to credit unions

CU Xpress Lease continues to outperform market expectations, allowing credit unions to compete at the point of sale for super-prime credit, while mitigating the residual risk and remarketing resources associated with leasing. Since launching in 2006, CU Xpress Lease has originated over 120,000 leases totaling $4.5 billion in volume. Of the 65,000 leases that have matured since the program’s inception, 100% of the full residual value of each origination has been paid to each credit union. CU Xpress Lease is the only credit union lease program that will guarantee full residual value at lease maturity.

Affordability makes auto leasing a more appealing option than traditional financing, especially for millennial drivers. By providing credit unions the ability to offer full service automotive lending without buying deeper credit and lowering rates, CU Xpress Lease can help successfully capture customers trying to avoid rising vehicle costs and interest rates.

CU Xpress Lease will be attending CUNA’s Governmental Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C., March 10th to March 13th, 2019. Credit unions are invited to stop by booth #471 to test drive the auto resource, discover what’s new, and discuss how the program can deliver solutions to grow your auto loan portfolios.

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GrooveCar’s Indirect Auto Lending Increased by 44% in 2018

GROOVECAR’S INDIRECT AUTO LENDING INCREASED BY 44% IN 2018

HAUPPAUGE, NY – GrooveCar, one of the nation’s leading providers of auto loan growth, has announced that its credit union partners have seen a 44% increase in indirect auto loans, the highest loan growth within a 12-month period since the company’s inception in 1999.

The strong demand for auto loan volume by GrooveCar’s credit union partners is consistent with current industry trends. New vehicle sales reached 17.3 million units nationwide in 2018, a modest increase of 1.2% over 2017. Credit unions took full advantage of the growing market in 2018, experiencing a 10.7% in auto loan growth nationwide.

In the New York region, new car sales remain a solid performer for auto loan growth. Credit union members total over one million strong and nearly 90% of franchise dealerships participate in the GrooveCar program. GrooveCar brings all parties together with its online auto buying platform for indirect loans and its dealer network solutions with dedicated dealer reps and support services. As part of the fabric of car buying for nearly two decades, credit unions, members and dealerships look to the GrooveCar program to provide dedicated ways to help drive business.

Demand is projected to remain strong through 2019. This is especially true of the auto leasing market. In addition to traditional financing, there is a continued interest in leasing. In certain markets, almost 70% of new vehicle loans are structured through a lease. Vehicle financing is also performing extremely well, with members buying vehicles through their credit unions in record numbers.

GrooveCar will be attending CUNA’s Governmental Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C., March 10th to March 13th, 2019. Credit unions are invited to stop by booth #471 to test drive the auto resource, discover what’s new, and discuss how the program can deliver solutions to grow your auto loan portfolios.

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