As the final month of the first quarter of 2011 approaches, I catch myself thinking, where did the time go? Last year came and went, the 2011 NADA conference has come and gone, the Agent Summit being held in conjunction with F&I and Showroom and our sister publication Agent Entrepreneur will be underway next week, and we are running full speed ahead into 2011.
VMS Publishing is very proud of its wheelhouse of publications. And looking back at 2010, we not only brought on our successful agent publication, it was also the year we initially started P&A Magazine. P&A Magazine has a lot to be proud of in this past year, and the efforts that have been made to start and maintain its success, through our advertisers, contributors and readers is nothing less than amazing.
That being said, as we did in our January publication of Agent Entrepreneur, I want to extend a thank you to all the people who have made it happen, and to present to you the top ten (10) stories of the year. In addition, as I mentioned for those involved with our sister publication, I want to let all of you who put long hours in setting your ideas, experiences, and expertise on paper, that all articles that we received were nothing short of excellent and remain to be viewed, regardless of being in the top ten nor not! Thank you.
The following are the top eleven articles for 2010 - that's right, there was a tie in eighth place. You can read the article in its entirety by clicking on the provided link following the article description.
As a little girl, I didn't grow up dreaming of becoming an owner of an inspection company, but that is what happened. Now there is no business I would rather be in for a variety of reasons. Over the years this industry has been very good to me and my family. Many of my closest ….
This article explores a little-discussed issue for writers of GAP policies: are we earning the premium correctly? Earned premium for most insurance policies is calculated evenly over the term of the policy. For example, an auto insurance policy for one year will recognize 1/12th of the premium each month for the entire year the policy is in effect….
It is amazing that in 2010, 50 years into the Information Age, one of the toughest problems we face in our industry is the integration of various mission-critical software applications with the typical dealership management system (DMS). P&A Magazine spoke with industry experts about the current “State of the Industry” as it pertains to integration.…
I moderated a panel on web services at the VSCAC conference on Sept. 15. The panel consisted of Brent Allen, President, Stone Eagle Insurance; Kumar Kathinokkula, COO, F&I Administrative Solutions; Mark Virag, Managing Director, Open Dealer Exchange; and Brian Reed, CEO, Intersection Technologies, Inc. The following are some thoughts I took away from this session.…
Want to bring true value to your client or dealer partner? Provide them with the following essential components for capturing the full F&I profit potential on every traffic source: the Internet, phone and walk-in. The initial components, Product Drives PVR and F&I Participation Throughout the Sales Cycle are designed to update the F&I and sales …
The vehicle service contract industry has been serviced by the independent inspection industry for many years, but issues still plague inspection agencies, service contract administrators, their clients and contract holders. A call for greater accountability is in order. Vehicle service contract administrators require independent inspections prior to making decisions about the validity of claims …
In the last five years, manufacturers have generally increased warranty terms on vehicles sold, even though a few have recently scaled back or reverted to the former terms. If you sell new or extended eligibility coverage, this change will impact your business in several different ways. First, and most obviously, it will lower the costs …
Automation, systems integration and industry standardization can deliver great efficiencies, service improvements and cost reductions in the claims adjudication arena of the service contract industry. In an age where technology is making business in every industry more efficient, the claims process is no exception. However, there is much that can still be done. Challenges to …
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In 2008, many administrators were concerned about the profitability of the GAP business. Not only was the frequency of claims increasing, but the severity of GAP claims were going through the roof. Used-car prices were collapsing as demand dried up – and insurance companies were settling total losses at a significant haircut from one year….
Very few providers can say that their rates are available electronically through every menu system on the market. In fact, to my knowledge, the answer is none. How often have you heard that the only thing stopping the signing of a new dealer group is the ability to get your rates on their menu system?…
There are plenty of examples of why the auto finance industry needs to police itself, but little has been done to protect a key revenue source for dealers. One provider says it’s time for that to change. Regulations are a fact of life for businesses in the automotive industry, and providers of vehicle service contracts …
Again, though these are merely the top ten most read articles, there are many more very interesting and quite informative articles that fulfill every goal that Providers & Administrators eMagazine has set out to attain. In 2011, we will continue on this path and are looking forward to providing you with even more information and inspirations to assist you in making the right decisions in your businesses.
