F&I and Showroom, Industry Summit 2014

AFIP The inaugural AFIP Certifi cation Boot Camps will be held in Bunker 205 By Dave Robertson A top performing and regulatory compliant F I department is the life blood of most dealerships and recent F Idirected action by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has made F I compliance a top priority In addition training with the Association of Finance and Insurance Professionals is the fi rst step in developing a compliance management system The CFPB strongly recommends that dealers have a CMS in place With the introduction of its regional certifi cation Boot Camps conducted under the auspices of select providers and industry members the AFIP truly seized the day The AFIP Boot Camp a two day intensive review and testing format has been an unqualifi ed success since its launch in January 2014 Attendees fi rst attempt pass rate and average scores are well above those using the self paced format It has been a strategic victory for the AFIP Boot Camp sponsors as well An aggressive frontal assault by an aftermarket product provider or its general agent to keep clients out of harms way makes the dealer far less open to attack by a competitor And because the invitation to attend Boot Camp is extended to target accounts new dealers are added to their ranks What makes the concentrated sessions so successful They eliminate the two most common contributors to poor performance or failure to complete the course procrastination and time management challenges An F I practitioners commitment to attend a Boot Camp scheduled by the dealer principal or top store executive 72 F I and Showroom Industry Summit 2014 effectively eliminates the mañana factor And while some presession study is required much of the heavy lifting takes place over the course of the two day session However the single greatest contributing factor is getting the attendee out of the store for 48 hours Day 1 begins with a lecture reviewing key course topics Day 2 opens with a targeted review of state and federal regulations followed by a short lunch break The certifi cation exam is administered in the afternoon session To ensure in store staffi ng coverage Boot Camps can be scheduled back to back Also the sessions are typically scheduled to start on Tuesday during the fi rst three weeks of the month Boot Camp sponsorship fees will vary based on the location number of sessions and total number of attendees but will include promotional material and a direct mailing campaign There is no direct trainer expense imposed by AFIP which is one benefi t of doing business with an unaffi liated nonprofi t organization Special pricing is available to sponsors who are also industry members of the AFIP Interested parties are invited to our Industry Summit bivouac area in Bunker 205 Or contact our headquarters directly at www afi p com or by phone 817 428 2434 Ill be at the show and can be contacted at afi pdave@ gmail com or 817 538 2129 Dont get caught AWOL Another reason to stop by the booth Im slated to meet with the current assistant director of the CFPB Jeff Langer on industry related issues Please stop by Bunker 205 if youd like me to pass along a message to him Follow us on LinkedIn Twitter and Facebook for news and updates David Robertson is executive director of the Association of Finance and Insurance Professionals Email him at david robertson@ bobit com Carpe Diem F I Style Whats New This Year The New Basic AFIP Certifi cation Course The New Basic is an effi cient and targeted program focused on developing a practical foundation in the relevant regulations for F I professionals in a shorter period of time Senior Oriented Certifi cation Exam Demonstrate your advanced knowledge of the federal and state regulations governing the F I industry with our new Senior Certifi cation Exam New AFIP Developed Ethics Exam The AFIPs new ethics curriculum and exam have been updated to refl ect current issues and industry trends AFIP Credentials You put in the effort now take the credit Certifi ed AFIP candidates have earned professional designations For more information on AFIP Certifi ed Professional designations stop by Bunker 205 or call AFIP at 817 428 2434