With the constant threat of audits, fines and lawsuits, every dealership must take compliance seriously. Fortunately, there are cost savings to be found in integrating finance and sales flow compliance functions. Here are seven features to look for when choosing compliance software:
1. Visibility and transparency
It’s important to have a compliance dashboard that monitors employee and deal activity in real-time from a single screen. Keeping a close eye on employee actions lets you step in to make corrections as needed, heading off non-compliance risk.
2. Integrated FTC and OFAC requirements
To meet FTC and OFAC requirements and reduce fraud risk, your workflow needs to include the proper checkpoints. The FTC Red Flags Rule is a requirement designed to help protect against identity theft. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) requires a check of names against its “Specially Designated Nationals” list (SDN) of people with whom you cannot legally do business. You should look for software that automatically pulls Red Flags, provides out-of-wallet knowledge-based authentication questions, and offers additional questions when a customer does not answer enough of the previous questions correctly.
3. Fully compliant menu selling
Consistent presentations and full disclosure should be built into the sales process to reduce your compliance risk. This is an important selling category to watch because many industry experts believe that the FTC will be zeroing in on aftermarket products in the near future with enforcement actions for possible unfair and deceptive practices.
4. Secure document management
To meet compliance regulations, you must store deal-related documents including credit applications, privacy notices, credit reports, pencils, contracts, menus and more. Secure electronic deal jackets make these documents easier to access as needed, protect them from misuse, and also reduce the need to store paper files at your dealership.
5. Ability to print risk-based pricing credit score disclosure notices and privacy notices
Every time you take a credit application, you need a Credit Score Disclosure Notice – and it’s a best practice to give each customer a privacy notice at the same time. Ideally, your software should give you the ability to print risk-based pricing credit score disclosure notices and privacy notices as part of the application submission process.
6. Adverse Action reports
Compliance technology should be able to immediately identify and give you insight into which customers might need an Adverse Action notice.
7. Integrated compliance checks and balances
Compliance should be an integral part of your software so that your employees immediately receive an on-screen notice if a step is overlooked. This information should also be displayed on a performance dashboard so that management can be aware of possible problem areas requiring intervention such as additional training.
To learn how your dealership can integrate compliance checkpoints into your workflow, visit our Compliance product page and schedule a live demo with a Dealertrack F&I sales representative.
