CDK’s new Friction Points study shows a marked improvement in F&I headcount and efficiency after the finance department earned poor marks a year ago. +

Cox Automotive’s Accelerate My Deal platform now offers ID verification, document upload, esignatures and delivery scheduling to help dealers complete more deals online. +

Protective Asset Protection’s annual State of the F&I Industry report raises concerns that affordability issues are making customers question the value of F&I products and hurting sales. +

Kerrigan Advisors’ seventh annual Dealer Survey finds changing attitudes toward technology and dealership performance, including a long-awaited shift in valuation sentiment. +

Only 25% of Americans surveyed for Cox Automotive’s 16th annual Car Buyer Journey report used AI tools along their path to purchase, but that group outpaced all others in reporting the highest levels of satisfaction. +

Deloitte analysts say dealerships and dealer websites rank No. 1 and No. 3 among resources U.S. new car buyers say they use to research vehicle types, makes and models. +

A CDK survey finds more dealers are familiar with and investing in AI-powered tools, particularly those designed to address communication, scheduling and workload issues. +

An international survey conducted by Indeed’s Hiring Lab finds 80% of respondents who use AI on the job say it allows them to spend an extra hour per day on higher-value work. +

CDK analysts report U.S. dealers earned a 66% “Easy to Purchase” score last month, down from 85% in October and the single lowest score in the survey’s history. +

A new Cars.com survey of U.S. car shoppers finds 44% are already using AI-powered search tools built into online marketplaces and 97% believe AI will affect their vehicle selection. +