As the market watches for an anticipated drop in U.S. interest rates following recent Federal Reserve Board pronouncements, American auto finance professionals await the potential impacts lower rates will have on their business, says Tim Yalich, auto lending industry expert and Head of Automotive Strategy, Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions. The impact of high rates from the past year, together with the potential for lower rates this year, will likely lead to an increase in demand for auto loan refinances, he suggests.

“Auto lenders will start to use artificial intelligence to increase their touchpoints with customers and to detect mistakes and fraud,” said Yalich. “Those who have digitized will find it easier to manage the influx of customers and make sure that they are in contact with customers along their lending journey.”

In any year in which loan volumes are higher, Yalich says it will be imperative for auto lenders to be on the lookout for mistakes and inconsistencies in data. A December 2023 Wolters Kluwer auto lending survey revealed that 77% of auto financiers who still rely on manual or paper processes acknowledge that their documents contain errors in a third or more of deals.

According to Yalich, while lending will always be subject to the vagaries of the financial markets, auto lenders are likely to handle a higher volume of loans this year: “The pent-up demand from consumers waiting to buy a new car will likely release this year, with consumers who bought when rates were higher looking to refinance as rates lower.” He notes that while the traditional practice of refinancing auto loans hasn’t been as popular in recent times, relatively low rates during the early 2020s led many lenders to offer auto loan refinancing.

Respondents in that same Wolters Kluwer survey indicated they were looking to transition to digitized documents in the following areas: loan processing and funding (31%); credit application and decisioning (28%); and securitization or collateralization (24%).

“The industry has been focused on the consumer experience and making sure that it is digitized to match consumer buying habits,” explains Yalich. “What I believe we will see this year is an emphasis on prioritizing the back end of the lending process. This is a shift in the industry and a new point of focus that will minimize errors, create efficiencies, and keep pace with early adopters who prefer a fully digital lending experience.”

Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions is a leading provider of digital technology and expert professional services. Its suite of products and insight resources serve as an industry enabler in the evolution toward digitization for the entire automotive and lending ecosystem.