ADI To Publish F&I Encyclopedia

(From left to right) Dr. Robert W. Serum, Dr. David D. Long, David N. Robertson and Gary T. Fagg

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May 25, 2006–The Automotive Dealership Institute has announced plans to release its ground-breaking Encyclopedia of Finance and Insurance Management, the most comprehensive automotive F&I resource guide ever published, said ADI CEO/Executive Director Alan Algan. The massive encyclopedia, at more than 1,000 pages, has been in the works since January 2005 and will be available this August.

“The publication of the Encyclopedia of Finance and Insurance Management is an industry event,” said Algan. “There has never been any F&I-related publication of this magnitude. Our contributors are renowned for their reputations and expertise. I can’t imagine any dealership without a copy of it for reference purposes.”

Contributors to the substantial volume include ADI’s executive staff: Alan Algan, author of Automotive F&I Management, originally published in 1992 when it became the first and only book on the subject to be catalogued by the U.S. Library of Congress; CFO/Dean of Education Arzu Algan, who authored ADI’s copyrighted textbook; and President/Director of Corporate Affairs Keith Tuber, a former journalist with 16 writing awards to his credit, who served as executive editor of the project. Additional distinguished contributors include Prof. Robert W. Serum, Ph.D., vice president, Academics and International Programs for Northwood University; Dr. David D. Long, chancellor and COO of Northwood University; David N. Robertson, executive director of the Association of Finance and Insurance Professionals (AFIP), who also wrote the foreword; John Walsh, director of Education for the Institute for Ethical Behavior, whose highly praised four-part series on F&I ethics originally appeared in the influential national trade publication F&I Management and Technology magazine; and Gary Thomas Fagg, a consulting actuary and principal of CreditRe, who is an acknowledged expert on credit insurance.

Among the topics covered in the F&I encyclopedia are:

• Finance and Insurance – Prime and Nonprime
• F&I Menu Presentation Process
• Creation and Management of the Dealership Internet Department
• Retail Installment Sales Contracts
• Consumer Leasing, Lease Agreements
• Collecting, Analyzing and Evaluating Credit Information
• Legal Compliance – Privacy Rule, Safeguards Rule, Cash Purchases, etc.
• Credit Insurance and Related Products
• Ethics for Automotive Financial Professionals

“Education is an important factor in the success of any dealership, as changing regulations and technologies continue to mold the automotive industry,” said Dr. Serum. “Having a single-volume resource guide is an indispensable tool that will be utilized over and over again by F&I personnel and upper management. I am pleased to be associated with this ambitious undertaking.”

The Encyclopedia of Finance and Insurance Management will be published in a hand-crafted hard-cover edition retailing for $795. It will be distributed domestically by Idealergroup, LLC, and will be available for purchase through Idealergroup’s network of general agents; at Northwood University bookstores in Michigan, Florida and Texas; through the Association of Finance and Insurance Professionals’ website, afip.com; Amazon.com; the Automotive Dealership Institute’s website, autodealerinstitute.com; and other retailers. The encyclopedia will be marketed in Asia by The Asian Banker, the region’s largest and most respected financial publisher, and throughout the United Kingdom and other European Union countries by a number of prominent distributors.

“There has been a basic shift in the car-buying experience, from a product-oriented market to a credit-oriented market,” said Robertson. “Accordingly, the F&I process is afforded much greater attention, not only as a process, but as an academic endeavor. This isn’t something that a few people do, it’s something everybody does, and consequently the emphasis on the F&I process has greatly increased.”

An autographed, leather-bound limited edition with gold gilding and housed in an attractive presentation box will also be available. The special collector’s edition will retail for $995.

“The Encyclopedia of Finance and Insurance Management is destined to become the bible of the automotive industry,” said Dr. Long. “It contains a wealth of information on all aspects of F&I management, including ethics. I see it evolving with the industry, making it and future editions a dynamic, practical resource guide. It is a book written by professionals, for professionals.”

Preorders are now being accepted by Idealergroup, LLC, at 570-366-0221 or through idealergroup.com.

The Automotive Dealership Institute is a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based automotive management school that specializes in educating the next generation of Finance and Insurance managers and service advisors. ADI is licensed by the State of Arizona Board for Private Postsecondary Education and approved by the Arizona Department of Education. For more information call 877-998-7200 or visit autodealerinstitute.com.