Interest Rates Drop for Second Consecutive Month, Federal Reserve Says
Consumer credit increased at an annual rate of 0.5 percent in April, according to the Federal Reserve’s monthly report.
Non-revolving credit, which includes auto loans, rose at an annual rate of 7.1 percent in April. Revolving credit continued its month to month decline and fell at an annual rate of 12 percent.
Interest rates on new-vehicle loans continued to drop and reached 4.13 percent in April, down from 4.28 percent in March, but still higher than 3.94 percent in January.
Loan terms remained stable month to month at 62.8 months in April. This was slightly above the 62.5 months recorded in February and down from the 63.5 months posted in January.
The loan-to-value ratio on new-car loans remained steady month to month at 88 percent in April, but was down from 89 percent in February and 90 percent in January.
Amount financed also fell for the fourth-consecutive month to $27,797 in April, down from $27,912 in March. The amount financed in April was $243 less than the $28,040 recorded in February, and $1,582 less than the $29,379 posted in January.
More Industry

World EV Adoption Set to Grow
A new report says the segment, despite recent setbacks in some regions, is poised for acceleration as many countries look to reduce pollution.
Read More →
Black Book: Weekly Market Update
Wholesale automotive auction business stayed steady last week as bidders encountered lower prices, analysts observed.
Read More →
Pricing Transparency Drives Purchase Consideration
An annual study by JD Power found that clear pricing matters to consumers on automaker websites, so much so that it increases their purchase consideration.
Read More →
Black Book: Weekly Market Update
Used-vehicle market depreciation was the prevailing story in the wholesale market last week.
Read More →
Smaller Is Looking Better
A growing number of Americans in the market for a new vehicle are opting for more affordable options, not waiting for market stability to bite the bullet.
Read More →
U.S. EV Market Slowly Stabilizes
U.S. electric-vehicle interest is slowly stabilizing since a major dip in sales after last year's end of the federal EV tax credit, and hybrids remain the leading electrified power train.
Read More →
Global EV Market Entering New Phase
Automakers are making investments to lower battery costs and optimize production to meet changing consumer needs.
Read More →
Black Book Weekly Market Update
The holiday weekend, not surprisingly, put a drag on wholesale automotive activity last week, analysts observed.
Read More →
Auto Affordability in Context
Cox Automotive points out the complex circumstances that have led to eye-popping vehicle prices.
Read More →
Black Book: Weekly Market Update
Automotive auction inventory increased last week, giving choosy bidders even more leeway.
Read More →