Auto Financing Archives

Mobile PFM: Tracking Automobile Trips

By Jim Bruene Posted on April 14, 2014
Categories: Auto Financing, Mobile Banking, Personal Financial Management

Last week, MileIQ cracked the top-50 in Apple’s “Finance | Free” category. Think of it as Fitbit for cars, running in the background automatically logging all car trips (and killing battery life).

At the end of each trip, users categorize the trip by swiping left for personal or right for business (see screenshots below). Users can also annotate transactions by “flipping” them over and typing basic details (see screenshot 2 below).

That’s basically all there is to the mobile part. Users go to the companion desktop dashboard (screenshot #5) to further categorize trips, stitch the various segments into a single trip, delete items, add parking and toll fees, edit the tags, manually add a trip and create reports.

You can also create a quick email report at the push of button from within the app (screenshot #6).

It’s free for 40 trips per month, but then costs $5.99/mo or $60 annually. It could make for a nice auto loan/lease premium item.

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Relevance for FIs
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This feature would be a nice, fee-based value-add for personal financial management (PFM) programs. But the more interesting aspect is the UI. Banks could provide a similar function for handling all transactions. Users swipe to the left to categorize a transaction as tax-deductible/business or right if not. Later, just the left-swiped transactions could be tagged with more specific categories (business travel, charitable contributions, etc).

This simple approach ever so slightly “gamifies” mobile-transaction processing, helping users save money and better manage their finances.

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Screenshots
Mobile UI

#1 (left) Main page shows drive(s) to classify
#2 (right) Annotation available on the “back” of each drive card

#3 (left) Congratulations for handling all transactions
#4 (right) Pricing options

#5 Desktop dashboard

#6 Quick email report, generated by button in mobile

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1. We’ve tackled PFM numerous times over the years in our Online Banking Report. Most recently here (subscription).

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Out of the Inbox: First Tech CU Pitches Auto Loans

By Jim Bruene Posted on September 1, 2011
Categories: Auto Financing, Email Marketing, Email Samples, Loans & Credit

As the country heads back to work and school, it’s a great time to remind customers that you have killer rates for auto loans. So, First Tech Federal Credit Union’s marketing email to members yesterday promoting a 2.99% rate was well timed. And I love how the message is direct and to the point.

While the email could use a little more visual punch (graphics/typography), First Tech nailed the timing, product, price, and headline. So it is 90% there even before reading the copy. However, that’s where the effort falls a bit short. Here’s why (numbers correspond to screenshot below):

Minor issues in copywriting:
1. The second sentence in the opening paragraph is awkward because the phrase “keep that new auto loan payment in check…” is hard to understand. If you pair “check” with “payment,” it sounds like you are referring to a checking account, not a low-payment amount.

2. Be careful with how you talk about rate discounts. They way First Tech wrote it, “.25% rate discount” sounds like the loan rate is going to be chopped by a full 25% instead of 25 basis points. It would be better to put a zero in front of rate, e.g., “0.25%” and perhaps call it a “rate reduction” instead of discount to be perfectly clear.

Weak “offer acceptance:”
3. It’s too hard to find the loan application in order to take advantage of the great rate. Members are directed back to the First Tech homepage where they must search for an loan app. The CU should either take members directly to a specific landing page for this offer, or at least drop them on the auto loan page. It does help that one of the four rotating homepage banners is for auto loans, but it’s third in the rotation and only stays in view for 15 seconds or so.

In addition, not everyone wants to research and/or apply online. A phone number, at least for more information, would be a welcome addition to the message.

Finally, there is no sense of urgency, e.g., “the rate is guaranteed through the weekend” or even “act now before rates increase.”

Overall grade: B

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First Tech Credit Union email to members promoting 2.99% auto loans (31 Aug. 2011; 9:28 AM Pacific)

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Nationwide Insurance is Fourth Financial Institution with Multiple iPhone Apps

By Jim Bruene Posted on January 11, 2010
Categories: Auto Financing, Insurance, iPhone, Mobile Banking, Nationwide Insurance

In November, we predicted that large financial institutions would each offer dozens of mobile apps targeted to various lines of business and/or customer segments (previous post). PNC Bank, Wells Fargo and Chase each have two apps in the iPhone store.

Three weeks ago, a fourth financial company added its second app: Nationwide Insurance.

The company originally launched an app (inset) geared towards its insurance customers in April 2009 (press release; iTunes store link). This app is designed to assist its insurance customers when they have an accident. The most recent version includes a toolkit, auto claim form, agent finder and even a flashlight.

Then in mid-December, the company released a second app geared towards automobile shoppers, Cartopia (screenshots below; iTunes link; press release). It helps buyers research prospective cars on the go.

By inputting a vehicle identification number (VIN), consumers can quickly access the following info on a prospective vehicle:

Car specs (fuel economy, dimensions, weight, etc.)
Average retail and wholesale prices
5-year cost-of-ownership estimates
Original warranty info
Safety info
History of the VIN number, powered by Experian’s AutoCheck (similar to Carfax report; limited to six free lookups each month; note 1)

In addition, users can calculate monthly loan payments with a built-in loan calculator. Nationwide also provides links for customers to call in to apply for vehicle financing and or receive an insurance quote. Unfortunately, there is no online loan application or insurance price quote engine.

Finally, the app contains space to keep notes and rate the cars you are considering purchasing.

Relevance to Netbankers: If you are in the auto loan and/or insurance business, getting your name in front of car buyers as they shop is the ultimate marketing coup. While you may not be able to emulate all the functions in Nationwide’s app (note 2), even a simple loan calculator and note-taking area, along with links to your call center, could drive incremental business.

Cartopia #2 Main Loan info with link to
Cartopia #1: Splash screen insurance quote (via voice call)

Notes:
1. I was unable to access the report on my test vehicle; the error message said it was temporarily unavailable.
2. Although the app is loaded with features, its UI is a bit clunky and the app is only rated two stars in Apple’s App Store. Consequently, a slimmed down, simpler app, would appeal to many users.
3. For more info on financial services opportunities on the iPhone, see our March Online Banking Report.

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Mercedes-Benz Financial Launches Car Finance iPhone App

By Jim Bruene Posted on October 6, 2009
Categories: Auto Financing, iPhone, Loans & Credit, Mobile Banking

As an analyst who covers new developments in online and mobile finance, I will forever be grateful to Apple for opening up the mobile-phone platform, thereby unleashing a rush of innovations sure to rival the Internet circa 1995 to 2001 (note 1).

The latest financial app is from none other than Mercedes-Benz. The luxury-car maker has several iPhone apps available to its fans, but the latest, which appeared in the App Store last Tuesday, is specifically designed for its finance customers (iTunes link to app). It’s the first captive finance company with its own app, at least in the U.S.

Other than the striking homepage image, the app is pretty pedestrian so far. It allows registered users (note 2) to make a car payment, calculate the pay-off amount, and find dealers and customer service numbers. In other words, it’s a lot like the company’s website ten years ago (note 3).

But that’s OK, for now. Financial brands should take advantage of the free publicity of the iPhone App Store and post something, even if it’s just a window to their Web app (worked for Bank of America).

Along those lines, SunTrust (iTunes link) is the latest megabank to join the store (last week), leaving US Bank, Capital One, BB&T, and HSBC as the remaining top-10 U.S. retail banks without their own iPhone app. Who will be the last one in?

Mercedes-Benz Financial’s homepage includes iPhone link (6 Oct 2009)

iPhone landing page (link)

Notes:
1. For more info on the market, see our Online Banking Report: Mobile Banking via iPhone (March 2009)
2. Users must set up a profile online at Mercedes-BenzFinancial.com before accessing their accounts via iPhone.
3. But I’m kind of surprised MB didn’t include a payments calculator, standard fare at most car sites.

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Chase Bank Offers to Lower Auto Payments by $44

By Jim Bruene Posted on November 13, 2008
Categories: Advertising & Promotion, Auto Financing, Chase Bank, Loans & Credit

It's a sign of the times. Instead of creating interest in auto loans by showing a sexy new convertible on a windy seaside road, Chase offers to help customers stay in their same vehicle with a lower monthly payment (see today's homepage below).

Interestingly, the $44 number in the headline is the actual average savings to Chase auto loan refinance customers in August (see note 1 for how Chase calculated the savings). That makes the whole ad much more believable than the usual what-if scenario.

Instead of burying that key fact in the fine print on the bottom of the landing page (second screenshot), Chase should make it the main headline of the landing page. The bank could go "social" with it by adding testimonials, a blog or forum, calculators (how about one for the iPhone?), a Facebook page, sweepstakes and even a scrolling activity ticker showing actual refinance savings as they happen, much like the Progressive auto insurance quotes (see note 2).

It's not going to help Detroit much, but it's smart marketing for the pre-holiday period. A $44 lower monthly payment translates into $500 in annual savings, enough to put a little something extra under the tree this year.

Chase Bank homepage (13 Nov 2008)

Landing page pop-up (13 Nov 2008)

Notes:

1. Derivation of the $44 savings:

Monthly savings figure is for illustration purposes only. $44.43 is the average monthly amount saved by customers who lowered their rate by refinancing their auto loans with Chase during the period from 7/25/08 to 8/21/08 on which we have the information to determine savings. These customers started with an average balance of $17,500, with an average remaining term of 49 months at an average Annual Percentage Rate (APR) of 10.50% and refinanced on average for 53 months at an average new APR of 7.31%.

2. An activity ticker is one of our top-rated projects for next year as published last week in our Online Banking Report 2009 Planning Guide.

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