Auto Link, a leading fintech and marketing company serving over 175 financial institutions, is delivering an important message to financial institutions ("FI") – pay close attention to the recent Amazon announcement.

Amazon, the tech giant that started as a simple online book seller and has completely changed the way we shop for virtually everything, is going to begin selling cars online, packaged with financing, starting in 2024. This presents a big risk for all FIs, in particular credit unions and small community banks, because their financing will likely be left out of the equation with Amazon's new venture. 

Car financing starts with online car research and the research portal used controls the digital conversation and finance offerings. Consumers spend 12 – 15 hours online shopping for vehicles at sites like cars.com, Auto Trader, and TrueCar. While visiting those sites, cookies and ad trackers are placed on consumer's devices, and consumer information is presented to big finance companies. Often, the consumer's FI is the last person in the auto vertical that knows a consumer is shopping for a car, and by then, it is too late.

The Amazon announcement takes online car shopping and financing to the next level. Consumers want easy and intuitive access to information and services, 24/7 from any device. Amazon has the knowledge and know-how to deliver this, effectively removing many FIs from the financing conversation. 

Auto Link offers a turnkey digital alternative to keep FIs in the game and help them compete with Amazon and other digital marketplaces. The average consumer visits their FI's mobile app or website at least weekly, which places them in a perfect "digital" position to compete with Amazon. Auto Link's white-labeled vehicle marketplace keeps consumers on the FI site during the entire search process, controlling the online conversation using machine learning and AI while driving the consumer into the FI lending funnel. Third party companies don't know potential borrowers are shopping, which puts the FI in the driver's seat to secure financing. Additional tools, like Auto Link's Virtual Car Sale experience, bridge the gap between FIs and dealers and have added millions in new loans per day for clients.

"We created Auto Link to help financial institutions stay connected with potential borrowers because of the shift to digital in auto research, buying, and financing. Amazon's entry into the space is an inflection point, and every FI CEO, CLO, and CMO should evaluate their digital plans in 2024 in order to stay relevant in auto lending," said Ed Bourgeois Founder & CEO of Auto Link.

Learn more about Auto Link's solution at https://www.bookmoreautoloans.com