The Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) and representatives from Parliament and the motor finance industry will celebrate recent graduates of the Specialist Automotive Finance (SAF) Advanced qualification at a reception today in the House of Commons.
Launched by the FLA and ifs University College in 2015, the SAF Advanced syllabus was developed by motor finance experts to cover all the topics needed by dealership staff. This includes key customer service and management principles, and the vitally important regulatory and legislative framework that governs the sale of motor finance products.
Adrian Dally, Head of Motor Finance at the FLA, said:
“It’s almost a year since we launched the qualification, and a perfect opportunity for us to congratulate the first tranche of successful candidates while encouraging others in the industry to consider taking the qualification themselves.”
At today’s event, two guest speakers from Cargiant, the largest used car retail site in the world, will set out how SAF Advanced has made a direct contribution to the smooth operation of the business.
David Stanton, Senior Manager at Cargiant:
“We’re already seeing the benefits from those who have gone through the course – they’re more confident about selling finance and better equipped to do so. The studying has even prompted an appetite for further study, which is great for any business.”
Jonathan Holdsworth, Business Manager at Cargiant:
“SAF Advanced proved enormously satisfying on a personal level. It has definitely helped in my job. I am more knowledgeable about the industry in general, and finance regulation in particular – far more so than before the training as there is a massive difference between the standard SAF test and the SAF Advanced qualification.”
Note to editors:
- SAF Advanced, also known as CertAutoFS, was launched by the FLA and ifs University College, the university college for financial education, in June 2015.
- 32 individuals have already gained the qualification. Some of their testimonies can be accessed on the SAF website.
- SAF Advanced serves as the natural progression to Specialist Automotive Finance (SAF) – the FLA’s online competency test introduced in 2007 to raise selling standards and improve consumer confidence in motor finance.
- In 2015, FLA members provided £110 billion of new finance to UK businesses and households. £81 billion of this was in the form of consumer credit, almost a third of total new consumer credit written in the UK in 2015. £37 billion of it supported the purchase of new and used cars, including over 80% of private new car registrations.