About: Kane Barker


Recent Posts by Kane Barker

Jul 22

The Dealership Brief: Why Cohort Data Strengthens Your Position at Renewal

Issue No. 16 | July 21, 2026 Intelligence for F&I agents, administrators, and dealership finance professionals. THE VEHICLE MARKET NUMBER: $687.7 billion Federal Reserve G.19 data puts finance company nonrevolving consumer credit outstanding at $687.7 billion in May 2026, down from a 2024 peak of $721.1 billion. Against that backdrop, finance companies are applying greater […]

Jul 22

The Weekly Curve: How Administrators Support Marketer Reserve Rate Reviews

Issue No. 16 | July 21, 2026 For warranty administrators who manage loss ratios, reinsurance, and contract performance. This Week: What’s Driving Finance Company Reserve Decisions THE CURVE: $687.7 billion Federal Reserve G.19 data shows finance company nonrevolving consumer credit outstanding at $687.7 billion in May 2026, down from a 2024 peak of $721.1 billion. […]

Jul 22

The Direct Marketing Brief: How Segmented Cancellation Curves Support a Reserve Rate Case

Issue No. 16 | July 21, 2026 Intelligence for direct marketers in insurance, home services, warranty, and protection. This Week: The Reserve Renegotiation Case THE NUMBER: $687.7 billion Federal Reserve G.19 data puts finance company nonrevolving consumer credit outstanding at $687.7 billion in May 2026, down from a 2024 peak of $721.1 billion. Against that […]

Jul 15

The Dealership Brief: How Vehicle Age and Repair Costs Make the Case for VSC

Issue No. 15 | July 14, 2026 Intelligence for F&I agents, administrators, and dealership finance professionals. Recommended reading before the desk: The $39 Billion Home Warranty Opportunity: What DTC Marketers Need to Know. The aging-asset and repair-cost dynamics in that piece are the same forces driving VSC economics on your lot. THE VEHICLE MARKET NUMBER: 12.8 years […]

Jul 15

The Direct Marketing Brief: Why the Homeowner Savings Gap Is Your Best Targeting Signal

Issue No. 15 | July 14, 2026 Intelligence for direct marketers in insurance, home services, warranty, and protection. This Week: The Savings Gap Is Your Targeting Signal THE NUMBER: 35% Roughly 35% of U.S. homeowners have less than $1,000 saved for home repairs, according to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances. Average annual home […]

Jul 15

The Weekly Curve: Why Repair Cost Inflation Is Outpacing Your Reserve Assumptions

Issue No. 15 | July 14, 2026 For warranty administrators who manage loss ratios, reinsurance, and contract performance. This Week: Repair Inflation vs. Your Reserve Assumptions THE CURVE: 49% BLS CPI data shows HVAC and refrigeration repair costs up approximately 49% since 2020, with appliance repair costs up roughly 33% over the same period, both […]

Jul 8

The Dealership Brief: Why VSC Deal Structure Determines Stick Rate at 7.52% Financing

Issue No. 14 | July 7, 2026 Intelligence for F&I agents, administrators, and dealership finance professionals. THE VEHICLE MARKET NUMBER: 7.52% Federal Reserve G.19 data puts the average new car 60-month loan rate at 7.52% as of February 2026, meaningfully above the floor that conditioned both consumers and F&I desks through 2020-2022. At current rates, […]

Jul 8

The Weekly Curve: How Down Payment Mix Shapes VSC Loss Development Timing

Issue No. 14 | July 7, 2026 For warranty administrators who manage loss ratios, reinsurance, and contract performance. This Week: Cohort-Level Cancel Risk THE CURVE: 7.52% Federal Reserve G.19 data shows the average new car 60-month loan rate at 7.52% as of February 2026, structurally higher than during the 2019-2021 period when many cancellation curve […]

Jul 8

The Direct Marketing Brief: Why Down Payment Tiers Now Drive VSC Cancellation Risk

Issue No. 14 | July 7, 2026 Intelligence for direct marketers in insurance, home services, warranty, and protection. This Week: Cohort-Level Cancel Risk THE NUMBER: 7.52% 7.52% as of February 2026. In today’s financing environment, a $50-per-month swing in a customer’s total payment obligation can have different cancellation implications than it did when auto loan […]

Jul 6

May 2026 New Home Sales: Volume Retreats, Supply Builds

Reflecting the most recent U.S. Census Bureau and HUD release (May 2026) | Published June 2026 The spring selling season failed to deliver. May 2026 new home sales came in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 580,000 — down 7.3% from April’s revised 626,000 and 6.8% below the May 2025 pace of 622,000. That […]


Recent Comments by Kane Barker

    No comments by Kane Barker yet.