Michigan History: Our State Flag

Michigan’s present state flag was adopted by the Legislature in 1911 with a simple phrase: The State Flag shall be blue charged with the arms of the State. This is Michigan’s third flag. The state coat of arms appears on both sides. The first flag, bearing the State Seal, a soldier, a lady on one side and a portrait of the first governor, Stevens T. Mason, on the other, was first flown in 1837 the year Michigan became a state. In 1865, the second flag carried the state coat of arms on a field of blue on one side and, on the reverse side, the coat of arms of the United States. The state flag flies over the Capitol on the main flagstaff, just below the flag of the United States.

At the top of the seal, you will notice the words, E Pluribus Unum. These words come from our national motto meaning, From many, one. which means that our nation or country was made from many states.

The word Tuebor means I will defend and has reference to the frontier position of Michigan. The State Motto is Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam, Circumspice, which means If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.

 

Just as our American flag has a pledge, so too does our state flag. The Legislature enacted Public Act 165 of 1972 to declare the following pledge, written by Harold G. Coburn, as the official pledge of allegiance to the state flag:

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of Michigan, and to the state for which it stands, 2 beautiful peninsulas united by a bridge of steel, where equal opportunity and justice to all is our ideal.”

Read more >> Getting to Know Michigan

AFIP 2-day Boot Camp for Dealership Employees

Great Lakes Companies is sponsoring an AFIP Certification Boot Camp in April, conducted by the Association of Finance & Insurance Professionals (AFIP). This course provides the tools and education necessary to keep your dealership compliant with the rapidly-changing state and federal regulations that apply to the F&I process. The boot camp offers preparation for the AFIP Certification Examination, followed by the proctored exam. (Two weeks of informal self-study is suggested before attending.) Full AFIP Certification is granted upon successful completion with passing scores.

Who should attend: F&I managers and directors, salespeople who execute loan and lease agreements, sales managers, and general sales managers.

AFIP Certification Boot Camp
April 5&6, 2018 in Portage, MI

Additional information and costs are available here or by contacting Jessica Urias with AFIP at (817) 428-2434 #950 or jessica.urias@afip.com.

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Dealer plates are in the mail

Dealers are reminded that your current dealer plates remain active through February 28, 2018. New plates were mailed via UPS on February 15th.  Dealers with a multi-year dealer license with the State of Michigan will receive the same number of plates previously ordered. These plates were also be shipped in February.

  • Reminder: For law enforcement purposes, any time a vehicle leaves a dealer’s lot on a dealer plate, the following should be in the vehicle: ownership document (MSO / copy of signed title), proof of insurance and written authorization to drive the vehicle. See further details here.

If you have questions please call Jean Quinn at (800) 292-1923 or email jquinn@michiganada.org.

 

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Webinar series: credit reports and compliance

700Credit is offering a complimentary webinar series for businesses that would like to learn more about credit reports, multi-bureau pulls, soft-pulls and compliance.  Keep reading or visit www.700credit.com/webinars to learn more or register

 

How to Read a Credit Report.  So you’ve pulled your customer’s credit report(s) – now what? There are so many numbers, abbreviations and terms you’ve never seen before. Trade lines, charge-offs, account review inquiries — how do you read this and understand what it all means? In this session, we will go back to the basics and learn how to pull out the relevant information from a customer’s credit report to help you make the best lending decision. (March 6th & March 8th)

 

The Benefits of Multi-Bureau Pulls. Recent studies have proven that dealers who pull more than one credit score on consumers have higher closing ratios and gross profits than dealers who pull only one score. In a recent study 55% of applicants with 2 credit bureaus pulled have risk scores that vary by more than 20 points, and the variance increases to over 30 points when all three scores are pulled. This implies the possibility of qualifying for better rates for your consumers on the majority of your deals! In this session, we will discuss the statistics and talk about how you can make the most of multi-bureau pulls at your store and sign up for a credit bureau free trial! (June 5th & June 7th)

 

Soft-Pull Solutions – How to use them at your store AND stay in compliance!  Soft-Pull, Prescreen, Pre-Qualification – these terms are gaining popularity in discussions at dealerships across the country. What do they all mean? How are they the same or different? What are your compliance obligations around using a soft-pull? Many vendors offer these solutions today but not all are created equal. In this session we will review the terms, the technology, and most importantly, your compliance obligations in using these solutions at your store. (September 4th & September 6th)

 

Are You Ready for a Compliance Audit? What must your dealership have in place for Red Flag, Adverse Action and RBPN? Laws and regulations change rapidly, making it difficult to stay on top of your dealership’s compliance obligations. And yet, the cost of shirking this responsibility is high; you really have no choice. In this session we will review your obligations so you are ready for your next audit!   (December 4th & December 6th)

 

700Credit is the automotive industry’s leading provider of credit reports, compliance products and prescreen services. The company’s product and service offerings include: credit reports from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, dealer-facing prescreen and consumer-facing pre-qualification platforms, OFAC compliance, Red Flag solutions, score disclosure notices, adverse action notices and much more.