The New Jersey Rulebook · From the F&I Desk

NJ dealership guides

The rules that actually run a New Jersey store — compliance, fees, tax math, credentials, and hiring — written from a working F&I desk, with every claim sourced to the statute, the agency, or the data.

Compliance

The NJ dealership F&I compliance guide →

Every rule at the desk — OFAC, Red Flags, TILA, ECOA, Safeguards, the Used Car Rule, plus the NJ Consumer Fraud Act layer — with current penalty figures and the desk-level checklist.

Fees

NJ doc fee rules: what dealers must itemize →

No cap in New Jersey — but strict itemization under N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26B.3, real enforcement, and a $714 state average. How to charge it clean.

Taxes

Lease vs finance: the NJ sales tax math →

Same 6.625%, different base. How NJ taxes leases upfront, the trade-in credit on both sides, the ended EV exemption, and worked examples.

Credentials

AFIP certification for NJ F&I managers →

The benchmark compliance credential: $965, a 200-question proctored exam, two-year renewals — and NJ CAR's two-day boot camp in Ewing.

Hiring

How to hire an F&I manager in New Jersey →

Salary benchmarks, pay-plan structures, the interview questions that expose weak candidates, and the red flags that predict chargebacks.

Monthly

The NJ auto retail briefing →

What's moving in New Jersey auto retail each month — franchise news, lender policy, enforcement, and the new metal headed to showrooms.

Who writes this

From the desk of James Lopez

Automotive Finance & Business Manager in Central New Jersey — seven-plus years, lease and retail, dashboards built in-house. Available to NJ dealerships.

609-480-6826

Hire an F&I manager in New Jersey →