RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. -- The CUDL AutoSmart Program and Website has been presented with Summit International's 2007 MarketingEffectiveness Award for outstanding achievement.

CUDL (www.cudl.com) administers the nation's largestpoint-of-sale and indirect auto lending
network for credit unions, and its Web site (www.cudlautosmart.com)competed against 500 entries globally in the B2B product campaigncategory.

Mike Federoff of CUDL demonstrated the Web site for Credit UnionTimes at the recent NADA conference in San Francisco. The site, heexplained, was developed specifically for CUs and their memberbase. "Our CUDL members have a link from their credit union's Website to AutoSmart's site, and it's cobranded site that's a one-stopshop for both new and used cars as well as a research portal on carbuying. We customize the page to match the CU's colors and banner,so it's a transparent extension of the credit union's service."

While the educational value is real, the whole CUDL approach isto save members from going through the much-dreaded car buyingrigmarole, he said. The site offers a car search, car buying tipsand an expanded library of online automobile shopping resourceslike what questions to ask before going to a dealership. There'seven a pocket-buying checklist, Federoff said. Using AutoSmartallows members to know the price of the car, a good idea of thevalue of any trade in and will even set up an appointment at adealership.

As a result, the program provides credit unions with a keyresource designed to enhance overall member satisfaction to drivefinancing to the credit union. "Dealers contract with CUDL to be apart of the program, and credit unions always have the right offirst refusal on financing," said Federoff. "The dealer can selladd-ons, but the credit union sets the parameters of those add-onslike gap insurance to assure the member isn't being rippedoff."

More than 5,000 auto dealers participate in the CUDL AutoSmartprogram, offering access to the 20 million members they represent.The AutoSmart program gives dealerships the ability to post vehicleinventories online, both locally and nationally, providing anadditional advertising source to drive new sales. Currently, morethan 385,000 vehicles from dealer inventories nationwide are listedon the AutoSmart web site.

AutoSmart was first launched in 2000 and the current iterationdates from two years ago, but it's always being improved, Federoffsaid. "Our goal is to provide our credit union partners with aprogram and online resource that will help increase memberretention and grow their auto loan portfolio."

The most recent addition to the CUDL and AutoSmart program wasPennsylvania State Employees Credit Union in Harrisburg, which hasthe largest credit union automotive lending volume in the KeystoneState. PSCU has 330,000 members and $2.9 billion in assets.

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