Dealership Institute’s vs F&I Training Schools

Training with an automotive dealership institute or an F&I training school, is one of the best ways to start a new career as an F&I Manager.

When students train with an institute that specializes in automotive dealership F&I processes, they learn from instructors who have already been F&I Managers.

Learning from people who have “been there” and “done that” is a huge advantage.

And the best part? F&I Schools and dealership institutions are trusted by dealerships around the nation to train the next generation of F&I Managers and to help current F&I Manager’s improve their skills.

Auto Dealership Institute’s vs F&I Training Schools

What is the difference between an automotive dealership institute and an automotive F&I Training School?

The majority of the time, the difference is simply in the name.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines an “institute” as: “Something that is instituted: such as an educational institution and especially one devoted to technical fields”.

In other words, a trade school.

And in this case, the trade that is being taught is F&I.

An Institute that teaches automotive dealership Finance and Insurance management.

F&I Training Schools

Finance and Insurance (F&I) Training Schools on the other hand offer the same (or similar) services as an automotive F&I institute.

Popular F&I Training schools – such as Finance Manager Training™ – offer the best cost to benefit ratio for F&I Manager hopefuls and veteran F&I Managers.

By combining the cost savings of online education with the power and potential of an F&I Manager career, an F&I School such as Finance Manager Training™ puts F&I education into the hands of people who may otherwise not be able to afford the cost of an institute.

Well known Institute’s for Automotive Dealerships

One example of an F&I Training Institute is Assurant®, with their Assurant Performance Institute that is part of the dealership F&I services that they offer.

Assurant is one of the most well known F&I product providers.

Another well known institute for automotive dealerships and F&I Training is the Automotive Dealership Institute in Arizona .

Automotive Dealership Institute features a well reviewed and world class in-person training curriculum, as well as virtual options.

There is also the Protective Asset Protection® Training Institute, which is another good option for dealerships and their F&I departments.

While not an exclusive list of automotive dealership institutes, these organizations are among the best and most popular.

Disclaimer: We are in NO way affiliated with Assurant®, Automotive Dealership Institute in Arizona, or Protective Asset Protection®. This article is simply showing a few of the different options that students have. Each program is excellent.  Companies found to have a registered trademark with USPTO have the ® symbol. All information correct as of October 20th, 2020.

Job Placement Assistance with Dealership Institutes and F&I Schools

Students of F&I schools and dealership institute s are often hired as F&I managers in dealerships across the United States and Canada.

This is a credit to the excellent F&I job placement assistance that is included with the tuition of some schools and institutes.

The process typically consists of a Job Director or Career Development Department using their research and networking skills to connect with Dealerships in the students area.

Once the connection is made, the F&I job placement assistance director will negotiate an interview on behalf of the student.

If all goes well, their first F&I job is potentially around the corner.

Which should I choose?

That’s a great question.

Which F&I training company you should choose comes down to a few different factors.

We suggest that you create a pro’s and con’s list, because the decision is often a personal one and depends on how you learn best.

Some questions that you could ask yourself include:

1. Would you prefer to learn from the comfort of your home, with an F&I School? Or would you rather travel to an in-person institute?
2. Are you comfortable paying for the high costs of an institution, when there are other affordable options available?
3. Have you ever turned to YouTube to make a small repair in your home or car? That’s similar to online F&I Training. You watch the video, absorb the information, and then know a new skill!

Whichever choice you make, know that you’re in good hands. Automotive dealership institutes, F&I institutes, and F&I Training schools all offer world-class programs that can help you become a better F&I Manager.

PS, here is a free F&I training lesson for you to enjoy!

Disclaimer: We are in NO way affiliated with Assurant®, Automotive Dealership Institute in Arizona, or Protective Asset Protection®. This article is simply showing a few of the different options that students have. Each program is excellent.  Companies found to have a registered trademark with USPTO have the ® symbol. All information correct as of October 2020.