Illinois lender gets funds to increase auto lending

With auto loan rates reaching record lows, lenders are looking for new ways to spark borrowing and business. One auto lender in Illinois, the Community Plus Federal Credit Union, is doing just that after announcing the receipt of a $450,000 federal loan. According to the News-Gazette, the money will go toward issuing new auto loans and other "credit-builder" loans. The central Illinois-based credit union was eligible for funding after it received certification as a Community Development Financial Institution from the U.S. Treasury Department. The classification will allow Community Plus to apply for further federal loans and other funding. Community Plus president Mike Daugherty told the news source that much of the $450,000 will go toward helping lower-income people purchase vehicles so they can commute to work. The organization is the third credit union in the state to receive the title of a CDFI. The lending comes at a time when Illinois Governor Pat Quinn announced not only new tax hikes in the Land of Lincoln, but appointed Brent Adams to his cabinet. Along with Adams, Quinn passed a bill that cracked down on the practice of auto title loans, reinforcing the need for lending groups such as Community Plus.