What NAF Association does

NAF Association (legally, the National Automotive Finance Association) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1996 and headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida, exclusively serving the non-prime auto finance industry. The association's mission is to educate and connect non-prime automotive finance professionals and industry stakeholders, with a vision of supporting a sustainable non-prime auto finance industry driven by ethical and responsible practices. NAF provides compliance education programs, including five front-line certificates (Collector, Customer Service Representative, Dealer Sales Representative, Underwriter, Contract Auditing & Funding) and a 42-hour Compliance Professional Certification developed in partnership with Hudson Cook, LLP. Members also benefit from a bi-annual recertification program, the Compliance Roundtable peer network, the Power 30 webinar series, and access to The Exchange online community platform.

NAF's core revenue model is built on tiered company-based membership dues ($2,140 Associate; $3,210–$7,490 Financing Source based on non-prime outstanding volume), supplemented by conference registration ($995–$1,395), sponsorship and exhibitor packages (kiosk booths at $4,000–$6,500; tiered corporate sponsorships), compliance education and certification fees ($100–$3,000), the annual NAF/AFSA industry survey report ($500), and on-demand conference recordings ($299–$399). The association's technology stack runs on third-party platforms: Novi AMS for association management and the Member Compass portal, Docebo for the Learning Gateway LMS, and Tradewing for The Exchange online community. Signature events include the annual Non-Prime Auto Financing Conference (celebrating its 30th year in 2026 at the Omni Las Colinas Hotel in Irving, Texas), the exclusive Executive Exchange (capped at 25 lenders), and the hybrid Compliance Champions Workshop.

NAF serves three primary customer segments: Financing Source Members (sales finance companies and auto lenders serving below-prime consumers), Associate Members (auto dealers and third-party service providers such as FICO, Plaid, Allied Solutions, GM Financial, and dotData), and individual certified compliance professionals engaged in the recertification program. The association claims a 400+ member company network and 500+ annual conference attendees. Operationally, the organization is governed by a Board of Directors elected from its member companies, with no external parent, venture capital, or private equity ownership identified in source materials.

Name

NAF Association

Legal name

National Automotive Finance Association

Website

https://nafassociation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NAF Association (National Automotive Finance Association) is a non-profit trade association serving the non-prime auto finance industry since 1996, providing compliance education, professional certification, networking forums, and an annual conference to financing companies, dealers, and third-party service providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Auto Finance Trade Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Asset-Based Lending (ABL) (FSANADAD)

Keywords

• Auto finance association
• Compliance education
• Non-prime lending
• Trade association
• Professional certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanover

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Company-based annual membership dues in tiered brackets based on non-prime outstanding plus serviced contracts. Financing Source members pay Tier 1 ($3,210), Tier 2 ($5,350), or Tier 3 ($7,490). Associate members pay $2,140 annually.
2. Conference Registration: Revenue from the annual Non-Prime Auto Financing Conference (NAF2026) with member registration at $995 and non-member at $1,395, plus add-ons such as golf outings and sponsorship packages.
3. Compliance Education Programs: Online certificate programs (Collector, Underwriter, Dealer Sales Rep, Customer Service Rep, Contract Auditing & Funding) priced at $100–$200 per certificate for members/non-members. The full Compliance Professional Certification is $2,000 for members and $3,000 for non-members.
4. Recertification Fees: Bi-annual recertification application fee of $150 for maintaining Certified Consumer Credit Compliance Professional status, applicable to both members and non-members.
5. Compliance Roundtable Program: Annual peer-to-peer learning program for certified professionals with 4 meetings per year. Priced at $2,000/year for member company graduates and $3,000/year for non-member graduates.
6. Sponsorship & Exhibitor Revenue: Kiosk booths (Diamond $6,500, Emerald $5,000, Sapphire $4,000 for members), standard booths ($5,500 member / $6,500 non-member), and various sponsorship tiers including Grand Corporate, Executive, Corporate, and Supporting sponsorships.
7. Industry Survey Report: Annual Non-Prime Auto Financing Survey Report co-produced with AFSA, sold for $500 per copy.
8. Conference Recordings: On-demand access to conference presentation recordings from the annual event, priced at $299 for members and $399 for non-members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

NAF Association is a non-profit trade association serving the non-prime auto finance industry. It delivers company-based membership, a 42-hour Compliance Professional Certification with supporting front-line certificate programs (Collector, Customer Service Representative, Dealer Sales Representative, Underwriter, and Contract Auditing & Funding), an annual industry survey, peer networking forums, the annual Non-Prime Auto Financing Conference, an Executive Exchange, a Compliance Champions Workshop, and the Power 30 webinar series.

Product overview

NAF Association is a trade association for the non-prime auto finance industry that operates as a platform of interconnected membership services rather than a single unified technology product. The core offerings include the Compliance Professional Certification Program (a rigorous 42-hour, 36-session certification covering federal consumer credit laws), supported by five front-line compliance certificate programs (Collector, Customer Service Representative, Dealer Sales Representative, Underwriter, and Contract Auditing & Funding). The association delivers signature events including the Annual Non-Prime Auto Financing Conference (celebrating 30 years in 2026), the Executive Exchange leadership retreat, and the Compliance Champions Workshop. Additional services include the Compliance Roundtable peer network, Power 30 webinar series, Conference Recordings, the annual NAF/AFSA Industry Survey Report, the Exchange online community, Non-Prime Times publication, and NAF Networks peer groups. The Learning Gateway provides the digital platform for delivering compliance education programs. Membership is company-based with tiered pricing and provides access to the member directory, events registration, and professional development resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Non-Prime Times: Industry publication providing news and insights for non-prime auto finance professionals
• The Exchange
• Learning Gateway
• Member Compass

Products and services

• Membership Services Company-based annual membership providing finance companies, dealers, and service providers access to the member directory, event registration, compliance education catalog, The Exchange online community, and Quarterly Reports. Targeted at organizations in the non-prime auto finance ecosystem.
• Compliance Professional Certification Comprehensive online certification program covering federal consumer credit laws and regulations, comprising 42 hours of coursework across 36 online sessions. Priced at $2,000 for member company employees and $3,000 for non-member employees. Designed for finance company compliance management staff.
• Collector Certificate Online certificate program covering FDCPA, ECOA, FTC Act, Dodd-Frank Act, and state collection laws for front-line collections personnel at finance companies. Priced at $100 for members and $200 for non-members.
• Customer Service Representative Certificate Online training module covering federal and state consumer credit laws for customer service representatives, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and servicemember protection laws.
• Dealer Sales Representative Certificate Compliance training program for dealer sales staff covering telemarketing rules, TCPA, advertising regulations, CAN-SPAM, and state motor vehicle dealer laws.
• Underwriter Certificate Online training program for auto finance underwriters covering the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, FTC Act, and Dodd-Frank Act with practical case studies.
• Contract Auditing & Funding Certificate Online training covering the Truth in Lending Act, Regulation Z, state retail installment sales acts, and anti-discrimination laws, designed for contract auditing and funding staff at finance companies.
• Recertification Two-year renewal program for Certified Compliance Professionals requiring 24 credits (minimum 12 from NAF programs), with categories including continuing education, instruction, research/publishing, leadership, and professional membership. Application fee is $150.
• Compliance Roundtable Program Annual peer-to-peer learning program for Certified Consumer Credit Compliance Professionals featuring four meetings per year (2 virtual, 1 in-person, 1 hybrid), moderated by Hudson Cook, LLP attorneys, with online community and List Serve access. Priced at $2,000/year for member company graduates and $3,000/year for non-member graduates.
• Non-Prime Auto Financing Conference (NAF2026/2027) Annual flagship 3-day conference for the non-prime auto finance industry, featuring education sessions, networking events (Power Pods speed networking, NAF'ter Hours Dessert Reception, Closing Celebration), an exhibit hall with kiosks and booths, awards ceremony, and a golf outing add-on. Member registration is $995; non-member registration is $1,395.
• Executive Exchange Exclusive small-group leadership retreat limited to 25 lenders, designed for CEOs, executives, and senior leaders to engage in candid peer dialogue on industry challenges, strategic decisions, and leadership topics. Held September 16-17, 2026.
• Compliance Champions Workshop Annual hybrid (in-person plus virtual) compliance workshop providing intensive regulatory insights for automotive finance professionals through live and prerecorded sessions. Co-facilitated by Hudson Cook, LLP attorneys. Held October 6-7, 2026.
• Power 30 Webinar Series Member-exclusive educational webinar series covering compliance and industry topics such as AI updates, state enforcement, debt collection, remote transactions, and market expansion. Each session earns 0.5 NAF Recertification Credits.
• Conference Recordings On-demand access to recorded presentations from the Annual Non-Prime Auto Financing Conference, covering industry overviews, legal updates, and compliance trending topics. Priced at $299 for members and $399 for non-members.
• NAF/AFSA Annual Non-Prime Auto Financing Survey Report Annual industry benchmark report co-produced with the American Financial Services Association (AFSA), covering non-prime auto financing sources across the U.S. market. Priced at $500 per copy, with special pricing for Associate Members and AFSA Business Partners.
• The Exchange (Online Community) Online member community platform where members connect, share best practices, discuss industry topics, share documents, conduct polls, and send private messages. Available as part of NAF Association membership.
• Non-Prime Times Industry publication covering member news, compliance updates, and non-prime auto finance trends, available online and by subscription at nonprimetimes.com.
• NAF Networks Specialty networking program offering focused groups for Leadership, Operations, Servicing, and Technology topics with virtual and in-person meetings throughout the year, Ask to Answer Forums, and spring/fall virtual meetups. Available as part of membership.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12 recertification credits available per NAF Association Conference attendance
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Financial Services Association (AFSA): National trade association for the consumer finance industry. AFSA is the most directly comparable peer because NAF co-produces its annual Non-Prime Auto Financing Survey Report with AFSA, and AFSA serves an overlapping member base of finance companies and service providers in U.S. consumer credit.
• National Independent Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA): Trade association for independent used-car dealers, a segment heavily reliant on non-prime auto financing. NIADA is structurally similar to NAF (membership, events, compliance education) and serves a closely related audience on the dealer counterpart of NAF's financing-source members.

Broad incumbents

• National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA): Largest U.S. trade association representing franchised new-car dealers. Overlaps with NAF on the dealer side of the auto finance ecosystem and competes for dealer mindshare and compliance education budgets, but operates at a much larger scale and across the full prime/non-prime spectrum.
• American Bankers Association (ABA): Largest U.S. banking trade association covering consumer and commercial banking, including indirect auto lending. ABA is a much broader incumbent that competes for the same compliance education, advocacy, and event-attention budgets from finance-company executives that NAF targets.
• Credit Union National Association (CUNA): National trade association for U.S. credit unions, many of which participate in non-prime auto lending. Operates a similar membership, compliance training, and event-based model and addresses overlapping regulatory and consumer-finance issues for NAF members.

Emerging players

• National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (NAMAD): Trade association promoting the interests of minority-owned automobile dealers. NAMAD addresses the dealer side of the non-prime and underserved-credit customer base that NAF's financing-source members serve, with shared regulatory and dealer-relations themes.
• Bank Administration Institute (BAI): Industry association providing banking and finance training, conferences, and benchmarking. BAI's model of paid training programs, certifications, and signature events is structurally similar to NAF's certification and conference stack, though BAI serves a broader banking audience.
• Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP): Membership association offering globally recognized certifications (FRM, SCR) and risk-focused events. GARP is a useful comparable for NAF's certification-driven monetization strategy, especially if NAF expands its compliance credential into adjacent risk and regulatory roles.

Regional players

• National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU): Trade association focused exclusively on federally insured credit unions. Overlaps with NAF on compliance education, advocacy, and consumer-credit regulatory issues for members that participate in non-prime auto lending programs.

Others

• American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators (AARMR): Association of state regulators overseeing the residential mortgage industry. AARMR is an adjacent regulatory-body peer relevant to NAF's compliance and consumer-credit work, illustrating the broader ecosystem of niche financial-services trade associations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/National-Automotive-Finance-Assoc-727250397421873
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-automotive-finance-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NAF Association