Ford Motor Credit Company


Ford Motor Credit Company LLC, d/b/a Ford Credit, is the financial services arm of Ford Motor Company, and is headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan.
The predominant share of Ford Credit's business consists of financing Ford and Lincoln vehicles and supporting Ford and Lincoln dealers. Specifically, its business activities are concentrated in the area of automobile financing for consumers and dealership inventory and leasing. Ford Credit competes mainly on the basis of service and financing rate programs, including those sponsored by Ford. A key foundation of its service is providing broad and consistent purchasing policies for retail installment sale and lease contracts, and consistent support for dealer financing requirements across economic cycles. These policies have helped Ford Credit build strong relationships with Ford's dealer network that enhance competitiveness. Ford Credit also provides commercial financing and lines of credit to dealerships selling Ford Motor Company products. The firm also issues commercial paper and other debt instruments on Ford's behalf.
Ford Credit also owns Lincoln Automotive Financial Services, the arm that finances Lincoln vehicles.

History

The credit arm of Ford Motor Company was created with the purchase of Associates First Capital Corporation from Gulf Western in 1989.
Since the automotive industry crisis of 2008–10, Ford Credit has been the only financial arm of Detroit's "Big Three" still owned by its parent automaker after the spinoff of GMAC by General Motors and the purchase of Chrysler Financial by Toronto-Dominion Bank.