Though almost everybody knows how balloon loans work, it is always smart to reexamine the concept so as to have the variables implied fresh to analyze how they work on car loans.
Thus, we will give a short explanation on balloon loans and then, we’ll analyze how balloon loans can help you afford a car purchase and in which situations it is advisable to resort to car balloon loans.
Balloon loans explained
A balloon loan is a loan that has monthly payments that are not set up to repay the loan in full when the loan repayment program ends. Instead, when the loan schedule has ended, the borrower has to make a balloon payment which is larger than the rest of the payments and cancels the whole loan’s principal so until then, the loan isn’t fully paid off.
Balloon loans help keep the monthly payments low as they usually include interests only or maybe a small portion of the balance. Thus, when the final balloon payment is due, the balance of the loan usually equals the loan’s principal or is well close to it. This particularity makes balloon loans useful for certain situations or when the purpose is to eventually sell whatever has been bought with the loan’s money.
Consequences on Car Loans
Balloon loans are a good alternative when you can’t afford the monthly payments on a regular car loan. The affordability of balloon car loans’ monthly payments is excellent and lets almost anyone to obtain finance to purchase a car. However, the problem comes when you need to make that balloon payment at the end of the repayment program. If you can’t afford it, you’ll loose the vehicle and damage your credit.
Why do we say that car loans of the balloon type can be advantageous then? Because, if used correctly, the cost to you can equal almost nothing. If you are one of those who likes to change cars every now and then (i.e. every five years at most), balloon loans can be an excellent tool for you. By using balloon loans you can get a car, use it for five years owning it and paying monthly payments even lower than rent installments.
The idea is quite simple: You purchase a vehicle with a balloon car loan, you use your car for up to 75% of the loan’s repayment schedule and then you put it for sale. Hopefully, before the balloon payment is due, you’ll have completed the sale and canceled the loan in full. Then, you can take another balloon loan to purchase your new vehicle. It’s cheap and viable, the only problem is that you have to make sure that the car is sold before the balloon payment is due or else, you’ll have to obtain the money to cancel the loan or refinance it.
Posted in
Car Loans at May 25th, 2010.
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Car loans after a bankruptcy is one of the first secured loans you will qualify for. Not only will you obtain transportation with a car loan, but you can also rebuild your credit. The following three facts will help you get the best financing deal.
1. Seven Years Doesn’t Mean Seven Years Of No Credit
Bankruptcy doesn’t mean that you can’t qualify for credit for seven years. After a few months of reestablishing your credit, you can apply with a subprime lender for vehicle financing. With a good credit record of two years or longer, you can look at conventional lenders.
Subprime lenders work with non-traditional borrowers. With their slightly higher rates, they can offer a variety of financing options to people with all sorts of credit records. Conventional lenders also look at people with bankruptcy once they have regained a good credit score.
2. Lenders Offer Different Rates – So Compare First
Lenders offer different rates from the market index. By comparing the APR, which also includes any fees, you can find the lowest costing loan. This doesn’t always mean the lowest interest rate.
Another way to reduce your rates is to increase your down payment to 20% or more. A large down payment reduces the risk of default, enabling lenders to provide better rates.
Rates also vary by the type of vehicle you purchase. New cars purchased from a dealership qualify for the lowest rates. But budget considerations, such as vehicle price, should also be considered in choosing your car’s financing.
3. You Can Refinance Car Loans
Once you sign a contract for your car loan, you don’t have to feel trapped by the rates. Today’s lenders offer refinancing options for car loans. Even if rates go up, you may find that by improving your credit score, you will qualify for better rates in two years.
If you plan on refinancing, make sure that your current car loan doesn’t have any early payment fees. Also, be aware that the majority of your interest is paid at the beginning of your loan. Waiting too long to refinance may not save you any money, so check the numbers first.
Reasonable car loan rates can be found by researching and planning ahead.
Posted in
Car Loans at May 25th, 2010.
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Buying a new car is one of the single biggest purchases most people are likely to make in their life. Other than their home and maybe their education, there is not really much personal expenditure that can compare in size to the purchase of a new car. Therefore it is not surprising that most people cannot afford to pay for a car outright. This is so even if they have a very good income. It is a simple fact of life that to buy a new car, most people will need to use a car loan to do so.
If you are considering taking out a car loan to finance the purchase of a new car, then you should make sure you are completely aware of all the financing options that are available to you so that you get the best deal available. It is highly likely that to car dealer that is selling you the car will have some sort of financing options available to you. This may be in the form of a loan to purchase the car or leasing options that are also available. You should be clear of the vital difference between a loan and a leasing arrangement. With a loan, you are borrowing the money so that you can purchase the car. With a lease, you are only paying for the use of the car, and at the end of the leasing period, you simply return the car and that is the end of the arrangement.
There are some leases that will give you an option to buy the car at the end of the leasing period. If you borrow the entire amount for purchase of the car, it is likely that your monthly repayment amounts on the car loan will be higher than those for a lease, this is because you are paying for the full price of the car and at the end of this time, after you have made all the repayments on the term of the loan, you will be the owner of the car.
There are a number of factors that you should look at when deciding which car loan to opt for. First of all, you should know that you do not have to accept the financing options that the dealer offers you. You can also shop around with other lenders, such as banks, and make sure you get the best deal on offer. Car loans are expensive and you should be willing to look into the various options that are available before settling on any one option.
Posted in
Car Loans at May 25th, 2010.
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If you intend to buy a car there are lots of options available with launch of new car brands in the Indian market. Going for the right kind of car loan is very important in the case you decide to buy a car on finance. There are lots of factors that play their roles when you decide about a certain car loan. Normally it is better to peg your car loan around 10-15 % of your net income.
Deciding to buy a new car or an old one depends on various factors. A lot of people go for a used car when they go for their first purchase. On the other hand, majority of people will prefer a new car. For people who keep changing their car frequently it is preferable to buy an old one as they may change even a new car soon. On the other hand, anyone with a habit of sticking to one car for a long time should purchase a new one as it will give them more satisfaction.
When going for buying a car it is recommenced to have some factors clear in mind, like the budget for purchasing the car, monthly budget for the car and the period you intend to use the car. Where you are going to use the vehicle (town or village) is another factor that can influence your decision in buying a car
Note that before buying an old car it is advisable to take the advice of a mechanic about the various performance criteria like lyres, suspension and cooling of the car
Getting a car loan has become easier now a days. There is a healthy completion in the market among banks to offer finance options to clients and earn interest on them.
Taking car loan from some financial institution is the easiest and most used way of financing your car. In this case the car you buy is actually a possession of the lending institution. The formal term used is ‘hypothecation clause’, which means that though you own the car, the lending institution is using the car as a security against the loan taken by you. Once you have cleared all the dues, this clause is removed from the agreement. It is notable that a self-employed person can get tax relief on the interest paid for the car loan.
Another finance option for purchasing a car is hire purchase. In this system, the lender buys the car on your behalf and sells it to you on hire purchase. In fact, you hire the car from the lender and own it once you have settled the dues.
Lease is another option for financing a car. If you go for this option, the car is owned by the financier and leased out to you for a monthly installment, which includes both principal and interest payment. When the lease period ends, you become the owner of the car and the vehicle is formally transferred in your name
You need to do all the necessary paperwork when you are going to buy a car. The paperwork includes dealing with power of attorney that allows the dealer to go to the RTO and register the vehicle and transfer of title in the case you are trading in a car. While signing the legal documents take care and do not hesitate to check the facts in case you have any doubts.
You should know that when a bank offers you a car loan it charges a processing fee, which is a certain percentage of the total loan amount. The fee amount may vary from bank to bank and it is paid upfront. This fee is taken from the amount of money you get as loan.
You should take care in choosing a bank and should check its fee percentage as it can have a big impact on the final loan amount you get and the cost you have to bear.
While going for a car loan, monthly installment also known as Equated Monthly Installment (EMI) is something that counts a lot. You should be careful about this amount to be repaid to the bank. The rate of interest and the amount of EMI differ from bank to bank. So, take care to go for the bank that offers the best deal.
There are various methods to calculate the EMI to be repaid to the bank that provided you the car loan. Some banks calculate the EMI based on the day by day basis. In this method, the principal is reduced every day as if you were making repayment of the principal on a daily basis. On the other hand some banks use the monthly basis method in which the interest reduces every month when you pay your EMI. Some banks use the quarterly method, in which the principal reduces every three months. In the yearly method the principal is reduced at the end of each year.
The aforementioned methods of calculating the EMI amount is used by banks. You should check before going for any car loan and should be aware about the method employed by the bank.
Some banks charge a certain penalty in the case you decide to prepay the loan amount. Prepayment may happen in the case your finances improve and you decide to pay back all the outstanding loan amount. This results in the bank losing the interest amount that it could have earned. So, most of banks charge a certain prepayment penalty. They want to discourage you from prepaying. The amount of the penalty may differ from bank to bank. Check for the prepayment charge details in the case you are going for a car loan. It is advisable to go for a bank that charges no amount as penalty for prepayment. In the case all banks charge you should better go for the bank that charges the minimum penalty.
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Posted in
General at March 29th, 2010.
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