Finance Tips

Obtaining a car loan with bad credit is achievable. The downside to purchasing a car with bad credit is that you may receive a high interest rate. On average, individuals with poor credit can expect to pay about 2 or 3 percentage points higher. Higher interest rates may increase you monthly payment by up to $150. Those who can afford to pay a higher monthly payment may be willing to purchase a car with a high rate. Nonetheless, there are ways to improve your chances of getting a reasonable interest rate.

Fix Your Credit Problems

Before approving a loan, lenders review credit reports to determine credit worthiness. Credit reports reveal a lot of information regarding your credit history. Do you pay your bills on time? Have you filed bankruptcy? How much debt do you have? Based on this information, lenders will approve or deny credit. If you have a low credit rating, try and improve your score before applying for a car loan. It takes time to improve your credit score, but it is worth the effort. Improving score involves paying bills on time, reducing credit card and consumer debt, etc. If you have recently filed bankruptcy, consider opening two or three new credit accounts to rebuild credit and establish a good payment history with creditors.

Save for a Down Payment

Having a down payment is a great way to negotiate a lower interest rate on a new car. The average down payment varies. However, a down payment of as little as $1000 can make a big difference. An interest rate reduction may save you thousands throughout the life of the loan. If you are hoping for a very low monthly payment, consider a large down payment. Not only will you get a low interest rate, but you are able to pay off the loan balance quicker.

Compare Fees and Rates

Many people receive auto financing through a dealership. However, it is smart to obtain at least three quotes. The best way to obtain multiple quotes for a car loan is to apply for a loan with an auto loan broker. Brokers are the convenient way to compare lenders. Simply complete an online information request form, and auto loan brokers will negotiate with several lenders to provide you the best financing. After you receive quotes from lenders, compare their rates, fees, and terms. Select the lender with the best financing option.

When you are sitting across from the credit manager at the dealership and only a few feet away from the car of your dreams, you really want to believe every word he says. But if you have poor credit history, you know there is no way to get that shiny new car through a bank loan – and he knows it, too! You may not have thought a new car loan was possible because of a couple of bad decisions made in the past – so when the credit manager says “you’re approved”, your heart begins to race!

Suddenly you start to imagine yourself taking road trips and having one adventure after another – and the last thing on your mind is the interest rate on the car loan. Before you know it, you are driving off the lot in your shiny new car thinking that you pulled one over on those fools! Three months later, surviving off of peanut butter and saltine crackers, it hits you – car loans financed through a dealership are evil!

But what can I do?

Well, after sticking the voodoo doll with a few more pins and hoping that the credit manager feels it, you need to start thinking about how to refinance the car loan, bad credit and all. But it isn’t easy to refinance a car loan with bad credit, is it? Truthfully, you may not be able to do so – for awhile…

So I was right–bad car loans are the end of the world, aren’t they!

Now now, pilgrim – just breathe. While you may be in deep trouble at the moment, all hope is not yet lost – but you may have to get used to those crackers and peanut butter for awhile. What you cannot do is panic, or throw your arms up in despair. Bad car loans happen, and they happen to people with bad credit more often than you think. But bad car loans can be fixed by improving your credit, so make sure to pay everything on time – for at least six months. I don’t care how disgusting saltine crackers become during that time, do not miss any (any!) payments!

OK, I have lost fifteen pounds, but I have paid my bills on time for six months–now what?

Now, you get smart. You need to shop around online for a place that refinances bad car loans. After building your credit by making the payments on that bad car loan for the past six months (and all of your other bills, too!), your credit rating should begin to improve and options will start to open. You do not want to refinance your car loan with the same bad credit you had when that credit manager lured you in six months ago, because you probably won’t get a better rate anyway. But, if you have been a good boy or girl, and ate all your crackers and paid your bills on time, you can probably find a better rate now on a new car loan. And potentially save yourself thousands in the process.

Now, don’t get me wrong, it may take longer than a year to find a rate on a car loan that will make it worthwhile to refinance. Even if it takes a year to get your credit rating to a better place, be patient. On a five year car loan, an interest rate that is even 1% lower can save you a bundle over the next four years. Just take your time, and shop around before signing on the dotted line when refinancing that bad car loan. You don’t want to go back to eating crackers, do you?

If you have been refused car credit at a dealership or two, then you may very well be left with the impression that getting approved for car loan with bad credit is really tough. There are so many unanswered questions and it seems the dealerships are not upfront with the answers.

The situation can be easily resolved by using special finance car loan sources that are online. There are reputable companies on the Internet that specialize in helping people that are in just your situation.

Frequently, people that have bad credit end up getting the are priorities a little mixed up. They select the vehicle before they know whether or not they can get a loan for it. This is counterproductive.

These tips will help you with getting a better deal.

You do not have to buy an extended warranty on a car at the time of purchase. These, as well as other products that are typically sold by the finance manager are available from numerous places and typically at lower prices.

You don’t have to have a down payment just because you have a low credit score. Remember that. Frequently, the down payment requested by a dealer is nothing more than their profit. You can easily get approved for a no money down car loan if you simply use good lenders, before you go car shopping.

You may be surprised to know that just because you have bad credit, you aren’t necessarily required to have a substantial down payment. Frequently, people get approved for bad credit car loans with no money down at all, simply by using the right lenders. Lenders that specialize in working with car buyers that have credit problems, can provide better options than those that are found in most car dealerships.

When most people think of buying a car with bad credit, they think about big down payments and high interest rates. This is mainly due to what people have been told over the years from car dealerships. Usually, when you go to a car dealership, they will only offer a bad credit auto loan with money down.

This is because of a couple of factors…

1) The amount financed is regulated by the lenders. A loan company may approve you for the car that you want, but only finance a certain amount. When it’s less than the sale price of the vehicle, you have to come up with the difference.

2) Dealerships ask for down payments because it increases their gross profit. When they can get a maximum retail price for a car, plus a down payment on top of that, they make more money.

3) When you have negative equity in your trade-in, sometimes there isn’t enough room to add on that amount to the new loan. A down payment would be required to reduce the amount financed to fit within the guidelines set forth by the lender.

So how can you get an auto loan with bad credit, with no money down?

By using specialized lenders that work with people that have bad credit, you can pre-arrange your financing. This helps you to know what amount of car loan that you qualify for. By knowing this in advance, rather than choosing a vehicle and seeing if the numbers will work, you can know ahead of time if the vehicle will fit within your qualified loan amount.

One of the fastest and easiest ways to see what you can qualify for and also to get approved, is by trying online lenders. There are good companies that provide legitimate auto loans for people that have bad credit, with little to no money down. This can be a real life saver if you’ve been told that you’ll have to come up with a lot of cash, at a local dealership.