Finance Tips

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.

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.

When you search for financial aid regarding college funds you have a couple of choices. First you can attempt to get a scholarship, which will pay for some or all of your education. Once you have explored this option you have student loans.

The Federal government provides a few programs in regards to student loans. They have the Pell Grant, which is awarded to students in need of financial assistance. The Pell Grant does not require you to pay the money back. The government also has the Stafford Loan. The Stafford Loan must be paid back.

You may also elect to go through a private lender for your student loan. If you choose this option you will need a co signer. A private lender will examine your credit report. They will determine your risk and if you have no credit history ask that a family member co- sign your loan before they award it.

The only loan that does not require a co-signer will be the Stafford Loan. This is due to their process of lending you money. Student loans without a co- signer do not examine your credit history. Instead they will ask you what degree program you are in, what school you are going to attend, and your parents’ income. The government feels that all parents should contribute to their children’s education. So they determine what a parent can afford to provide during the year.

Then the government decides what they will award the student. Typically the Federal Loan will cover the tuition and books. In some cases it can also include student housing. However, for student housing to be awarded as part of the loan the student must live on campus. If the student does not they will need to seek an alternative for paying rent- unless their housing choice is part of the university or college in some manner.

When you obtain student loans without co- signer you generally do not get rewarded a large amount due to the risk factor. Still, there are many reasons to attempt to get a loan without a co- signer. You may not have a family member who can sign for you. You may also have a good enough credit history to pass the private student loan application without a co- signer. This latter situation is rare for undergraduate degree programs, but if you are a graduate you may find student loans without co- signer.