Are you someone planning to buy your first car? Then you must probably be a high school student, a college student or have recently been employed. Buying a car for the first time can be a pretty exciting experience. Here are a few first time auto loan tips below to help you out.
>> Decide on which car to buy first. Be reasonable and choose one that you can make a 20% down payment on. If you can not do that, choose a different car. It is the best if you buy a car that you can pay off within 4 years.
>> Other than the loan payment, remember that you also have to pay for the gas, insurance, batteries and a lot other things.
>> There is nothing shameful in buying a used car. Buying a used Toyota Camry or Honda Accord is actually a pretty good idea since they will give you safety, dependability and freedom from costly repairs.
>> Do not expect to get a car loan financing for a car which is more than 5 years old. You will have to pay cash.
>> There is no return policy for cars. You can not give it back because you do not like it after 2 days. So decide well.
>> Most probably you do not have a credit history if you are a first time car buyer. This is one of the biggest hurdles you will face in getting a loan. You need to establish credit. You can get a gas card and credit card from your local department store pretty easily. When you use them, make sure you pay them off within a month. Do not dare overspend as it is going to reflect badly on your credit history. In fact, the balance should not reach more than 50% of your limit. Do this for 6 months. It will let you show some sort of a credit history to the lender.
>> Asking your parents, a relative or a close friend to cosign with you is a good idea if you do not have an established credit history. This means your cosigner will also be signing the loan papers along with you. It also means that your cosigner will be responsible for payments on your loan if you default. It is a matter of great risk and delicacy and you have to make sure that your cosigner knows what he is getting into before he signs.
The most important barriers you are going to face when you apply for an auto loan for your first car are:
>> Your lack of credit history will make it difficult to convince the auto loan lender
>> Finding financing for used car more than 5 years old is difficult, if not impossible
>> Insurance for your car will be pretty high
>> Dealing with car repairs and other maintenance costs will rake off quite a bit of your income
As a first time buyer, you should research well before you decide on finding an auto loan for your car. Happy car shopping!
