Monday, January 31, 2011

Which Factors Affect the Auto Loan Rate?


With new models of cars coming out every month, temptation is easy. The desire of owning your own vehicle may reach a peak even when you know you don’t have the money to buy it. Getting an auto loan is not an easy task and there are various things that are considered by a lender before your loan is sanctioned. Even if you do get a loan, a too high interest rate can cause trouble in your monthly budget. The factors that affect the Auto Loan Rate are as follows.

>> There are basically two different kinds of car loans, secured and unsecured. In normal cases, the rate of interest for an unsecured loan is higher than a secured loan.

>> Deciding on a used car will get you a higher rate of interest than a new one, though it may only be by a margin.

>> You can decide on a fixed or a flexible interest rate. A fixed rate is where you have to pay the same interest throughout your loan term. In case of a flexible loan, the interest rate depends on the rate prevalent in the market at that moment. The latter may get you a lower interest if you are bold enough to take a risk.

>> Usually you will have to pay a down payment when you get the loan. It is usually about 25% of the total amount of the loan. If you can increase that amount, your interest rate will automatically go down.

>> The rate of interest is also dependant on the actual price of the car. The higher it is, the higher the rate of interest.

>> The credit score of a person is perhaps the single most important factor that decides the rate of interest. A person with a stellar credit history will be able to enjoy a much lower interest than a person with bad credit. This is because the auto lender presumes that the latter may again default in payments which lead him to increase the rate to cover his risks. If you have bad credit, its better to wait for sometime to apply for an auto loan and clean up.

>> You can choose to pay back your auto loan in 36, 48, 60 or 72 months. The lower the time period you choose, the lower the interest you will be offered.
>> Lenders also look at the location the person is residing in while deciding the rate.

>> If you are a person with a bad credit history, ways to offset it would be to make a big down payment upfront for your auto loan, showing large cash reserves and increasing your income to debt ratio. Making regular payments on your credit liabilities will also reflect well on your credit score.

Shopping online for your auto loan is a very good idea. You will not only find many options from which to choose from, you will also find tips on how to get low rate auto loans.

How Do Blank Check Car Loans Work?


For most people, a car is going to be one of the most expensive items they are ever going to buy. Few people have the kind of money required to buy a car. Getting a car loan is necessary. There are many lenders who are willing to offer loans for buying cars. If you are looking for a blank check car loan, you must know how it works and how you can get one that will suit your requirements. The few points below will help you know more.

1> A blank check car loan is a pre-approved loan from a bank or other lender which you get before you go to the dealership to choose a car. You have a specific amount of money as loan which you can spend and you even know the rate of interest you will be paying. You can choose any car within that range. This gives you power to choose and also keeps you from over-enthusiastic salespeople trying to up-sell you.

2> Experts will tell you that it is better to have a blank check car loan in hand before you start looking for the car you want to buy. It will prevent you from settling for something more than you can afford and getting rejected for a loan.

3> A blank check car loan will give you power. You can not only choose the car you want without worrying about auto financing BUT you can also bargain better with the car dealership when you have a specific amount of money in your mind.

4> But not all lenders will give you a blank check car loan just like that. They will want to know the specific model you want along with the VIN number and the year of manufacture. But still you will have a pre-approved loan in your kitty before you go shopping.

Now that you know more about blank check car loans, how do you go about getting approved for one? Here are a few tips you need to keep in mind.

1> Clean up your credit history: One of the most important deciding factors for getting a car loan will be your credit score. If you have an excellent credit history, you can negotiate with the lender for a lower interest rates. If you have bad credit for 6 months before you apply for second chance auto loan, making timely and regular payments on your credit debts will bring up your credit score.

2> Loan term period: It is better to get a higher interest for a short-term loan than a lower interest for a long-term loan. You will not want to pay for your car for the next 6-10 years of your life.

3> Contact your local bank, credit unions and online lenders and find out whether they offer blank check auto loans. Compare quotes and settle for one that suits you.

4> Once you have been approved, just do the paperwork and wait for the check. Shop for your car with confidence once you have it in your hand.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Finding the Best Car Loan Deal in Your Area

With everyone facing a credit crunch, buying a car is definitely not an easy job. Paying the total price of a car outright is a far-fetched dream for most people. This is where a car loan becomes necessary. Finding the best car loan deal in your area will take you time and effort. Follow the steps below to do just that.

1> First of all you need to understand the basics of car loan. Banks work as lenders who will lend you money which you will repay within the loan period. You will be charged a rate of interest which you will be liable to pay. Before deciding on a lender you need to do a thorough research.

2> Decide on the loan term. The loan term simply means the time period within which you are going to repay the loan you have taken. Car loans usually have a loan term for 24, 36, 48 or 60 months. Most probably you will be paying a monthly installment. Technically the lender will be the owner of the car till you repay the loan. You won’t be getting the car title before you fulfill your obligation. The best car loan deal would be one that lets you pay off the loan within the shortest time possible.

3> Auto loan lenders charge different rates of interests to different people. Why? The min reason is individual credit history. In case a person has good credit, he will be charged a lower interest and a person with bad credit will be charged a higher interest. This is because the former has a history of making regular payments while the latter has a history of missed and late payments. A lender considers offering a loan to a person with bad credit risky because there is a higher risk of default payments. As such, the lenders charge a higher rate of interest. Improve your credit score to get the best car deal in your area. Pay off your old debts and make timely payments for 6-9 months before you apply for a loan. Never disclose confidential financial information or data, your social security number, etc. as it may be misused by unscrupulous lenders for nefarious purposes.

4> Apply to as many lenders as you can. Talk to your bank, local credit unions and other lenders. You will have to fill out a lot of auto financing application forms. Be honest and never ever inflate your financial status. Be truthful because a lender will check everything before he decides to offer you a loan. Study all the quotes you have been given and don’t just settle for the lender offering the lowest interest. Look out for additional payments you will have to make in case of some lenders. Avoid them.

5> You will be a fool if you assume that the local car dealership will offer you the best car loan deal. It could be better if you go to them with financing from a bank or some other lender.

If you do get rejected, don’t worry! Opt for a less expensive car or subprime car lender. Finding the best car loan deal in your area will be easy if you know what you are getting into.

Find Out the Ways to Avoid Paying More on Your Car Loan

So you are in the market for a new car. But you don’t have the money to pay for it outright. That’s the scene with most car-buyers. So what do you do? You apply for a car loan to help you buy the car, right? But how do you get the best deal for your car loan and avoid paying more than absolutely necessary? Follow the tips below that will help you do just that.
1> Traditional car dealership loans almost always will give you a worse deal than you can get elsewhere. Always remember that a car dealership is making a tidy profit by selling you the car and by taking a loan from him you will let him make a tidier one!

2> Car dealerships that will offer you 0% interest deals are something you should avoid like the plague. This is because these 0% deals will be yours only if you give up a certain discount. For instance, you can either take a $3000 discount on the car or a 0% loan. When you calculate you will find that you will be saving more money with the discount than with the loan.

3> Another reason you shouldn’t trust most car dealerships for loans is that the “best deals” that they offer only come to use when you take a loan from them. Why would they offer you a loan if they didn’t make profit from it? Sometimes you will get amazing prices on a car only if they finance you.

4> Your credit score is the single most important factor that decides your rate of interest. If you have good credit, your rate will be lower, while a bad credit history will get you a higher rate. If you have bad credit, make sure you make timely payments and clear up your debts for at least 6-9 months before applying for instant auto loans. This will improve your credit score and will make you pay a lot less as rate of interest.

5> Searching online for a car loan will let you browse through the offers by various lenders sitting in the comfort of your home. You will even be able to get online quotes after you submit a few basic details about your financial status. You can compare quotes and apply now for the best deals online.

6> If you are wondering whether a new car or a used car will make you pay less, then there are a few things you have to consider. A new car costs more but gets you a lower interest rate than a used car. Moreover finding financing for a used car more than 5 years old is impossible.

7> Do check what deals your local bank is offering for car loans.

8> Local credit unions are somewhere you should go. They will offer better deals than banks and sometimes even online auto lenders.

Learn more about car loans. It will help you avoid paying more than required.