Monday, August 12, 2013

Auto Lending & Financing

When you decide to buy a car, one of the most intimidating aspects can be securing the loan for it. Understanding the basics of auto financing can help you avoid making mistakes when taking out a loan for your car. This is one of the most important parts of the car-buying process.

Shopping Around

    When you are buying a car, it is important to shop around for the financing for your purchase. Many consumers make the mistake of thinking that the dealer financing is the best deal that they could possibly get. Instead of settling for this, you need to go to multiple lenders before you commit to a purchase. In some cases, you can get a lower interest rate and a longer repayment period with another lender.

Terms

    The terms of a typical auto loan can vary significantly from one lender to the next. The interest rate and the length of the loan will play a role in how big your payment is. For most auto loans, the term will be somewhere between four and seven years. Five years is one of the most common terms for an auto loan. Each lender will also have different requirements when it comes to how much you have to pay down on the car.

Gap Insurance

    When financing a new car, it is generally a good idea to purchase gap insurance from the lender. The lender will offer this as it helps insure that they receive their money if you total your car. Vehicles depreciate rapidly and if you wreck your new car soon after buying it, there is a good chance that you will owe more than the car is worth. Gap insurance pays the difference between what your insurance company pays for the car and what you owe on the loan.

Approval

    When you apply for an auto loan, the lender will evaluate several factors when looking at your application. The application will be based largely on your credit profile. The lender will pull a copy of your credit report and look at your credit score. The lender will also want to see that you can bring in enough money to support your new loan payment. They will look at your debt to income ratio to determine if you have enough income for the payment.

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