Need To Finance A Car? 4 Tips For Getting It Right
Most people don't have thousands of dollars sitting around to purchase a vehicle, which is where auto financing comes into play. With auto financing, you need to take steps to get into the best possible financing situation.
1. Learn About Your Credit Score
First, before you get deep into the financing process, you need to learn your credit score. You need to know what your credit score is, as this will impact the type of financing you will qualify for. Knowing your credit score will help you filter out lenders whose qualifications you don't meet and allow you to pursue lenders whose qualifications you meet.
2. Save Up Money
Second, even though you can finance your vehicle, you will want to save up your money. Lenders will be more willing to work with you if you have money to place as a down payment. Generally, it is a good idea to save up to 20% of the cost of the vehicle. For example, if you want to purchase a $10,000 vehicle, you will want to save $2,000. Or, if you want to purchase a $30,000 vehicle, you will want to save $9,000.
Putting down money will make you more appealing to lenders, will reduce what you borrow, and will help you build equity in the car.
3. Go for Shorter Terms
When shopping around for a loan, you are going to want to go for shorter loan terms. Shorter loan terms mean that you will pay off the car and own it sooner. That also means that you will pay less interest on the money that you borrow. It can be tempting to stretch the loan out; however, that just increases your interest and means that it may not be worth what you paid for it by the time you pay off your car. Pay off your car while it still holds value.
4. Get Quotes
You don't have to get financing with the first company you talk to. Shop around and get quotes from multiple lenders. This will allow you to compare interest rates, loan lengths, and what different lenders are willing to lend you for a vehicle. Shopping around will allow you to secure the best financing terms before you sign any contracts.
If you need to finance the purchase of your next car, learn your credit score so you can find lenders that work with your credit score range. Save up so you can put a deposit on the vehicle. Go for the shorter terms that will work for you. Be sure to get quotes from multiple lenders, so you can find the best terms and deal for your situation.