Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Where Can You Get An Auto Loan

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Go Autos Car Loan Calculator

How to get a car loan WITHOUT getting screwed over

Purchasing a vehicle usually requires a significant financial investment. Even a modestly priced vehiclelets say $8,000 to $10,000is more than most people can afford to pay with cash. Which means most people need to take out an auto loan in order to buy a car. But loans come with monthly payments, and it can be hard to figure out how much youre likely to pay once you factor in things like the loan term, the interest rate, the payment frequency, and the trade-in value. To be totally honest, its pretty confusing. But dont worry. Our car loan calculator can do all the hard work for you.

Best For Excellent Credit: Lightstream

  • : New/Used/Refinance: 2.49% to 9.24%, Lease Buyout: 3.49% to 10.24%
  • Loan range: $5,000 to $100,000
  • Loan length: 24 to 84 months
  • Available in all 50 states

If you have a good or excellent credit score, you might want to consider LightStream in addition to Bank of America. A part of SunTrust Bank, Lightstream focuses on auto loans to customers with good or better credit.

Because it focuses on a narrow subset of customers, its rates don’t go too high For a 36-month loan for a new car purchase between $10,000 and $24,999, interest rates range from 2.49% to 6.79%. However, borrowers with lower credit scores may find better rates elsewhere.

Can You Negotiate Auto Loan Rates

Just like the price of a car, auto loan rates often can be negotiated. Sometimes you can negotiate the rate with the dealer or directly with the lender. The better your overall financial picture, the more success you will have negotiating your rate. You also can negotiate loan terms. For example, maybe you dont want to make a payment for the first 90 days or you want to finance the vehicle for 60 months instead of 48.

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Best Overall: Penfed Credit Union

PenFed Credit Union

  • As low as 0.99%
  • Minimum loan amount: $500

PenFed Credit Union provides some of the best rates available. It also has flexible loan amounts and a number of auto loan options for members. Even though membership is required, a disadvantage for some, PenFed makes the requirements to join fairly straightforward.

  • Offers new, used, and refinance loans

  • Loan amounts from $500 to $100,000

  • Provides rate discounts for using its car buying service

  • Borrow up to 110% on new and used vehicles

  • High minimum loan amount for longer terms

  • Excellent credit history required for lowest rates

  • Membership in the credit union is required

Our top pick for auto loan rates, PenFed Credit Union, offers some of the lowest rates available.

At PenFed, rates for 36-month refinance loans start as low as 1.79%. Deep discounts are available for members who use the credit union’s car buying service, with rates starting as low as 0.99% APR for a new car and 1.99% APR for a used vehicle.

You’ll have to become a member of the credit union, but the requirements to join are fairly easy to meet. Car loans from PenFed start as low as $500 and move up to $100,000, a wide range that beats out many of the lenders we surveyed.

What Should You Consider When Choosing An Auto Loan

These auto loan companies can help get you into your new ...

When deciding between auto loan offers, consider the APR, the reputation of the lender and how much youll pay for the loan in total. A low APR on a long-term auto loan could result in the loan costing more overall. Thats why its important to compare monthly payments and total interest costs to see which option is better for you.

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Can I Get A Car Loan Through My Bank

If the car is less than 10 years old, your vehicle may qualify for financing through a bank. If the car you wish to finance is older than 10 years, you may need to seek an alternate source of financing, such as a credit union, BHPH lot, or another local car dealer.

This isnt a hard and fast rule, though. Each financial institution makes its own lending decisions, and itll come down to the details of the car including its value, mileage, and CARFAX report, among other things and your personal credit history and income.

Banks are in business to make money. A loan request may be denied for several reasons, including but not limited to:

  • the vehicles value is less than the asking price.
  • the Carfax report shows a history of accidents.
  • you have a history of late payments/defaults/bankruptcy.
  • the amount youre seeking doesnt meet the banks loan requirements.

But if you have an established relationship with a bank, it certainly doesnt hurt to ask whether it can provide you with a vehicle loan. And if they turn you down, the sources recommended in this article can likely help you.

Best For Tech Junkies: Carvana

Courtesy of Carvana

Carvana offers a completely online shopping experience, from financing to delivery with no minimum loan amounts and is our choice as the best for tech junkies.

  • Prequalify with a soft credit check

  • No minimum credit score requirement

  • End-to-end online shopping experience

  • Financing for Carvanas vehicles only

  • $4,000 minimum annual income required

  • Only used vehicles

It seems like every industry is cutting out go-betweens these days and the car industry is no exception. If you would rather skip the dealership and the bank altogether, Carvana is the site for you. Without ever leaving your home, you can apply for a car loan, choose your car and get it delivered. If you want to trade your old car in, you can do so while youre at it. Carvana will give you an offer and pick it up from your home.

Best of all, these loans aren’t just easy to get they are great deals for all kinds of borrowers. There is no minimum credit score, so anyone who is 18 years old, has no active bankruptcies and makes at least $4,000 per year is eligible.

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Can I Sell My Car With A Loan

It is possible to sell your car with an outstanding loan, but you may have to go through a few extra steps. If your car is worth less than what you currently owe on the loan, you have what’s known as negative equity meaning you may need to pay the difference out of pocket or refinance the remaining amount with a different type of loan.

If your car is worth more than what you currently owe, on the other hand, you may be able to pocket the difference in cash when you sell the car. Whatever your situation, reach out to your lender about your options, as each lender sets different rules for selling a car with a loan.

Can You Get A Car Loan After Filing Chapter 13

How To Get Approved for a Bad Credit Auto Loan

Iâm in the middle of Chapter 13 bankruptcy, but my car just died. I need a new car, but I donât have enough money saved up to pay in cash. Can I still get a car loan if I just filed for Chapter 13?

Answer

the court approves your requestfinding a lenderhigh riskpreapproval letter

  • The amount you intend to borrow,
  • your payment plan, and
  • the agreed interest rate.

honest and upfront about why you need a carusers save nearly $900 per year on car insurancefor free

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How Do I Refinance My Car Loan

Refinancing a car loan is essentially just taking out a new car loan so the steps for applying are mostly the same. You’ll need your driver’s license, Social Security number and proof of income, as well as details about your car. If approved, you’ll use the funds from your new loan to pay off your old car loan, then begin making monthly payments with your new interest rate and terms.

The Dealership I’m Shopping At Offers Financing Should I Just Use That

Car dealerships are allowed to mark up interest rates on auto loans that they offer, and generally, they do. The interest rate a salesperson offers often includes a cut for the dealership, resulting in a higher interest rate for you. While you might qualify for an interest rate of 6% from a bank, you might see 6.5% or even 7% from a dealership, for example.

If you’re willing to put some work in, you may be able to save by shopping around on your own. The best way to avoid this issue is to get pre-approved by a few banks or lenders as you start car shopping, and take those pre-approvals to the dealership with you. Then, you’ll have a few estimates on what your cost to borrow could be, and can comparison shop for the lowest APR.

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Getting An Auto Loan With Bad Credit Here’s What You Need To Know

If you’re shopping for a car loan with bad credit, you could benefit a lot by doing your research and shopping around when looking for an auto loan. Avoid any “buy here, pay here” financing, as these loans often come with exorbitant interest rates and high monthly payments, which could cause you to default on your payments.

A local credit union might be a good place to start if you have a bad credit score sometimes lenders like these can be more forgiving and offer lower interest rates than big banks.

Make Loan Payments On Time

Can You Get an Auto Loan with Bad Credit

Credit scoring models take into account how reliably you pay all your bills, including auto loans. In fact, payment history is the most important factor in determining credit scores. By paying your car loan on time every month, you can help build positive credit history.

What’s more, when you finish repaying the loan, the lender will report the account as closed and paid in full to credit bureaus, and that will remain on your credit report and benefit your credit for 10 years from the closed date. That paid-up loan tells future lenders you know how to manage credit and repay your debts.

However, paying late or missing payments altogether can hurt your credit scores and make it harder to get credit in the future. Late or missed payments appear as negative information on credit reports, and remain for seven years. On the positive side, as the late payment ages over time, the less impact it will have on your credit score.

Missing too many payments may cause the lender to turn your debt over to collections or even repossess your vehicle. Both collections and repossessions remain on credit reports for seven years from the initial date of delinquency, and can negatively affect credit scores throughout that time.

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How To Get A Business Auto Loan

Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the authors opinions and recommendations alone. It may not have been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.

If you need to finance a vehicle for commercial use, a business auto loan might be your best option.

Unlike a consumer auto loan, business auto financing can offer the benefits of reducing your personal liability and increasing your tax benefits. Plus, auto loans require you to use your vehicle as collateral, so they are generally more affordable than unsecured small business loans.

Loan Options To Avoid

When considering how to finance your used car purchase, steer clear of the following high-risk loans.

  • : Some credit cards let you borrow cash at ATMs and pay it back later. But credit card companies usually charge higher interest rates on cash advances than on purchases, making this a costly way to pay for your new ride.
  • Payday loans: These loans may seem appealing because they don’t require credit checks, but generally must be repaid or renewed in a few weeks. With APRs upwards of 400%, payday loans can lead to a cycle of debt that’s difficult to escape.
  • Home equity loan or home equity line of credit : Both types of loans use the equity in your home as collateral. If you can’t repay the loan, the lender could foreclose on your house. That’s a big risk to take to get a used car.

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What Are The Fees

There are no prepayment penalties or an annual fee associated with an auto loan.

Elements auto loans include a low $140 processing fee. Refinancing of an existing Elements auto loan is also subject to an additional $200 fee depending on the borrowing amount. Your Elements loan specialist will provide information about whether you qualify to have these fees waived.

Sign On The Dotted Line

Can Your Car Payment Get You Declined For A Home Loan?

Once approved, youll need to sign the loan documents.

Before signing, review the documents thoroughly and make sure you understand the loan terms. You may even want a consultant or attorney to review the documents.

The timeline from signing to funding may be different depending on your lender. With banks, you can expect to receive your loan between a few days and a few weeks from the date you sign and submit the loan documents. The SBA may take several months. Generally, online lenders promise the shortest timeline.

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Determine How Much Car You Can Afford

When figuring out how much car you can afford, it might be tempting to think only about the monthly loan payment.

But a car is a large, potentially long-lasting purchase. So itâs a good idea to think about other costs, too, such as taxes and fees. Learning how to avoid monthly payment mistakes could help as well.

Debt-to-income ratio could also affect loan offers. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has more information, including quick lessons on how to calculate your debt-to-income ratio and why 43% is an important figure to remember.

There are online tools and auto loan calculators that can help you estimate monthly payments. And donât forget things like gas, maintenance and insurance. Considering everything could provide a better idea of the total costs of owning a car.

Youre Our First Priorityevery Time

We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesnt feature every company or financial product available on the market, were proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward and free.

So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about , but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services.Here is a list of our partners.

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Can You Sell A Car With A Loan

It is possible to sell a vehicle when you still have a loan, but it adds a few extra steps. There are a few different options in this situation. One option is to pay off the loan in full before selling the vehicle, which involves contacting your lender to determine your payoff amount. After paying off the loan, your lender will release the lien.

You can sell a vehicle that’s financed without paying it off by selling it to a private buyer or trading it in with a dealer.

Why An Auto Loan Calculator Is Important

Can You Get A Vehicle Loan With No Credit

If youre planning on financing your new vehicle purchase, the overall price of the vehicle isnt really the number you need to pay attention to. The most important number, for you, is the payment. Because, as our auto loan calculator will show you, the price you ultimately end up paying depends on how you structure your deal.

The factor that will change your monthly payment the most is the loan term. The longer your loan, the less youll pay each month, because youre spreading out the loan amount over a greater number of months. However, due to the interest youll be paying on your loan, youll actually end up spending more for your vehicle by the time your payments are over. Why? Because the more time you spend paying off your loan, the more times you will be charged interest.

Speaking of interest, the interest rate is the second most important number to consider when structuring a car loan. The interest rate is the percentage of your purchase that is added to the cost of your vehicle annually. So, if you buy a vehicle with 4.99% financing, then youre paying roughly 5% of your vehicles overall price in added interest every year.

Next, consider how much your vehicle is worth if youre trading it in. If youre trading in a vehicle thats worth $7000 and youre buying a vehicle thats worth $22,000, then you will only have to take an auto loan out for $15,000 .

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Should You Take Out Financing From The Dealer

When financing a car, you have the option to take out a loan through an outside bank or lender or through the auto dealership itself.

It’s a good idea to get a few quotes before deciding on financing. If any lenders offer pre-approval, that can help you understand your price range before you start shopping. During the preapproval process, the lender or bank will run your credit, check your income and determine how much money it is willing to lend you. If you find a car, youll be able to use this preapproval letter to initiate a loan to finance the purchase.

You arent required to use this loan, though. Your dealer might offer you financing, too. Let your dealer know about your existing loan. The hope is that the dealer will offer you a loan with a lower interest rate and better terms. Financing directly through the dealership could also save you time as they’ll handle much of the paperwork themselves, but it may not be the best deal for you.

Explore your options with both dealers and other lenders to get the best deal for your situation.

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