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Auto Loan Borrower's Cheat Sheet
By: Joel Walsh
Most people really get taken for a ride on their auto loan. Did you know that
differences in the total cost of different auto loans for the same car can run
into a thousand dollars or more? Here’s how you can get the lowest rate:
• Make a list of different auto loan lenders and their interest rates and terms,
before you go to the dealer (the web is usually the easiest way to do that). Did
you know dealers get a commission on the loans they refer? If you’re not
careful, that extra bit of money for the lender could mean you pay a higher rate
than you would if you got the loan yourself.
• Get a credit report and figure out your FICO scores. Removing any incorrect
negative information from your report will help you get a better deal. Knowing
exactly what your score is will help you figure out what interest rate you can
realistically get.
• Have bad credit? Try going to your credit union, bank or another institution
where you have a relationship. Lenders like to help out established customers.
If your bank still won’t help, online “bad credit auto loan” lenders usually
offer better less expensive loans than dealers who advertise their great deals
for people with poor credit.
• Use a vehicle loan calculator. It will tell you what your loan will cost each
month. It saves you the time of looking at vehicles you can’t afford, makes you
aware of what information you’ll need to apply for a loan, and is a “reality
check” of your financial condition.
• Comparison shop, comparison shop, comparison shop. You don’t get the least
expensive car by choosing a dealer at random, and you won’t get the least
expensive auto loan that way, either.
About the Author:
Joel Walsh is a regular contributor to cars-auto-loans.com, where you can get
information on car loan lenders, use a vehicle loan calculator, and find the
best auto loan:
http://cars-auto-loans.com?%20auto%20loan [Web publication
requirement: create live link for the URL/web address using "auto loan" as
visible link text/anchor text.] |