Posts Tagged ‘bad credit car loan’

Car Loans For People With Bad Credit

January 29th, 2010

One type of loans that hasn’t completely disappeared due to the economic downturn is car loans for people with bad credit. With auto financing for bad credit, the loan is a secured loan, it’s more likely that a lender will take a chance and approve a new or used auto loan. The major difference will be that auto loans with bad credit carry an interest rate and fees that are usually much higher than those for someone with good credit.

First, expect that if you have really bad credit, say in the 500s, it is not likely that anyone will lend you the money to buy a car, even although it’s a secured loan. There may be some lenders that will offer poor credit car finance in their advertising, probably a lender affiliated with a used car dealer, which loans would be at very high interest rates and with high penalties. Or you might find out when you get there that despite their ads, they really aren’t going to lend to you unless you buy a specific car they are trying to get rid of. So if your credit is very poor, you may want to just save as much cash as you can for a bigger down payment, or buy a low-priced car for cash, until you can rebuild your credit to some extent.

But if your score is in the low 600s, you can probably get auto financing for bad credit, but again, the terms will be high. For example, interest rates from 10% to 19% are not unusual. This can cause you to have continued trouble repaying debt, so think twice before you jump into such a loan. Will you be able to repay this loan? Will it make your debt situation worse? Try to borrow the least amount possible, and build up as much cash down payment as you can. There can also be high fees, such as application fees and so on, that will add a few hundred dollars to your loan.

Also, think twice about considering auto loans with bad credit from a car dealership. Many times, you’ll get something in the mail that looks like a check, saying you are pre-approved, but only if you shop at a specific dealership. You can expect that any car you buy will be overpriced, extra charges tacked on, plus a high interest rate.

Don’t make a financial mistake just because you want a car. If you really need a car, take steps to find car loans for people with bad credit, but make it smart financially based on your budget, what you can afford, and also whether the total car package is a good deal or not. It might be cheaper and less painful economically to just keep your old car running until you can repair your credit again.


Car Loans For Bad Credit – A Good Deal?

January 7th, 2010

With the prices of vehicles so high, trying to buy a car when you have bad credit makes things difficult.  Car loans for bad credit, while they are secured loans, have become harder to find, as all types of credit has tightened up for lenders with less than perfect credit scores.  So what do you do if you need a car?

Anyone with truly bad credit, in the 500′s or so, will definitely have a tough time finding a lender willing to lend. Even though the lender can repossess the car, they certain don’t want to have to do that if they don’t have to!  And for people with scores under 700, it is still difficult, as most car dealerships won’t be able to offer financing for these borrowers.  As for leasing a car, you can pretty much forget about that too.

There are some lenders out there though who are making bad credit car loans, helping people get a car with bad credit even though costs may be high.  Unfortunately, the only way to make a bad credit car loan work for bad credit lenders is to charge high fees and interest, so that the lender is covered in the case of the default of a certain percent of loans.  Before signing up it pays to shop around and find car loans for bad credit borrowers that have the lowest fees possible.  You also should check to make sure there are no prepayment penalties, in the event you want to pay off the car early when you sell it.

Beware of letters you get in the mail that announce you’ve been “preapproved” to come in a buy any car on the lot for $20,000 or whatever amount they are trying to reel you in with. These loans have hundreds of dollars of hidden fees and costs, high interest rates, and they are limited to certain dealerships where the price of the car will also have significant fees added on.  If you can resist the siren call for a new car, or something to feed your ego, then think of feeding your bank account instead, and save your money.  Buy something that works, not something you can’t afford.

The best idea though would be to void borrowing if you can. Find a reliable car that runs, and buy it for cash.  Once you purchase the car, try to put monthly “payments” into a bank account, just as though you have a loan to pay each month. Before you  know it you will have d cent balance socked away in the event your cash car needs to be replaced.  Or, you will have a good sized down payment for another car when you do qualify for a loan again.

Still, we can’t stress enough how much better it is to keep paying cash, even if it means you aren’t driving the car of  your dreams – without a high cost car loan for bad credit hanging over your head, you’ll sleep much better at night.


Do You Have Bad Credit But You Need An Auto Loan?

November 6th, 2009

Most people who need to purchase a brand new car tend to find themselves looking for ways to borrow money at a decent interest rate; after all unless you have been saving up a lot of money you are going to want to know how to get the lowest interest rates possible especially if you have bad credit.

Well that is most likely why you have come to the internet there are some things that you need to know before you get your loan from an auto loan company. First of all I have personally found that you never want to borrow the money from an auto loan company. Most companies that you deal with are going to offer the highest interest rates and you will discover that it was possible to get lower interest rates from other places.

Make sure that you are thorough with your research before you even turn to an auto company; you should not have any problems finding a company that will help you get some of the best interest rates even if you have bad credit. Many people tend to believe that they should just be grateful if a company will give them a loan with their bad credit even if it is not the lowest interest rates.

Family and friends are another great source to ask when you begin looking for a new car. Chances are if they have gotten a new car they may be willing to share with you where they got their new loan and how you can get one as well without having to pay extremely high interest rates because of their bad credit.

Be sure to do your research and avoid using an auto loan company to get your new vehicle. Even though you believe that they may be looking out for your best interests the truth is that all they care about is selling the car and do not care about the interest rate that you get.

Be sure to take your time to find out about bad credit lenders and how to get the best interest rates possible. These types of companies are known to deal with people who have had some financial difficulties in the past.

Stop by and visit our site below especially if you are dealing with bad credit; you will discover some valuable tips and resources that will help you get into the car of your choice.

Auto Financing For People With Bad Credit What You Need To Know First! Auto Loans For People With Poor Credit


Tips To Start Repairing Bad Credit

January 28th, 2009

Getting a plan for repairing bad credit is always desirable if you have a bad credit score. Without credit available, waiting a year or two to repair your credit record can seem like an eternity. But the fact is that a few simple steps can turn around your credit record so that you see improvement within just a few months. You can take these steps on your own with a do it yourself credit fix program, and without spending a lot of cash on a credit counseling service.

To start repairing bad credit, you need to know what your current credit looks like. Get a copy of your credit report, but it can also be useful to order a credit report that includes your credit scores. By subscribing to a service that lets you see your credit scores, you can monitor improvement of your credit score while you begin your credit repair program. A credit score service can cost under $10 per month. However it’s not necessary to get scores to start fixing credit. You might consider checking your credit score once at the beginning of your program, and again after several months into your credit fix program.

What’s the most important thing you can do to fix credit? The hands down most important item is to start paying on time. Even if you have bad payment history on your credit report, starting to make current payments can improve your credit score within just a few months.

Another way you can fix credit fast is to close some cards that you have open. If you have credit cards with small balances or no balances, consider paying those right away and closing the accounts. Often, having multiple credit cards available to you can score against you with credit lenders. The sooner you can start closing some cards, the sooner they will come off your credit report.

It’s important to remember that most credit reporting agencies will tell you that it can take three months for a change in your credit file to appear. Sometimes no matter what you do it will take those three months for a change to show up and affect your credit score.

Another thing you can do to help your credit score might be to apply for new credit. That’s right: if you have very bad credit, you may be able to open a new bad credit account, such as a secured credit card, to give you an opportunity to start rebuilding credit. Having a new card that always shows a “current” payment history can be beneficial.

What if your credit is so bad that you have year or more of negative credit history? If you find yourself in this situation, you may have to take more serious steps. If you are unable to make your credit payment, you may want to consider bankruptcy. A rule of thumb is: If your debt if more than twice your gross takje-home pay, you probably will not be able to dig out of the hole (unless you get a second job). This is when you might consider bankrutpcy.

If you have a year or more of bad credit, a bankruptcy will not make your credit history or score that much worse. Lenders are already looking at seven years of your credit history, and bad credit will make an impact even without a bankrtupcy. By declaring bankrtupcy, it could help lighten your debt load and give you a chance to start over with a cleared-off credit report. (Remember, though, that some things cannot be wiped out by bankruptcy, such as support payments or student loans.)

Also contrary to popular belief, having a discharged bankruptcy on your credit report can lead to creditors offering you new credit (at higher rates). They know you don’t have any other debt once your bankruptcy is discharged. As a result, your debt ratio, or the ratio of debt to income, is reduced when your debt is wiped out. You can find yourself approved for credit cards, secured loans such as a car loan, and even some other personal loan products in as little as a year or two.

Filing a bankruptcy can be expensive however. Most bankruptcy lawyers will provide a free consultation up to an hour or so for the first meeting. You can see for yourself whether bankruptcy is the right course of action for you to take. But attorney fees for filing bankrtupcy can cost $2,000 and up depending on your particular situation.

What about credit counseling agencies? First, beware of any credit service that promises to improve your credit score by 100 or more points within 30-60 days. It is virtually impossible to do this legally. In addition, you can pay significant fees for these services. Some non-profit counseling agencies will help you for free. However, you should know that many of these agencies are financed by the credit card industry. That’s why they can provide services for free. But they will mainly be concerned with helping you pay your credit card debt in full and on time. They will not help with secured loans such as car or house payments and will counsel you away from bankruptcy if at all possible, even if it’s the best option for someone with serious credit problems.

That presents an incomplete picture of what your options really are. They also may not tell you that registration with their credit counseling agency, and begin a repayment plan, also appears on your credit report, where lenders will see it and refuse to give yo credit. This is nearly as damaging as having a bankruptcy on your credit report!

Bankruptcy as an option is a very good choice for people who are not earning enough to pay all f their debt. You may discharge debt or sometimes enter a repayment plan that is court-ordered, depending on your circumstances. Either way, you have options that the credit counselors won’t tell you about, even though using their services can be just as detrimental to your credit.

The bottom line is that if you are repairing bad credit, there are absolutely steps you can take to see improvement in your credit score in the short run. In addition, many credit products are still available to individuals with poor credit. Taking steps to fix credit in the short run can help you begin a program to improve your credit over the long run, and see improvement can motivate you to stick with your credit fix program.