Car Loans for People

Choose the wrong auto loan and you might drastically increase the chances of defaulting and losing your car. Find out step-by-step how to avoid a money pit.

Car loans are certainly less costly than home mortgages, student loans, or other kinds of loans. So why do so many people end up defaulting and losing their cars? Find out these hidden dangers:
Biggest Hidden Car Loan Danger: The Inherent Money Pit

Unlike home mortgages, student loans or other big-ticket loans, car loans are inherently money pits. A house can build equity; higher education can increase earning potential; even jewelry can sometimes be re-sold for as much as was paid for it. If you borrow to buy one of those things, you may eventually get a return on investment. But every single car loses significant value and keeps losing it as time goes by.

Solution: spend as little on your car as possible.

Of course, in order to spend as little as possible over the life of the vehicle, you need to get a well-made, fuel-efficient car, rather than the one with the lowest price on the windshield.

But a pickup truck, SUV, sports car, or "luxury" model is a guaranteed money-loser. Don’t worry about what other people will think. Think about it: when was the last time you saw an expensive automobile and thought, "I really like and respect whoever owns that!"

The best buy? Many economists actually recommend buying a used car that's a year or two old. That way you can actually benefit from the fact that cars only drop in value. Even a car that’s just six months old may offer you a substantial savings. Just have it inspected thoroughly so you don't lose what you've saved on maintenance payments.
Hidden Car Loans Danger: Dangerously High Monthly Payments

Unfortunately, most people never figure out the total cost before signing on the dotted line. They end up staying up late at night trying to figure out how to make ends meet. They live in smaller houses. They skip going out at night. They don’t go on vacation.

All that sacrifice to have a brand-new SUV in the driveway!

Take a hard look at your finances, and figure out how much you can pay total each month for your car. Be sure to take into account insurance, tax, maintenance, and fuel. Usually, when people actually do calculate the total monthly cost of the car they’re considering buying, they’re amazed by how high it is.

Now plug the number above into a vehicle loan rate calculator to figure out big of a car loan, and how much interest you can afford.
Final Hidden Auto Loan Danger: Unnecessarily High Rates

If you simply take the first loan the dealer offers you, you are probably paying too much. Do some comparison shopping on the internet, and bring a list of the best loans with you when you negotiate loan terms with the dealer.

Don’t let the dealer cheat you by shifting the cost from the car loan to the car price to the deal on your trade-in. Make sure you get a good deal overall.

Congratulations! You now are far better prepared to stay out of an auto loan money pit than the vast majority of car buyers. 

Used Car Loans

Want to buy a used car but just don't have the funds sat in your bank account? If so, why not consider taking out one of the many used car loans available on the loans market.

Used car loans are specifically designed by loans companies to provide used car buyers with a competitive finance arrangement through which to purchase a used car. Flexible loans terms are available from used car loans companies, as well as low APR deals suitable for used car purchases. Used car loans of up to £20,000 can be arranged on an unsecured basis, with loans companies offering higher loans amounts if security is supplied.

Advance plan your used car loans

When buying a used car it pays to do some advance planning and arrange your used car loan ahead of the search for a used car. There are many loans companies out there offering loans for used car purchases, so it makes sense to shop around to get the best loans deals for buying a used car. Look for car loans that are flexible to your needs and offer a low APR, so your monthly used car repayments on any loans taken out won't be sky-high.

As with all types of loans, you should first determine how much you can afford to borrow on loans to buy a used car. Loans calculators are available on the Internet and can be used to calculate loan and repayment amounts in accordance with different APRs. It is important to take into account other financial commitments too, including other loans, when calculating the loans amount that you can comfortably borrow to purchase a used car.

If you intend to buy your used car from a used car trader where they offer car loans / finance for their used cars, then do make sure that the loans deal you sign up to is better than the loans deal that the used car trader can offer. The APR rate is the critical thing here. On car loans tailored for used car purchases the APR rate - i.e. the rate of interest you'll pay on top of the used car purchase price - can be as low as 6%. Finance loans deals through used car traders may have a higher APR, so pushing the total cost of buying a used car up to an unacceptable price.

One final thought. When negotiating the price of a used car with a trader, they may accept your lower offer providing that you take up one of their loans to finance the used car purchase. If this is an option then do check the terms and conditions of their loans carefully, paying special attention to the loans APR rate, as the savings from your negotiation on your used car may not be as attractive as first imagined when you consider the final costs attached to their loans!