Financial Resource

New car buyers should educate themselves about auto financing long before they step into a dealer showroom. Learning about financing from a dealer salesperson on the day you intend to buy a car is not the best way.

The factors that determine how much you’ll pay for an auto loan are 1)amount to be financed, 2)loan term (months), and 3) interest rate (finance charges).

The amount to be financed will include the vehicle price that you and the dealer agree upon, plus any additional costs such as credit insurance, extended warranty, and dealer-installed optional equipment. This amount may also include fees and taxes involved in the purchase. This amount can be reduced by any down payment, rebates, or trade-in allowance.

Loan term is the number of payment months, and can range from 24 months to 72 months or more. Generally, the longer the loan, the lower the payments. However, there are disadvantages to long-term loans. Long loans with lower payments do not pay down the loan principal as quickly as a shorter loan. This often creates a “negative equity” situation in which the loan balance exceeds the current market value of the vehicle. This can become a problem if the owner wants to sell or trade for another vehicle in the middle of the loan. Furthermore, if the vehicle is stolen or totaled in an accident in mid-loan, insurance only pays current market value, not outstanding loan balance.

Interest rate determines what you’ll pay in finance charges for your loan. At the time of this writing, the national average interest rate for a 36-month new-car loan is 6.28% (from BankRate.com). Used car rates are higher. Rates can vary from lender to lender, and dealer to dealer. Dealers often mark up a lenders rate, so it pays to shop around for your own financing rate from banks and credit unions. Your interest rate is also dependent on your credit score. A poor score can result in a high rate.

Car manufacturers frequently offer low promotional interest rates, even as low as 0%, which are usally very good deals. However, make sure you understand all the details and conditions that go along with the deal before you accept.

One of the best ways to explore how the above factors affect the payment amount of an auto loan is by using a full-function online calculator such as the Auto Loan Calculator.

Auto Loans With Low Rates

An individual with excellent credit will be able to qualify for the least expensive interest rates. They have the choice of taking out a 36 month loan or a 60 month loan. The shorter loan would mean higher payments but less interest over the life of the loan. The longer the length of the loan, the higher the interest rate will be. For example, an individual who takes out a 60 month car loan will pay more interest then someone who takes out a 36 month car loan even if they have identical credit ratings. Even though the interest rate will be higher for the 60 month loan, the payments will be smaller because that loan amount is spread out over a longer amount of time. The worse someone’s credit is, the more they will pay in interest.

Used car loans http://www.articleloans.com/ are also typically more expensive than new car loans. An individual with excellent credit will be charged more interest for a used car, then someone with an identical credit rating who purchases a new car. As you can see, the length of the loan, whether or not the car is new or used, and the borrower’s credit score will all have an effect on the interest rate that one is charged.

While there may be an average interest rate for people based on their credit score, the final interest rate will be determined not only based on their credit history, but also on the loan length and whether or not they purchase a new or used car. A person who has excellent credit and who wants a shorter loan on a new car will be able to qualify for the best rates. People who have poorer credit, need more time to pay off their loan and who purchase used cars will end up paying the most interest.

To find auto loans with low rates, it’s a good idea to do some comparison shopping online. You can visit a particular lenders web page and see what they have to offer. You may also want to visit web sites where you can input your information one time and then several lenders will get back to you with a quote.

Tags: Articles, car, current market value, dealer, Fees, finance, interest rate, loan, loan insurance, loans, long term loans, negative equity, new car loan, payment, rate finance, score, vehicle, web