Auto Loan FAQs

Buying a car new or used is a big decision and like most big decisions, the right questions need to be asked in order to protect you from making bad decisions. Part of getting the right answers involves asking the right questions and lucky for you, we’ve made a comprehensive listing of the questions frequently asked by car buyers — just like you.

What Should I Consider When Buying From a Private Seller?

The private seller is defined strictly as anyone who is selling a motor vehicle but who does not fall in the strict confines of an automobile dealer or in the business of buying cars for resale. Typically, this will be an individual who has owned a car for some time and who now wants to sell it, talking on the tasks of marketing/advertising themselves. When buying a car from such a seller, you’ll need to secure what is called a private party auto loan. Due to the nature of the potential transaction (i.e. a private transaction between two individuals), most traditional lenders are reluctant to facilitate loans for this purpose. Another difficulty with ascertaining financing is the fact that such sellers usually sell their vehicle on ‘As is Where is’ basis.

This means often that there is little recourse of the car turns out to be a lemon and most lenders won’t have the wherewithal to determine the condition of the vehicle. Aside from loan access, you are also likely to encounter high prices as most private sellers have an inflated estimation of their car’s worth—they rarely price in line with market value. The best way forward if you have to go with a private seller is to first seek the loan from your local credit union, and secondly, ensure that you know the seller very well and is fully appraised on the condition of the vehicle in question.

Are Students Allowed To Use Student Loans To Buy Cars?

In a practical sense, the funds advanced to you for matters dealing with education can be funneled into other uses but this practice is not recommended. Federally sponsored student loans come with some level ‘responsible spending’ and much of that is hinged on the money being used on education, not things like cars.

Most student loan lenders will actually write expressed prohibition of this type of expenditure and going against those terms can land you in serious trouble.For your ultimate legal protection, it also worth pointing out that in most jurisdictions nowadays, student loans cannot be dismissed under bankruptcy, and so using the money for such a purpose can saddle you unduly with long term debt—long after a car has outlived its usefulness.

The sensible approach is really to engage lenders who cater specifically to students looking to buy cars. These lenders have very flexible and affordable auto loans for students and can get you approved in a very short space of time. Of course, you’ll still need to shore up your credit standing and its always advised to maintain some sort of savings account. You can start with a credit union or a bank, it really doesn’t matter. The important thing is to demonstrate a savings regime and a good ability to repay any loans borrowed.

Are There Car Loans For College Students With Bad Or No Credit?

Access for students with bad credit to car loans are a lot better than they used to be. Nowadays you can find lots of lenders who will lend to students with bad or no credit and most won’t put you through your paces to get started. Like all loans to people with poor credit though, you’ll need to demonstrate an ability to repay. If you can’t demonstrate this under your own credit circumstances, you can always use a parent or relative with good credit as a guarantor for the loan.

Absent a guarantor you can still qualify for an auto loan, but your credit standing will largely determine the rate of interest you pay—the poorer your credit standing, the higher the interest. If you can make a down payment on the car, this will give the lender confidence and may reduce your interest rate and increase your chances of a successful application.

Most colleges offer what are called Federal Perkins Loans or Stafford Loans and whilst these cannot go towards a car purchase directly, they can help with your education-related expenses and improve your cash flow towards buying a car.

Can One Really Get A Car Loan With No Credit History?

Most people are under the misconception that not having a credit history is a good thing—that is until they apply for a car loan and get a flat rejection. The reality is that lenders consider someone without credit history as unproven—someone who perhaps doesn’t know how to handle a loan and all the trappings that come with it.

For many people who find themselves in this unfortunate situation, the tendency is to give up. But this needn’t be the case. You see, you have to start somewhere when looking to build a credit history and many lending institutions understand this. Out of this understanding, the No Credit Car Loan was born and the biggest question many would-be borrowers ask is “where can I get one?” Thankfully the internet has made the search for these types of loans a breeze.

There are literally thousands of no credit auto loan companies online and many will accommodate you faster than you can blink. Be warned though, interest rates for these types of loans are on the high side to begin with. Once you get settled and manage a loan properly though, the rates come down as do the terms. In the short term too, you can reduce interest rates slightly by demonstrating a sound ability to repay—simply present your employment and income credentials and you will be on your way.

How Do I Qualify For a Car Loan Without a Job?

There are several factors that make up an assessment of your suitability for a car loan and having a job is one of them. As a prerequisite, it is important, but set against other criteria, having a job is not absolutely essential in order to borrow money for a car loan. If you are unemployed and need a loan your first port of call is your credit rating—find out what is. It could be that your credit rating is so high, that a lender doesn’t even consider other factors before saying “yes”.

If you fail this test, you still have options and one such is the use of a guarantor (somebody who stands the responsibility for paying if you can’t). Getting a guarantor requires some level of trust from the person willing to undertake the task so it is advisable to approach a relative or close friend for this. Another option is to use any asset of value as collateral for the loan—it doesn’t have to be something high in value, like a house. It just needs to be something that can help the lender recoup the value of the loan in the event of a default.

Best Way To Qualify For An Auto Loan

Qualifying for an auto loan is dead easy when you follow the tried and proven methods for doing so. You really don’t need anything fancy in order to qualify for an auto loan and the following tips will help you immensely in getting a “yes”:

  • Too much credit activity is a red flag to lenders and sends the signal that you have a cash flow problem. Before setting off to a dealership or a car loan company take steps to minimize this activity.

  • Don’t shoot overboard when looking for a car. Lenders will assess your application based on your ability to repay so chose something that will fit in line with this ability. Don’t forget lenders look at every aspect of your income and outgoings and their math is sound—you won’t be able to pull the wool over their eyes.
  • Your rate of interest will depend largely on how much you are looking to borrow and for what time period. To offset high interest costs, try and increase the size of your down payment—doing this can reduce interest rates by as much as 30%.

Can I Get A Car Loan With Bad Credit And No Co-Signer In Place?

Bad credit makes getting a car loan inherently difficult. Throw in the inability to find a co-signer and you have an even bigger problem. But the problem can be overcome, as long as you are willing to meet the lender or dealership half-way. And by half-way I mean coming up with a sizable deposit that shows: 1) Good faith on your part and 2) The ability to find some level of cash—this shows there’s money coming in. There’s very little chance of being accepted without you having a down payment in these circumstances. If it’s a case where you can’t find the total amount for the sizable down payment, try topping it up with a small loan from a relative or friend—you can even try borrowing something short term from a payday loan company.

What Is The Quickest Way To Get An Auto Loan?
In today’s fast paced world, most of the speed is on the internet. If you want to buy or access something quickly the web is simple the best option and auto loans are especially suited for this type of ease. Everything starts with a quote and the internet makes it possible to access quotes from multiple lenders—all in the same place.

All you have to do is enter your loan criteria and press the submit button. If you are really pressed for time and want us to handle the heavy lifting for you, we can do that too. Our database of qualified and affordable dealerships and auto lenders mean that you don’t have to go very far in order to find the best car loan to suit your circumstances. Best of all, we cater to all credit types—so whether you have poor credit or not credit, our qualified staff and application process can accommodate you quickly and with little fuss. And remember, the sooner you get a loan and start repaying it, the sooner you will see massive improvements in your credit rating.

Can I Get 100% Financing On A Bad Credit Loan?

Your chances of getting approved for any car loan with bad credit will depend largely on your ability to demonstrate an ‘ability to repay’. This applies to a regular car loan as well as loans that require 100% financing. But things are tricky when you are looking to borrow all the money to fund the purchase of the car, and here’s why: part of demonstrating that ability to repay, often involves making a down payment.

Obviously by seeking a 100% loan, you preclude the possibility of making a down payment. The question therefore is should you go for a 100% car loan? The answer is yes, but only if you can get the backing of a co-signer with excellent credit—anything less than this and you’ll be really up against it. By having a co-singer on your auto loan application, you effectively present yourself as the person with good credit—even though your own standing is poor. Of course, you’ll need to develop the trust of the co-singer because if you default, the loan will become their responsibility. In this sense then, you are really trying to prove to the co-signer that you can handle the loan.