Bad Credit Score Doesn’t Have to Stand Between You and Your Dream Car
There is no better feeling than having a hot new car, ready to ride in your very own garage. However, with car prices still high, and the economy still in bad shape achieving the goal of new car ownership is not very wallet-friendly. On the other hand, when you set your mind on your new must-have vehicle, you don’t have to stop pursuing it just because of the price tag or your credit score. With some knowledge about car financing, you can have your car on your driveway while staying well within your financial limits.
DOs and DON’Ts of Car Financing
Car financing is the art of purchasing a car by borrowing money from banks or other sources. It is the ultimate solution that demolishes the distance between your garage and your new car. It grants you the purchasing capacity even in a very tight budget
To gain the freedom to buy the car of your desire, there are several DO’s and DON’Ts that you have to keep strictly in mind before and throughout the whole process of car financing as they will enable you to get the best car finance rates even with a with a bad credit history.
- Do Research the Amount of Money to be BorrowedBefore applying for car finance, do some homework and determine the exact amount that you will require. It will enable you to determine the additional costs that the dealer is imposing in the form of hidden interest rates and additional costs at the time of car financing.
- Do Pre-determination of the Loan Repayment Schedule Make a draft schedule for repayment, be precise about the schedule and the total time period of the loan. Keeping in mind your desired repayment time period will play a significant role in selecting the best plan during the car financing process.
- Do Know Your Budget and Stay Within its Limits Always be within your budget limits, exceeding the budget limit will throw a curse of bad credit score on you. For avoiding this tremendous curse, pre-determine the budget precisely and choose the car within its limits.
- Do Find Out Your Credit ScoreThere are numerous credit score calculators online; use them and find out your credit score. Your credit score history will be researched thoroughly during the whole process, and it is very good to know the facts upfront.
- Do some simulations and prepare possible scenarios It is not as technical as it sounds. All you need to do is to jump on the car finance calculator and input the amounts related to your car loan, such as car’s price, desired interest rates, and down payment, and find out the simulated results. It will give you a taste of the general loan amount that you will have to pay per month for the specified car.
The above DOs will greatly broaden your with regard to car finance, but in order to make your purchase as smooth as possible, there are DON’Ts to be kept in mind, as well.
- Don’t Disclose Your Monthly Payment Capacity The dealer would try every sugar-coated tactic to make you disclose your monthly payment capacity, but at this point you need to be focused on the total amount of the loan and then afterwards determining the monthly payment schedule. If you somehow disclose your monthly payment capacity, there is a greater possibility that you will lose your chance of getting a lower purchase price at lower interest rates.
- Don’t Let the Dealer Determine Your Credit ScoreBefore approaching the dealer, you should know your credit score (as mentioned earlier in the “DOs” section of this sheet). If you don’t know your credit score, the dealer can tell you almost anything, and you would have to believe them, and proceed with the loan according to the credit score provided.
- Don’t Go for the Most Expensive CarNever exceed the limits of your budget, always remain within it. However, if you choose to do so, it will only result in rolling the negative equity forward to your upcoming deals or it might even downgrade your credit score. Negative equity means the difference between the amount you own to the borrower for the car and the car’s total price.
- Don’t Accept to Finance Additional Options for Your CarYou generally don't need the add-ons, such as extended warranties, fabric protection, rust protection. Most new cars come with these things nowadays anyway. Simply refuse to get or finance the add-ons, when the dealer offers to add them to your existing borrowing amount; you will save yourself a significant amount of money.
Along with all the above mentioned DOs and DON’TS, there is a common fear related to bad credit score that exists among many borrowers. However, there is no need for that fear to get between you and your dream car, because you can get car loans with a bad credit history from many sources easily. All you need to do is to stay calm during the complete process of car financing and thoroughly follow the tips provided. As a result, you can drive your dream car into the New Year with the best car finance rates and without the hazards of car financing.
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