Sub Prime Auto Financing – How to Get Approved

Mar 13 2011 Published by admin under Auto Financing



Auto buyers with blemished credit may wonder how they can get approved to buy a car. The answer is sub prime auto financing. When seeking a sub prime auto loan the question shouldn’t be just, “How do I get approved?” The better question to ask is, “How do I get approved for the best sub prime auto financing available?”

Prospective car buyers who have a credit score below 620, a history of late payments or a recent bankruptcy will all be candidates for sub prime auto financing. However, all sub prime loans are not created equal and the wise shopper will do a little homework before going out to the car lots.

Pulling you own credit report is a good place to start any time a major credit purchase is being considered. A buyer wants to know as much about his credit record as a potential lender knows. Check your report for inaccuracies and notify the credit reporting agencies if you find any.

Being realistic about the car a buyer can afford also increases the chances of obtaining a sub prime auto loan. This purchase is the first step in repairing less than stellar credit and it may require buying the best car for the buyer’s budget not the purchaser’s dream car.

The largest possible down payment will further help the buyer to find sub prime financing. A down payment may also lower the interest rate of the loan. A lower interest rate generally translates into a lower monthly payment as well.

Just as finding the right kind of car requires shopping finding the right kind of sub prime auto financing requires shopping. An auto dealer makes part of his profit from financing car loans. The car loan made on the lot with the dealer may therefore cost more than auto financing that is arranged before hand by the buyer. Even a consumer looking for sub prime financing may be able to be pre-approved for an auto loan. Walking onto the car lot with a loan in hand gives a buyer more clout in the process of negotiating the auto’s price.

Where are some of the places a shopper with damaged credit can look for an auto loan?

1. Financial Institutions That You Already Have Relationships With – Many banks will help a current account holder to re-establish credit, particularly if the customer has both checking and savings account. Some credit unions are also relaxing their credit standards to include sub prime financing. If the applicant has direct deposit with the institutions and will allow payments to be set up as regular debits this also works favorably.

2. Look For Lenders Through References – Check with The Better Business Bureau, use the yellow pages and ask friends for references.

3. Look On The Internet- Be wary, however, of giving out credit information to anyone who solicits loan business online. This applies equally to anyone who solicits business through the mail or over the phone. Always check a company out before providing it with any sensitive information.

Once several lenders have been targeted, a buyer should sit down with them and be honest about the situation. Many consumers require sub prime auto financing and they should not allow themselves to be pressured or intimidated because they are embarrassed about their credit histories. Receive all offers in writing and take the time to read them carefully and compare them.

Finally, remember that receiving credit is an ongoing process. Making timely payments on a sub prime auto loan can be the first step in revitalizing a poor credit record.

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Things to Watch Out if you Have a Bad Credit and Want a Secured Credit Card

Oct 20 2009 Published by admin under Credit Card

secured credit card


Secured credit cards are special type of credit cards which are issued against a collateral. Generally a checking account or some other collateral comes into picture while issuing of a secured credit card. The credit limit of a secured credit card is equal to the value or amount available in the collateral. It is particularly rare to get a credit greater than this amount with a secured credit card.

Secured credit cards option are exercised generally by those with bad credit history and poor credit score to get themselves back on track. Credit card issuing companies, ask for collateral because they find providing credit cards to such people too risky. A good use of secured credit card can give the credit card issuer enough confidence to issue an unsecured credit card in your name.

A good thing to have with secured credit cards is that they should report your spending habits to the three major credit reporting agencies. Strange but true, not all secured credit card holders do that. Unless this feature is present in a secured credit card, it will be of little use for those trying to use it for rebuilding their credit history.

Though secured credit cards are linked with a collateral, they still have some fees and terms associated with them. Before going for a secured credit card, a person must check the various APR’s associated with the credit card. If the secured credit card charges an annual fee, the applicant should try to get one with the lowest amount of interest rates and annual fees. The billing period and grace period allowed for repayments should also be considered. Already suffering with a bad credit situation, the last thing to do with a secured credit card is to take a cash advance with it, simply because the cash advance attracts high interest rates and a cash advance fees.

Care should be taken that the secured credit card is actually used in a way that rebuilds credit history. Sticking to repayment schedule like a religion, and not over indulging with the credit card will help a lot in getting the most out of your secured credit card.


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