Best way to finance buying a car | MoneyHelper (2023)

FAQs

What is the best way to finance a car? ›

There are 3 major factors to consider when using a loan to finance a car: the loan amount (this is the total amount you're borrowing to get the car), the annual percentage rate (also known as the APR, this is the interest rate you pay on your loan) and the loan term (the amount of time you have to pay back the loan ...

Cash. The most straightforward and cheapest way to buy a car is to buy it outright with cash. You hand over the money to the dealer, or whoever you're buying it from, and then it is yours and you won't need to make any further payments towards the cost of the car.

How much should you spend on a car? If you're taking out a personal loan to pay for your car, it's a good idea to limit your car payments to between 10% and 15% of your take-home pay. If you take home $4,000 per month, you'd want your car payment to be no more than $400 to $600.

Working directly with a bank to discuss financing before you head to the dealership could potentially help you save more money because it allows you to compare interest rates. Securing financing ahead of time also means there's no chance of a dealer increasing the loan rate as compensation for its part in the process.

The reason the car dealer wants to assist consumers in this manner is because the financial institution will give the dealer a small percentage of the interest charged for the loan, which means the dealer earns additional profit on the sale of the vehicle.

Lenders want to determine that you have the ability to repay your auto loan before they finance a car. This goes beyond just running numbers based on an interest rate. Lenders should assess your income, assets, employment, credit history and monthly expenses to determine that you're able to pay back the loan.

“A typical down payment is usually between 10% and 20% of the total price. On a $12,000 car loan, that would be between $1,200 and $2,400. When it comes to the down payment, the more you put down, the better off you will be in the long run because this reduces the amount you will pay for the car in the end.

What 3 things determine a car loan payment? ›

Your monthly auto loan payment will depend on the car price, down payment, length of the loan (term), and interest rate of the loan, which is highly dependent on your credit score. Interest rates on used car loans also tend to be higher than those on new car loans.

Americans planning to shop for a new car in 2023 might find slightly better prices than during the past two years, though auto industry analysts say it is likely better to wait until the fall. Since mid-2021, car buyers have been frustrated by rising prices, skimpy selection and long waits for deliveries.

There is good news on the horizon in 2023, however. J.P. Morgan estimates that prices for both new and used vehicles are set to decrease as supply chain issues abate and inflation is poised to keep easing. Per the financial firm, new vehicle prices are slated to go down 2.5-5% while used cars may go down by 10-20%.

In terms of the best time of the year, October, November and December are safe bets. Car dealerships have sales quotas, which typically break down into yearly, quarterly and monthly sales goals. All three goals begin to come together late in the year.

According to experts, a car payment is too high if the car payment is more than 30% of your total income. Remember, the car payment isn't your only car expense! Make sure to consider fuel and maintenance expenses. Make sure your car payment does not exceed 15%-20% of your total income.

According to our research, you shouldn't spend more than 10% to 15% of your net monthly income on car payments. Your total vehicle costs, including loan payments and insurance, should total no more than 20%. You can use a car loan calculator to calculate a monthly payment within your budget.

With a $1,000 down payment and an interest rate of 20% with a five year loan, your monthly payment will be $768.32/month.

2) Dealerships don't want you to have your own financing.

Dealers don't just sell cars, they sell your business to lenders for a profit. They're counting on making money on your loan. But you can take steps to avoid paying more than you should.

Is financing a car through a bank a good idea? ›

When done correctly, financing a car through a bank can be a great idea. Banks are more likely to offer low interest rates on an auto loan and can be a good option if you need a larger loan.

Paying cash may hinder your chances of getting the best deal

"When dealers are negotiating the purchase price, they anticipate making money on the back end, via financing," Bill explains. "So if you tell them up front you're paying cash, the dealer knows he has no opportunity to make money off you from financing.

Having a good credit history indicates to the salesperson that you're serious about making commitments and truly have the means to buy your car. Usually, dealers do this when you show interest in a more expensive car or model. No one likes tire kickers, and they want to be sure you are committed to the purchase.

The less money you're spending on your car every month, the more money you'll have to put into other more important things—like paying off any other debt you have, putting away money for your kids' college fund, saving money for the retirement of your dreams, and so much more.

A target credit score of 661 or above should get you a new-car loan with an annual percentage rate of around 6.40% or better, or a used-car loan around 8.75% or lower. Superprime: 781-850.

FICO® credit scores are the auto industry standard for determining a potential buyer's creditworthiness. Using a variety of factors, the company will give you a three digit score ranging from 300 (lowest possible) to 850 (highest possible).

When you apply for a business loan, consider the 5 Cs that lenders look for: Capacity, Capital, Collateral, Conditions and Character. The most important is capacity, which is your ability to repay the loan.

Your car payment won't go down if you pay extra, but you'll pay the loan off faster. Paying extra can also save you money on interest depending on how soon you pay the loan off and how high your interest rate is.

If you take a car loan of $40000 at an interest rate of 4.12% for a loan term of 72 months, then using an auto loan calculator, you can find that your monthly payment should be $628. When the loan term changes to 60 months, the monthly payment on a $40000 car loan will be $738.83.

If you are offered a 2% interest rate for three years (or 36 months), 3% for four years (48 months), 4% for five years (60 months), and 5% for six years (72 months), your monthly payments for a $40,000 loan will be as follows: Three years – $1,146. Four years – $885. Five years – $737.

How do I pay off a 6 year car loan in 3 years? ›

A 72-month auto loan isn't always the best option. Compared to a 60-month loan, you'll pay interest for another 12 months, which increases the overall cost of borrowing. A 72-month auto loan also puts you more at risk of being upside-down on the loan, which is owing more than your vehicle is worth.

For used vehicles, the average interest rate can range from 3.61% APR with Super Prime to 19.87% for Deep Subprime. If you can get a rate under 6% for a used car, this is likely to be considered a good APR.

As a general rule, every $1,000 in the down payment reduces your monthly payment by $15 to $18. You can use our auto loan calculator to see how various down payment amounts will affect your monthly payments.

When financing a car, lenders require documentation that proves your identity, income, residency, and insurance coverage. You can also expect to provide your Social Security number and vehicle information.

The monthly car payments on a $45K car loan range from $764.04 to $1,263.23. Payments vary based on your credit score, and the sales tax rate of your state, and whether you are financing a new or a used car.

Financing a Car. You have two financing options: direct lending or dealership financing. Direct lending means you're borrowing money from a bank, finance company, or credit union. In a loan, you agree to pay the amount financed, plus a finance charge, over a certain period of time.

End of the calendar year

You should look for a vehicle from the outgoing model year that has generous incentives. According to Edmunds data, December has the year's highest discount off MSRP — 6.1% on average — and the highest incentives. Automakers and dealerships want to close the year with strong sales.

Is car prices gonna go down? ›

But they warn that prices won't be nearly as low as they were pre-pandemic. Prices skyrocketed during the pandemic, and remained high, due to supply-chain disruptions and a shortage of semiconductor chips, which power cars and more. But now, experts predict that changing conditions in the market will drive prices down.

Here in 2023, the supply of new vehicles is climbing back up, so then incentives have returned. More vehicles on lots means more competition, and dealers can't demand the same higher prices as before. Still, the new vehicle average could top $50,000 sometime this year.

First of all, those supply chain issues and chip shortages are apt to resolve eventually, and 2023 could be the year when the supply-demand gap is nicely bridged. Also, there are already signs that supply is catching up to demand -- even though we're not at the point where we can call cars "affordable" overall.

Because of these supply chain problems, the global automotive industry has produced millions fewer vehicles than it would have otherwise. The supply of new vehicles is starting to improve, but those millions of "missing" vehicles are still gone. Lower supply, higher prices: It's basic economics.

Dealers frequently have some of their best sales around holidays, though the dealership will likely be busy. The weekends where you'll most likely find heavily promoted deals include Memorial Day, Labor Day, Fourth of July and February's Presidents Day weekends. Of those, Memorial Day is one of the best times to buy.

Seasonally, the best time to buy a car typically coincides with the ends of sales cycles — the last days of the month, quarter, or fiscal year.

The cheapest time to buy a car is in December, but you can also get good deals in September. This is around the time the next model year's cars usually start to arrive. Take advantage of Labor Day weekend sales for discounts, rebates and other incentives.

Even if you apply for a few car loans within a short time frame, it shouldn't affect your score significantly. Once you start making loan payments, your credit score should rebound. And by keeping up with your monthly loan payments, your credit score should increase in the long run.

Does applying for a car loan hurt your credit score? Shopping around for a car loan can potentially impact your credit score. That's because every time you apply for a loan and have a hard credit check, your score can drop by roughly 1 to 5 points. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid major credit damage.

Higher credit scores could land you lower rates, and vice versa. Financing a car may be a good idea when: You want to drive a newer car you'd be unable to save up enough cash for in a reasonable amount of time. The interest rate is low, so the extra costs won't add much to the overall cost of the vehicle.

What interest rate can I get with a 800 credit score car loan? ›

In general, lenders look for borrowers in the prime range or better, so you will need a score of 661 or higher to qualify for most conventional car loans.

While many factors come into play when calculating your FICO credit score, you may start to see your auto loan raise your credit score in as few as 60 to 120 days. But remember, everyone's credit situation is different, so your results may vary.

Not only might you need to have a decent-to-good credit score to secure a no-money-down loan, but having a good credit score (at least 680 points) is also the best way to prevent a lender from increasing the interest rate they would've given you on a conventional loan.

Paying off your car loan early can hurt your credit score. Any time you close a credit account, your score will fall by a few points. So, while it's normal, if you are on the edge between two categories, waiting to pay off your car loan may be a good idea if you need to maintain your score for other big purchases.

The total interest amount on a $30,000, 72-month loan at 5% is $4,787—a savings of more than $1,000 versus the same loan at 6%. So it pays to shop around to find the best rate possible.

The biggest advantage of 60-month car loans is that you have five years to pay them off. Because of this, your monthly payments will be much lower than if you have a three or four year loan. More time equals more time to pay.

Car payment statistics

The average monthly car payment for new cars is $716. The average monthly car payment for used cars is $526. 39.5 percent of vehicles financed in the fourth quarter of 2022 were new vehicles. 60.5 of percent of vehicles financed in the fourth quarter of 2022 were used vehicles.

Benefits of leasing usually include a lower up-front cost, lower monthly payments compared to buying, and no resale hassle. Benefits of buying usually are car ownership, complete control over mileage, and a firm idea of costs. Experts generally say that buying a car is a better financial decision for the long term.