
When you’re looking for a new or used car, one of the most important factors to consider is the interest rate on your car loan. The lower the interest rate, the less money you’ll have to pay back in total over the life of your loan. So how can you get the best car loan interest rate?
There are several things you can do:
Shop around for the best rates
Compare interest rates from different lenders to find the best deal. You can easily do this online by visiting the websites of different banks and credit unions, or by using a comparison website like Driva car finance to see all of your best options in one place.
Look at comparison rates
Be sure to compare not only the Annual Percentage Rate (APR), but the comparison rate as well. Comparison rates include the interest rate plus any other fees charged by the lender, such as origination fees or points. This is unlike the APR, which doesn’t include any fees or charges, so can therefore be quite misleading.
Get pre-approved for a loan
Before you start shopping for a car, get pre-approved for a loan from a lender. This will give you an idea of how much money you can borrow and what interest rate you can expect to pay. It’s important to note that getting pre-approved is not the same as getting approved for a loan. You’ll still need to go through the approval process with the lender once you’ve found a car. But
Build a good credit history
A high credit score will help you get a lower interest rate on your loan. So if you don’t have a good credit history, now is the time to start working on building it up. You can do this by making all of your loan and credit card payments on time, and keeping your balances low.
It’s also important to check your credit history for any errors, and if there are errors, dispute them. You can get a free copy of your credit history from each of the three major credit reporting agencies once a year.
Consider a shorter loan term
One way to get a lower interest rate is to choose a shorter loan term. This means you’ll have to make higher monthly payments, but you’ll pay less interest overall. Although a longer loan term can be tempting because of the lower monthly payments, it will cost more in the long run.
Use a car loan calculator
If you’re not sure how much your monthly payments will be, or what interest rate you should expect to pay, use a car loan calculator. This will help you figure out what your interest rate and monthly repayments might look like, based on the year of your car, your credit score and how long you want the loan to be.
Now that you know how to get the best car loan interest rate, it’s time to start shopping around! There are several things you can do to get the best car loan interest rate, and following these tips will help you get started. So take some time to compare interest rates and find the lender that offers the best deal for you.
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