10 Myths About Auto Financing

Let’s face it, getting auto financing can be a challenging process and it can be difficult to tell where to begin if you are starting from wrong assumptions due to misinformation.  At PayLow Rate, we try to make the process as easy and transparent as possible.  With that in mind, below are 10 common myths about auto financing.

Myth#1:  “Dealerships always give their customers the best financing terms possible”

Fact:  Dealerships actually mark up their rates by as much as 2.5%, so if you walked out of the dealership with a 6.5% loan, you likely qualified for a loan as low as 4% from the bank and the dealership marked up the rate without you knowing.  At PayLow Rate, we never mark up our rates, so you always get the actual lowest rate that you qualify for from our network of lending partners.

Myth#2:  “Once my auto loan is signed, I am stuck with that car payment until I pay it off or trade it in”

Fact:  While it is true that a dealership will not allow you to change the terms of your auto loan, you are able to refinance your auto loan with another lender at any time.  At PayLow Rate, we partner with a network of lenders so you don’t need to shop around for the lowest rate.  We do the heavy lifting for you, and the best part is we don’t charge our customers for our services.  This is a great option for people who started with a high interest rate, but have improved their credit score and made regular payments.

Myth#3:  “A 0% finance rate will always provide the most savings”

Fact:  0% financing is only offered on current model year new cars as an alternative to a cash rebate (e.g. 0% financing OR $3500 cash back).  In some cases, you may actually be better off by taking the cash rebate and accepting the finance rate that you qualify for.  For a  detailed example of this tradeoff, please see our blog entry on this topic HERE.

Myth#4:  “I cannot trade in my current vehicle until I pay it off”

Fact:  You can trade in your vehicle toward the purchase of a new vehicle at any time, whether it is paid off or not.  The amount of equity (trade-in value of the vehicle minus the amount you still owe on the loan) you have in your trade-in will go toward reducing the new vehicle purchase price.  If you have negative equity (you owe more on the loan than your trade-in is worth), then it will effectively increase the purchase price. The lower your interest rate, the more of your monthly payment goes towards your principal. Refinancing your current interest rate for a lower one will help you accrue more equity in your trade down the road. 

Myth#5:  “I can only refinance my vehicle loan for the amount of the remaining balance on it”

Fact:  You can refinance your vehicle loan typically up to 110% of the vehicle value, regardless of how much you owe on it (even if your vehicle is already paid off, you can take out a low interest auto loan against the value of the vehicle).  This means you can get cash out if you have positive equity in your vehicle.  For instance, if you owe $10,000 on your vehicle loan but your vehicle is worth $15,000, then you are able to refinance for $16,500 (110% of $15,000) which gives you $6,500 cash in your pocket after paying off the original $10,000 loan.  A lot of PayLow Rate customers use this option to pay off high interest credit card debt, student loans, or to get cash out to use for a mortgage down payment or other home project.

Myth#6:  “Refinancing my car will be as difficult and time consuming as a mortgage”
Fact:  While refinancing a mortgage may take 30 days or more and involve seemingly endless paperwork, refinancing your auto loan requires minimal time and effort. Many customers who have good to great credit only need to provide two things: a filled-out credit application, and a driver's license. That’s it. At PayLow Rate, you fill out the credit application online, and you can take a picture of your driver’s license and text it over with your phone. The initial approval can happen in a matter of minutes, and once approved PayLow Rate is able to package all of the loan documents into a concise E-signature email that takes only minutes to click and sign. This online-only approach means you can be on your way to refinancing your auto loan and reducing your monthly payment during your lunch break without ever having to set foot inside a bank!

Myth#7: “If I refinance my auto loan, I will have to pay closing costs”
Fact:  Most people are familiar with closing costs from refinancing a mortgage, which can cost thousands of dollars and counteract the savings from refinancing.  However, unlike refinancing a mortgage, there are no closing costs associated with refinancing an auto loan, but there may be unexpected fees depending on the lending institution.  Some banks and credit unions may charge closing fees or application fees, even if there’s no promise of an approval. Other loan brokers may do the same. At PayLow Rate, we don’t charge any fees for our service. That’s right - nothing out of pocket and nothing built into your loan. We do all of the new title work for you and only pass along the Secretary of State fee which can be as low as $25. So do your homework if you wish - but we’ve already done your homework for you!

Myth#8: “If I refinance my auto loan, my term has to start all over again”
Fact:  You can choose the length of the term on your refinanced loan.  This means if you have 32 months left on your original 72 month loan and you want to refinance to reduce the interest rate, you do NOT have to refinance to another 72 month loan and start all over again.  You have the option to keep the term the same at 32 months remaining, or you can lengthen the term to reduce your monthly payment, or even shorten the term if you want to pay it off sooner.  Your PayLow Rate Success Advisor can show you how much interest you will pay in each scenario and make sure your solution is tailored specifically to your situation so you are happy with the interest rate, monthly payment, and term of the loan.

Myth#9: “My credit score is the same no matter which lender I go to”

Fact:  There are several variables that go into determining your credit score, and each lending institution can weigh those variables differently.  Lenders typically use one of the 3 main credit bureaus as a baseline to determine your score, but may weigh some of those other variables differently to determine the interest rate, or even an approval.  For instance, one lender may value home ownership over renting while another lender may place a high value on having a positive car payment history.  And to further complicate things, each of the three credit bureaus has multiple versions.  So a lending institution that uses Equifax version A may be starting from a different score than one that uses Equifax version B.  This high degree of variability can swing a credit score by 20 - 50 points, or more in some cases, so if you only go to your credit union to get your financing, you may not be getting the best interest rate possible.  That’s why PayLow Rate partners with multiple lenders, so we can do the extra work of shopping for the best rate for you. 

Myth#10:  “I can’t save that much money by refinancing my auto loan”

Fact:  PayLow Rate customers who refinance their auto loans typically save $60 - $120 each month, which can add up to thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.  That’s like finding a wad of $20 bills in your pocket when you take your jeans out of the dryer……...and then that happening again month after month!  

What You Need to Know When Co-signing a Loan

There are many questions that you may have when presented with the decision of cosigning on a loan with someone. Statistics show that 40% of people who cosign on a loan will end up paying part of, or the entire payment. Of course, while there are some risks to consider when cosigning a loan, there are some positive reasons to be aware of as well. So with that in mind, what are those questions you need to consider when cosigning a loan?

1. Why are you being asked to cosign on this loan?
   There could be multiple reasons. Perhaps the lender has stated that their income, relative to the new payment they are seeking, is too low and they need a cosigner’s income to supplement that. If that’s the case, you need to make sure you both have a clear understanding of how the signer plans on consistently making this payment.
   
   It could also be that their credit score is simply too low. If that is the case, how much do you personally know about their credit history? Contrary to popular belief, you can’t tell how well a person pays their bills simply by looking at them. If a bank is wary about lending this person money, you might need to be wary as well. Of course, if you know more personal information about why their credit score isn’t up to snuff and it can be justified, you can provide something to this person that the bank will not  -- empathy.
   
   

2. How long are you on the hook for?
   Short answer: The entire duration of the loan. There is no such thing as only cosigning for a year or two and taking yourself off the loan. The only way for that to be possible is for the original signer to refinance that loan in their name only, or to pay off the total and complete balance. Those are the only two options. So if you’re signing your name on a loan for 72 months, make the assumption that you will be responsible for that loan for an entire 72 months. Which brings us to….
   
   

3. How could the cosigned loan affect me?
   For the entire duration of that loan, the balance and monthly payment will be totaled in your credit score. Not half of the balance, not half of the payment. All of it. So take that into consideration when you’re thinking of cosigning. That loan will be included in your debt to income ratios and will likely be considered when looking at your total monthly car payments, relative to your income. It may not be too difficult for you to cosign on this loan, and get a second auto loan. But if you’re in need of a second car loan yourself, that situation can be more difficult when you already have two in your name - though not impossible. So be sure you think about what your own financial needs might be for years down the road. Certainly, you want to make sure those payments are being made on time because….
   
   

4. This WILL affect your credit score (for better or worse).
   If before you cosign on a loan you are told that it won’t have any effect on your credit score, you’ve just been lied to. Whether you sign first or second, it affects you just the same. If one payment is missed, that blemish will be recorded on your credit report  just the same as you missing the payment.  If so many payments are missed that the loan has to be sent to collections, all of that negative history goes on your credit report. Will you be able to ensure that each payment is made every month? Are you willing to pay it if the other signer doesn’t? If all payments are made on time, it could certainly benefit you just as well. In fact….
   

5. There are sensible reasons you may want to cosign on a loan.
   Ever hear the saying, “It takes money to make money”? Well, one could also say “It takes credit to get credit”. So, what does someone who’s just starting out in life do when they haven’t had a credit history to speak of? Unfortunately for many the answer is to pay a significantly higher interest rate if they can get financing at all. Is that really the best way to have Junior start out on his road to life? If you have a high-school or college grad looking to get their first car, it may make a lot of sense to help cosign on their loan to help get them started in the right direction. Generally speaking, if a 700 credit score cosigns on a loan with someone who is a 600 credit score - or even a no score as young Junior most likely is, you’ll end up with an interest rate that a 700 score qualifies for. Doing it this way will help Junior keep his first car payment low and have most of the payment go towards the principal. Junior will also begin building their credit history and have a credit score that they can soon be proud of. In only a few months (8-16), Junior could quite possibly refinance that loan into their name only and get a very respectable interest rate. That means your name will come off the loan completely, and Junior maintains a great interest rate. Financing young buyers, and even refinancing that loan down the road is a specialty of PayLowRate.com and the experts there can help walk you through both situations. Cosigning a loan is an important decision. But sometimes it can be a rewarding opportunity as well.

New FICO scoring model. Will it affect you and how?

Sometime in this next year, a new shift in measuring a consumer’s credit score will mark the biggest change the FICO model has seen in decades.

So what do you need to know about this change? Will this be positive, or negative to you? Well, let’s find out.

First, the biggest change to the scoring model is that it will now include your banking history - as in your checking and savings. If you simply don’t have overdrafts on your account in the past 3 months, it should have a positive impact on your score. If you keep a balance of $400 or above, that will also have a positive impact. Some credit experts have noted that this shift could end up having a negative impact on some consumers who have shown a good history of managing their money, but might not have a lot of it.
Additionally, the scoring metric will take information from your bank account to include on-time bill payments made.

Overall, this new scoring model should be a net positive for a lot of people - to the tune of 79 million consumers with poor credit histories and 53 million who have no credit score at all. More data points, logically, should produce better loans. These data points will help determine credit patterns of those who either need a second chance, or are either too young to have had credit experience or haven’t had opportunities in the past. Millennials, entrepreneurs, self-employed, first time car buyers, immigrants - should all see better and more lending opportunities available to them.

You might assume that when this new model is introduced, that every bank will use it as a standard for measuring a customer’s creditworthiness. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. A common misconception is that there is one credit measuring system that TransUnion uses, or Experian uses. What many people don’t realize is that there are multiple versions of credit assessments from each bureau and it is up to each lender which they use. That’s why you can check your TransUnion score at one dealership and have it be a 720, then another checks it and it’s a 680. They simply used a different version of TransUnion, not because you had an additional inquiry. (That’s an old-wives’ tale dealerships tell you so you don’t go to another store)

So how do you know what banks will use this new FICO score and which use various other versions - and how do you know which version will give you the best interest rate? Well - it can be very difficult because it’s often information that bank managers aren’t even aware of. Companies such as PayLow Rate actually allow for a multitude of lenders who use different bureau versions to bid on your auto loan (Even your current loan you’ve already been paying on!) all in one stop and one application. This allows each specific customer to match with the specific bank that is best suitable for them with little hassle.