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Auto Loans

There are many things lenders may require of you for qualification of a “bad credit” auto loan. These are things that usually are not required of people with good credit.  The Auto Lender that will approve your auto loan needs to be sure that you will be able to make payments considering blemishes in your past credit history. Some of the requirements that may apply are:

Drivers License

Lenders and/or dealerships will ask you for a current drivers license (for obvious reasons) as well as proof of insurance Make sure your drivers license is valid and is the same state of where you reside.

Proof of Residence

Expect to bring a phone bill preferably with your name on it or electric, water, cable, etc… This will show you reside at that address.

Proof of Insurance

Yes. If you currently have auto insurance, take a copy of your policy with you to the dealership.  If not, your local dealership can usually provide you (through an affiliate) with low cost auto insurance so you can still take immediate delivery. This is designed to protect both you and the auto loan and lender, should you have an unfortunate accident. This will help pay off the auto loan, so you can purchase another car, truck or van with the credit you helped protect. 

Proof of Income

If you have excellent credit, you probably will not need to prove your income. The lender is strictly looking at your ability to repay the auto loan.  You must have a means to make the monthly payments.  When deciding whether or not to make you an auto loan, the lender will be looking at your employment and income.  An auto loan is far easier to repay if you are currently employed!  This will help establish your good credit for future auto, home or other loans in your future.  This is done on a case-by-case basis .

Hourly/Salary – Last 2 pay stubs

Overtime – Minimum 6 months on a regular basis to consider as income

Self Employed – Last  (2) years Tax returns including the Schedule C

2nd Job – Minimum 6 months on the job in order to qualify as additional income  

Tips – Must be claimed on your taxes or some cases bank statements can be used to prove this income

Other Income - Disability, child support, alimony, social security, and retirement 

How to Calculate your Income Correctly

I have seen too many applications get turned down (banks would call this “debt to income ratio”) or rejected because the gross monthly income (before taxes) was never calculated correctly.  How to calculate:

Hourly Rate:   Hourly rate x hours worked per week x 52/12 = Gross Monthly Income

Salary Bi-weekly (every 2 weeks):    Salary x 26/12 = Gross Monthly Income

Salary Semi-Monthly:    Salary x 2 = Gross Monthly Income

For example, lets assume your are being paid $12.00 per hour for a 40 hour work week:

$12.00 per hour x 40 hours = $480.00 per week  

$480.00 x 52 weeks = $24,960.00 per year  

$24,960.00 / 12 months =  $2080.00 per month

Your gross monthly income would be $2080.00.

Most banks as a general rule will take 50% of your gross monthly income that your total debt cannot exceed which in this case would equal to $1040.00.

Calculate your debt:  

First add all your minimum monthly payments that would be reported on your credit report that are current: 

Target                                $25.00

Capital One MC                  $15.00

Mobile Gas Card                $35.00

The total would be $75.00 but what if you owe on an education loan but haven’t started paying on it yet, the banks will take out 3% of the total amount owed (assuming you will be paying this during the course of your auto loan)

$5000.00 education loan x .03 = $150.00 per month

Your debt so far would $225.00.

Now, if you have a mortgage payment in your name this amount would already be included with your credit cards and other debt that shows on your credit report.  However, if you rent or living with family, generally they will subtract at least $300.00 for rent unless you entered in a specific amount above that.  Even if you state you pay $0 (such as living with relatives, friends), they still will subtract $300.00 unless you have proof of a home you reside in is paid for.

Note: This would include your utility bills as well. 

Your debt so far would be $225.00 + $300.00 = $525.00  

Depending on the finance company, they may consider food/living expenses such as gas and maintenance on your vehicle, which could be a minimum amount of $75.00.

Your debt so far would be $525.00 + $75.00 = $600.00 

Car Insurance is also included of $50.00 to $100.00 depending no the bank since it is mandatory to have full coverage on the vehicle during the course of the loan.

Your debt so far would be $600.00 + $100.00 = $700.00  

In the beginning, we stated that your bills could not exceed $1040.00 and by subtracting $700.00, this would leave you with $340.00 left available to make your car payment.  However, banks can take other factors into consideration not stated here.

50% of your gross monthly Income $1040.00 – Total Debt of $700.00 = $340.00 Maximum Payment   

Down payment

Generally, people with bad credit may be required to put down $1000.00 or 10% in order to get financed for a car loan however However, remember that the dealer wants to sell the car and they will generally work with you if they want to get a deal done. However, if they cannot work with you and you are required to put money down to purchase a car, you can always applying for a pay day loan.  There is no credit check so your past credit history does not impact the loan approval process. All you need is an income of $1000.00 a month, a checking account and be at least 18 years old. You can have the money deposited into your account by the next business day.

 

References

The last thing that they will want you to bring is at least 6 references to include their name, address, and phone number where they can be reached.   

Co-signers

One of the best ways to improve your chances of being approved for a bad credit auto loan is to have a co-signer. The co-signer is liable for the payment of the loan and will have to pay if you default. Because the co-signer is liable, his or her good credit will help you to be approved for the loan.  

 

People that apply for a bad credit auto loan are doing it because they want to find out if they can get approved whether they apply online, go to the bank or a dealership, there is always someone willing to approve your car loan.  If you get turned down, find out what the reason is because you may be able to correct the problem.  

Past Due Accounts

Make sure that any car loans and/or mortgage are paid on time. Generally, you will get charged a late fee if you pay a day after your due date however they could give you as much as 10 or 15 days before charging a late fee.  More importantly, always make sure that you make your payment before it becomes 30 days past due to avoid having it reported to the credit bureaus. 

If you are having a problem making your payments, its always a good idea to discuss your situation with the bank to find out what options may be available to you. Many banks are able to offer you a deferment which is an interest only payment and the principal is added to the end of your loan, change your due date or they may even be able to refinance your loan with them. Many people avoid being late on their payment by simply trading their car in since it could take up to 2 months before you have to make your first payment on the new car loan.

If you owe federal/state taxes or child support, make sure you make arrangements to pay it. Banks are almost unwilling to consider approving you for a car loan if you owe either of these.

Medical Bills such as doctor, dentist, and hospital that have not been paid will show on your credit report however it is not a high priority to pay these in order to get approved for a car loan. The monthly premiums and high deductibles health insurance providers set makes it impossible for someone to be fully covered.  The banks can sympathize for whatever reason that you were not able to pay your medical or dental bills.  Banks that help people with bad credit tend to look away when they are making a decision on your auto loan. 

Insufficient Credit File

The banks consider you as a high risk especially if you haven’t paid anyone before so its always a good idea to immediately get a credit card to start such as Capitol One (secured credit card if necessary), get a checking account established or even a Rent-to-Own account since they report to the credit bureaus too.  Another good way to establish good credit is if you are an authorized user on someone else's credit card account. Even though credit bureaus aren't supposed to be reporting the payments on your credit bureau if you are only an authorized user however they generally do. If for some reason however the payments are paid late, you can quickly have the account removed since it shouldn't have been on your credit bureau in the first place.    

Consumer Credit Counseling

Any types of debt repair programs can cause you a lot of headache.  Unfortunately, if you have already started with a program such as this, you will need to wait until you have 6 months or less left to complete the program before you can apply however there are some banks and finance companies that may approve you as long as you have a letter from Consumer Credit Counseling or any other similar programs stating you are able to pay for the auto loan.  

Charge Off or Collection Accounts

If you decide to pay a charge off or collection account, make sure you and the creditor both settled on an amount to be paid in full.  Upon paying the account in full, require a letter from them that by accepting the offer they will permanently take off the charge off account/collection account from all 3 credit reporting agencies.  Typically, the account will show on your credit report as a “paid charge off” or “paid collection account” if it isn't taken off your credit report however it isn't going to help you get a car loan or improve your credit report. A paid charge off account or paid collection account is still considered a delinquent account.  They do not give you credit for it being paid off which is why it is vital to have it taken off permanently from all major credit bureaus and by doing this, it will improve your credit score. Remember, that all accounts that are delinquent, collection or charge off will stay on your credit report for seven years which starts from the first month you were delinquent on that account.    

Repossessions

If you had a vehicle repossessed, the general rule is that it must be at least a year old before you are able to finance a new or pre-owned vehicle. However, there are finance companies that will approve you even if you just had your car repossessed the day before but they only work directly with the dealerships and internet companies!  There are buy here, pay here car lots that will finance you however they charge a considerably larger interest rate and many do not report to the credit agencies.   

Bankruptcy

If you decide to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy and intend on applying for a car loan, make sure you either apply before you start your bankruptcy or be able to wait until after the bankruptcy has been discharged which normally take 3 months to complete.  Most banks or finance companies will not consider approving you for a loan until your bankruptcy has been discharged.

If you decide to file Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you are paying off your debt without getting hassled by your creditors in a period of time you can pay them.  However,  this means that it could take years before you actually pay everyone off and in the mean time you are restrained from purchasing anything on credit.  

Regardless which bankruptcy you choose to file, it takes 10 years from the time it is discharged to be removed from your credit report.  However, bad credit such as charge offs or past due accounts will report to the credit bureau for seven years.

Going to the Dealership    

When you are ready to go to the car dealership especially when you have bad credit can be frustrating because your options are limited when it comes to picking out a vehicle.  However,  when you first arrive at the dealership, don't spend a lot of time finding a vehicle unless you know that you can get approved first since its up to the lender how much they approve you for and what exceptions they will grant. The last thing you want to do is spend hours at the dealership looking for the perfect car and then find out that you are not able to get approved or get approved for less money with restrictions.

Cars, especially new ones, depreciate (become less valuable) very quickly. In other words, a new car may suddenly lose $2000 in re-sale value the moment you drive it away from the dealer.  Also, keep in mind that during the early part of the repayment period, most of the payments are consumed by interest charges, so the consumer's equity will grow very slowly. The loan often is much greater than the wholesale value (based on year, make, model, options and miles) of the car so refinancing may be out of the question for the first couple of years or longer of owning the vehicle.  If you are thinking about refinancing your vehicle or trading it in within the first couple of years, make sure that your LTV (loan to value) doesn't exceed 150% otherwise chances are of doing either are less than likely.

Previously, every time your credit report was pulled, an inquiry would show up on your credit report and would lower your score very quickly.  However, that isn't the case any longer as long as you're shopping for the same type of loan within a two-week period.  For example, you found a car you liked at a local dealership so they pulled your credit report to determine which lenders they are going to fax your information.  They fax it to 3 different lenders to see who will approve you with the best interest rate, highest amount, longest term and smallest down payment required.  Of course, all 3 lenders will have to pull your credit report also however after the first dealership that pulled your credit report your credit score won't be affected no matter how many times a bank, finance company or a dealership pulls your credit report.

Usually, a dealership can submit your application to a lender without a specific car in mind in which they will approve you for:

The Total Purchase Amount - this can include the price of the vehicle plus tax, title, warranty and any insurance you decide to purchase which includes disability, life or gap (optional)

Payment Call - this is the maximum monthly payment that they decide you can afford to pay based on your debt to income ratio which will vary between lenders however typically it is 50%

The Interest Rate - The lender will approve you for specific interest rate which depends on your credit score.  Generally, the lower your score is, the higher your interest rate will be. However, you can still negotiate with the dealership on the interest rate because it is not a fixed rate.  Most of the time the dealership will give you a higher interest rate than what the bank approved you for.  This is how the dealership can make a lot of money from you when they sell you a vehicle. However, this rate can still be lower than going to another dealership that uses the same lender or getting a loan directly with that lender yourself.  A dealership that sends 75% of their business to a lender will more likely approve a loan or approve exceptions for a loan than a dealership that sends only 25% of their business to the same lender which are called indirect loans. Some lenders will provide loans directly with the public which are called direct loans.  This type of loan will allow you to purchase directly from a dealership or through a private party.  However, it is difficult for someone with bad credit to get approved for that type of loan.     

Every state has a maximum interest rate they are allowed to charge and sometimes it makes it harder for the consumer to qualify for a car loan.  As an example, Arkansas has an interest rate cap of 8%, which means that unless you have perfect credit you might as well forget about getting a car loan.  Traveling to a neighboring state such as Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, or Mississippi is the only way that customers looking to purchase with less than perfect credit can purchase.

Term of the loan - The make, model, and year of the vehicle will determine the term (how many months) the bank is willing to finance on the loan however in some cases how many miles on the vehicle may also effect the term. For example, the average miles a used vehicle should have per year is 15,000 miles according to Kelley Blue Book which determines the wholesale value of a vehicle.  If you choose a vehicle that is 2 years old with 50,000 miles on it, chances are the lender will shorten the term of the loan since a vehicle with higher miles has a greater chance of breaking down.  This could lead to money out of your pocket for repairs and as a result not being able to pay your car payments.     

             

2000 and older

Model

Year

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

$6000+

$4000-

$5999

$2500-

$3999

Under $2500

Term

60

60

57

54

48

42

36

30

24

18-12

   

The Extended Warranty - This is optional for anyone purchasing a purchase a used car.  However, it is something that you should purchase because there is no way to know when or if the car you purchase will break down. Usually, warranties cover pretty much everything as long as you keep up the regular maintenance of the car such as oil changes and tune-ups. For example, the transmission could go out on the car and that could cost a small fortune.  

With the extended warranty, there are different types of warranties you can get that depend on how many years it will cover, miles, and what parts it covers.  However, the important thing to remember is this is not a fixed rate either which means you can negotiate the price of the warranty with the dealership as well.  A dealership can make a huge profit from selling you the extended warranty.  You can figure out approximately how much the car dealership is paying for the warranty by taking half of the price they try to sell it to you for. Only negotiate the price of the warranty after you have negotiated on the price of the car, the trade in (if you have one) and the interest rate.  If a car dealership loses money on selling the warranty, they definitely will try to add that amount somewhere else in the car deal.   

Approve My Auto Loan Now

 

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  Last modified: February 20, 2008