Buying a car is usually the second biggest investment in a persons life, and financing the purchase of a car is commonplace now days, especially if the vehicle in question is of any substantial value. For most people, buying a new or used car of any worth outright for cash simply isn’t possible, and so car finance gives you the option to purchase, and ultimately own a vehicle that you may not otherwise be able to, much like how a mortgage is taken out to pay for a house.
Even if you do have the savings, or means to buy a car out right, it is still sometimes a more sensible option to finance the purchase, as it allows you to release your money bit by bit in a controlled manner, instead of having all of it tied up in a vehicle, that could potentially get stolen, written off or simply depreciate in value considerably.
The car finance industry is massive and if you are considering financing the purchase of a new car, there are a number of things to consider and be aware of, in order to help you get approved car finance. There are a number of different sources to apply for, and obtain car finance, with the obvious one being from the vehicle dealership itself, but you could also obtain finance from the major banks and online financial institutions and companies.
Financing the purchase of a vehicle through the dealership is usually the most convenient option, however there are a few things you should be mindful of before approaching one. Financing through a dealership can often be ‘high pressure’, this is usually because the salesperson will be working on a commission basis so will be pushing for certain add ons and packages that, on the outset, may look worthwhile, but ultimately may end up costing you considerably more. Things like insurances, extended warranties, and extra options for the actual vehicle itself to push the sale value up are all examples of these commission based ad ons, and if you are financing, it can be harder to see the extra amount these things cost as they are effectively ‘hidden’ and divided over the monthly payments, or term of the loan.
Obtaining car finance away from the dealership with a bank or online institution can give you more control without the pressure of the sales push, and, once approved, you then have your budget and know exactly how much you can spend, which again, gives you more control when negotiating a price with a salesperson. However, because the finance has nothing to do with the dealership, or wherever you’re actually purchasing the vehicle from, you may not get as much support and after sales care as you would if you financed the purchase through them.
When applying for vehicle finance, there are a number of different factors that determine whether you get approved, and if you do, what rate you will pay. Interest rates can vary vastly and probably the most influential factor on the interest rate offered to you will be your credit history. Put simply, the better your credit rating, the lower the rate will be, and the worse it is, the higher the amount you pay back to the lender will be, due to an increased rate.
Another major factor impacting on the interest rate of car finance is the term of the loan – i.e the actual time period it will be paid back over. Usually, the shorter the period, the lower the rate, and it increases correspondingly as the term period is extended. Also, if you are wanting to finance the purchase of a used car, you will probably have to pay a higher rate than if you are buying a brand new vehicle, so this is an important factor to consider before buying. Your address and geographic location can also have an influence on the interest rate offered, as can your profession, and work history etc, so when applying for car finance, be prepared to answer a number of questions based around these areas.
Before going to a dealership to purchase and finance a car, it is a good idea to do some research and be aware of current rates and offers from competing companies and banks so that you are not entering into it completely blind, and can bring then up during the application process if necessary, to aid you in any negotiations.
When financing the purchase of a vehicle of any substantial value, you will most likely have to pay a deposit up front, which will represent a minimum percentage of the overall value of the vehicle, and demonstrates your commitment to the lender and the dealership, as well as helping to cover any admin costs etc. It is always advisable to put down as much as you can afford on the deposit, especially if it is an expensive car, as this will help to lower the monthly payments, give you a little breathing space and control, lessen the likely hood of you going into negative equity if you want to get rid of the vehicle, and also increase the likelihood of you getting approved for the car finance in the first place.
This is probably the most important thing to consider when financing the purchase of a valuable vehicle. If, at some point down the line of the agreement, you become unable to continue paying the monthly payments, or if you simply don’t want the car any longer for whatever reason, you want to either effectively be able to hand it back to the dealership without owing anything outstanding, or to sell it yourself privately without having to cover any potentially sizable negative equity before doing so, and it is your initial deposit that can help prevent this from happening in most cases.
It is never a good idea to finance the purchase of a car with a very low, or even nil deposit, as it will likely result in your payments being much greater, and if you want to release or sell the car you could very well still owe the lender more than the current value of the vehicle itself, as many vehicles (especially brand new ones) can depreciate in value considerably and surprisingly quickly after the purchase, so put down as much as you can up front to cover yourself for any such eventualities.
Before committing, you should ensure you are completely aware of the total financed amount as this will properly illustrate to you the amount you are ultimately paying for the car and whether it is actually worth it or not. Generally speaking, you should consider car finance as long as you can obtain a competitive interest rate and sensible terms that will allow you to comfortably afford the monthly payment, and you should also be able to comfortably put a decent deposit down up front that represents a substantial percentage of the overall value, and to finally remember that even if you can comfortably afford the deposit and monthly payments, whether or not the overall financed amount is actually representative of the actual worth of the vehicle you want to own.
