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Today, most consumers can find their way around shopping for a car loan. Whether you have good credit or bad credit, shopping for a vehicle in Australia has become so much easier. With lenders appearing online and streamlining the process, anyone and everyone can literally get themselves fit out with fancy wheels.
While car buying has become much easier, consumers are not always getting the upper hand where lending is concerned. Often, interest rates are extremely high for borrowers without good credit or who have very little credit, and for some, they are charged fees. However, those looking for a lender can get the advantage of low rate car loans by simply going into the financial institution with a great application.
Continue reading to learn how to get the best interest rate for your next car loan.
Pay Down Existing Debts
The best way to guarantee that your application shines is to pay down existing debt. This is important because your debt-to-income ratio determines how much debt you can take on. While it might not directly affect your interest rate, it speaks to the risk a lender takes when processing a loan. Higher risk equates to a higher interest rate, and so by paying down existing debts, you can lower your DTI significantly.
Repair Damaged Credit
At the same time, you want to get a copy of your credit report and review it for derogatory comments or errors. Removing these comments from your report is important because as the lender reviews your file they will be assessing your creditworthiness. Moreover, every remark on the report translates into a lower score, if the remarks are mostly negative. Ultimately, though, this report determines your interest in many ways.
Save For Your Down Payment
Placing a sizable down payment on the loan not only reduces the payment monthly, but it can also help with your interest rate as well. For it to really matter, consumers should consider saving a large portion to place down on a car because a small down payment will not really affect the payment or the interest rate. Alternatively, while it might not be possible to save that kind of money, realistically it is one way to reduce risk and improve the overall application.
Shop Around For Rates
Before actually applying for a loan, consumers should consider shopping around to see what the rates actually are. Prospective car buyers should shop credit unions and online lenders specifically because they can offer you some fantastic rates. While you might find competitive rates at traditional banking institutions, car dealerships tend to charge a little bit more. Car buyers should spend some time perusing the different sites to see what is available currently. There are numerous resources that cannot only talk about lending but also can point you in the direction of specific lenders offering competitive rates.
Get Pre-approved
Finally, getting pre-approved can give you a glimpse of the type of loan you might secure with a lending institution. A pre-approval will give you a fixed amount that you can secure for a vehicle, and when shopping for a vehicle, it can give you an idea of what type of car you can purchase. While the interest rate is already on the letter, you have the advantage of being prepared before officially purchasing a vehicle.
Finding The Right Loan
Finding the right loan can make the whole part of paying on a car easy. However, finding a car loan that can give you a low rate requires preparation. By getting your credit file ready, saving money, and shopping for the best rates, you move closer to getting a loan that offers a great interest rate.
You may also like: 6 Car Loan Application Tips for Fast Approval
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