Tips For Avoiding an Upside Down Loan
If you are starting out in the car buying process, there is a high chance that you might get a bad auto loan if you are not careful. Sometimes lender get borrowers into loans which are not best for them.
A common problem that arises from bad auto loans is an upside down loan. These upside down loans are loans where the value of the car is significantly lower than the loan amount. Luckily, they are steps you can take to avoid such types of loan.
Down Payment: Due to competition in the auto loan industry, most auto loan lenders offer 100% financing to borrowers. Some lenders even go as far as offering over a 100% financing, which means that they will pay for all the other fees associated with buying a car like the title, registration etc. Some borrowers have been know to get cash back from some auto loan lenders.
The best way not to have an upside down loan is to purchase your vehicle with a down payment. Putting a down payment will always ensure that the car will be worth more than the actual loan.
Are you planning on keeping the car till it is paid off? If you are one of those who love to change cars every year, you might end losing a lot of money in negative equity. The best way to offset this is by purchasing a car with a down payment. Down payments can start any from 5% to 20% of the cost of the car. The more the down payment, the better it is.
Loan Terms: Another factor to consider is a loan term loan. Getting a reasonable loan term can go a long way in making sure you don’t have an upside down loan. Most cars on average have a loan term of 4 to 5 years. Some loans have been known to stretch up to 8 years. If you go for a longer term, definitely your payment will be much lower. The only drawback with such a loan is that it will have a higher interest rate and as the car depreciates, you will owe more than the car is actually worth. it is advisable to get car loans for no more that 5 year.
Another option to consider is buying a used car. With a used car you get a lower price with the same quality. Most people rather opt for used cars knowing fully well that the used car will serve them as much as a new one would.
