An estimated 30% of new car owners have upside down car loans – loans where one owes more than what the car is valued at. However, even used car owners can have this problem. While refinancing won’t solve all your problems, it can help make your payments more manageable.
Start by checking out your current loan rates and terms. Then you can compare car loan lenders to see what deals you can find. After that, it is just a matter of picking terms and doing the paperwork.
Check Your Current Loan Rates And Terms
It is a good idea to look at your current car’s loan rates and terms to see what you have. This will give you a target rate that you want to fall under. Also, check to see if there are any early payment fees.
Besides looking at your rates, figure how long you have left on your auto loan. You can select a new loan with approximately the same pay off date or extend the terms for a lower monthly payment.
Compare Car Loan Lenders
Finding the best refinance offer is a matter of searching for the right lender. Luckily, you can use the internet to save yourself some time. Using a broker site will let you collect rate quotes in minutes. Or you can go to individual financing company sites and look at their rates.
Either way, you want to compare their APR. That way you won’t get caught paying high fees for a low rate.
Pick Better Terms
While you are searching for rates, also plan on picking better loan terms for your budget. Selecting a loan for the same period you have left on your old loan will keep you on track for the pay off date. It will also help you get out of the upside down loan situation sooner.
However, a longer loan of five to seven years will lower your monthly payments immediately. The tradeoff is that your interest costs will be higher.
No matter what type of loan terms you choose, don’t hesitate to start your loan paperwork once you have selected the right lender. Quotes aren’t locked in until you start signing paperwork. The sooner you refinance, the more money you can start saving on your monthly payment.
See my recommended Auto Refinance Lenders online for the lowest rates possible.
Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan Guide, which offers help with low rate car finance.
