What You Should Pay on a Car Loan Interest Rate
Most people who want to purchase a new car need to finance that large investment with an auto loan. Since interest rates can widely vary, it’s best to understand the limits of what you should be paying for your loan interest rate.
How Do Interest Rates Work on Car Loans?
One of the biggest considerations you’re going to need to make when shopping for auto loans is what interest rates are acceptable. Different financial institutions offer different interest rates for their borrowers. If this is your first time getting a car loan, it’s imperative that you understand how interest rates work.
Car loans are typically set up with a simple interest rate. This means that the borrower is responsible for paying back the cost of the purchase and a flat percentage of that cost in interest charges.
From the time that you take out the loan, you will know exactly how much will be owed to pay back the entire loan. Additionally, you’ll enjoy having a fixed monthly loan payment that you never have to worry about changing over the life of your car loan.
What Factors Affect Your Interest Rate?
Auto loan interest rates vary every day. This is one factor that you’ll want to consider when deciding on getting an auto loan. According to Lantern by SoFi, “Credit scores can also influence the interest rate and annual percentage rate (APR) you’ll pay on an auto loan.”
Typically, borrowers who have an excellent credit score are privy to low-interest rates. Conversely, borrowers with poor credit scores will see higher interest rates. This is because lenders are more likely to get repaid from borrowers with high credit scores as compared to borrowers who have low credit scores. Lenders will collect more interest for low credit score borrowers to help offset the risk of default on the car loan.
Another influential consideration for your auto loan interest rate is the size of your down payment. If you’re willing to put a good chunk of change down for the loan, a lender might offer you a lower interest rate. This is because they will see you as less risky because your car’s value is likely higher than your auto loan.
When you get an auto loan, you can typically choose the term length. One thing that you’ll easily be able to notice is that the interest rate on the loan increases as the term length increases. This is because the lender sees longer-term lengths as riskier than shorter-term lengths.
The lender is going to be without their money for a longer period of time. There is also the possibility of changes in the borrower’s financial situation that might stop them from repaying the loan.
The right interest rate for your car loan is going to vary depending on the many factors above. It’s best to take them all into consideration and establish a loan that has an interest rate that is viable for your budget.