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If you're like the majority of us, paying cash
to buy a car just isn't in the realm of our budget. And even if
it's in the realm, you may not want to take such a dent out of
your savings account to buy it. This means that you're either
going to be renting the car, or buying the car by way of a car
loan. If you're buying, then you're probably getting a car loan
through the dealership, a bank or credit union, an online financial
institute, or maybe even a family member. Which ever it is, you
will want to get the best car loan available to you.
While renting is good for a lot of situations, it's a whole other
kettle of fish; we're focusing here on getting the best car loan.
If you know you want to buy your car using a car loan rather than
pay cash, then you need to do a bit of research and decide how
to get the best financing deal.
Means of car loan
- Pros and Cons
Dealership
Pros: Convenient, fast, sometimes competitive
Cons: High pressure, usually not competitive; be prepared for
a big sales push on add-ons; car loans are often front-loaded
(payments are made up of more interest in the beginning of the
loan than toward the end -- that's bad if you think you may be
paying the loan off early.)
Bank or credit union
Pros: Competitive rates, personal service, no sales pitch for
add-ons; often can tell you if you're paying too much for a car;
often provide free life insurance or disability insurance with
loans; loans are usually simple interest loans (interest spread
evenly throughout the term of the loan)
Cons: Not as convenient as dealership financing -- can't set it
up at night or on the weekend
Online financial institution
Pros: Usually competitive rates, quick, easy
Cons: Not a personal service; dealing with an unknown; some scams
to watch out for
Home equity loan:
Pros: You can deduct some of the interest from your taxes; competitive
rates
Cons: You're tying your car to your home (may be risky)
Family member or friend
Pros: Personal service, easy, sometimes flexible; usually competitive
rates
Cons: Could jeopardize a relationship
But we at Car Loans would recommend taking a look at our panel
of online car loan lenders to find some of the most competitive
loans on the web.
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