Most Americans consider having access to a car to be a necessity and freedom that they would not want to be without—even if car loan payments take a significant chunk out of their monthly budget. An annual survey conducted by the National Endowment for Financial Education found that 15% of adults were concerned about their car loan debt. Whether or not you believe that owning a car is a financial burden, lowering your monthly costs is a worthwhile goal to strive for in any case.
When a good time to refinance your car loan is, then, is the million-dollar question. For example, suppose you want your monthly payments to be more manageable? That’s an excellent response. However, there are a couple of other factors to consider. But first and foremost, you should gain a thorough understanding of how car refinancing works to ensure that the route you choose will achieve your specific objectives.
What is the procedure for refinancing a car?
Refinancing your car is very similar to refinancing your home in that you are getting a new car loan to replace the one you currently have. The following are the factors to consider to accomplish this:
- Make certain that your credit is in good standing. Get a copy of your credit report, which is available for free once a year, and review it for errors that could result in a lower credit score. If there are any, have them repaired as soon as possible. See if there are any items that you can pay down or off, especially anything that is in a collection. Check your credit score, which is used by most lenders to determine how likely you are to repay your debts if you default on your payments. It is determined by the information contained in your credit reports, such as your payment history, credit history length, debt levels, and the types of credit history you have had. Discover offers a free credit score once a month, which you can access online.
- Calculate the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio of your vehicle. In contrast to homes, which increase in value over time, automobiles decrease in value over time? However, just as with a house, you’ll need equity in your car to refinance. To begin, you’ll need to determine the value of your vehicle and whether or not you’re “upside-down” in your loan—that is, whether or not the amount you owe exceeds the value of the vehicle. On some websites, you can find out how much your car is worth right now. Look around for the most affordable loans. It is critical to shop around for the best loan so that you can get the interest rates and repayment terms that are most favorable to you.
- Gather all of your documentation. Aside from confirming your identity, lenders want to know that you will be able to repay your new auto loan. So make a list of the documents that lenders will require for the car loan refinancing process and put them somewhere safe. To make sure you have everything you need, contact any potential lenders and inquire about the paperwork they require.
How do you know when it is a good time to refinance your auto loan?
When one of the following three scenarios occurs, it is most advantageous to refinance your car loan:
- Your credit score may have improved since you purchased your vehicle, which indicates that it is time to refinance your vehicle. In general, the better your credit score, the lower your interest rate on your auto loan and the better terms you’ll be able to negotiate for your car refinancing will be.
If you do, you may be able to obtain a lower interest rate and have a greater proportion of your monthly payment go toward principal rather than interest. The ability to refinance to a lower interest rate over the life of your loan could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in interest payments.
If you refinance your car loan, you can use a car refinance calculator to see how much money you could save over the new loan term.
- When you need to lower your monthly payments: If the amount of your monthly auto payment is becoming too much to bear, you may be able to lower it by refinancing your loan. When you refinance, you may be able to extend the length of your repayment term, which could result in lower monthly payments.
This could result in more money available to spend on other monthly expenses. Calculate your monthly savings with a refinance car calculator to see how much money you’ll save each month.
Be cautious about refinancing into a loan that has a higher interest rate or has less favorable repayment terms and conditions, even if the numbers appear to be favorable. Examine the refinancing process and the true costs associated with it thoroughly.