When thinking of how to refinance auto loans, it is important to step back and reconsider why you want to refinance. There are a number of factors that need to be considered and ultimately, you need to figure out if it will really help you.
Why Refinance?
After taking out a low rate car loan, some people might want to refinance their loan. This is mainly done to try and get a lower interest rate. Other people might opt for the same rates but a different payment scheme in order to deal with the loan quicker. In either case, the aim of refinancing is to make the repayment of the loan more expedient in some way.
In essence, what you will be doing is finding a second lender to pay off your previous loan. For many people, the decision to refinance auto loans has resulted in big savings, sometimes to the tune of a thousand dollars a year. This, however, is a best-case scenario. You could end up paying more if you don’t compare interest rates and read the fine print. Just like you need to compare car loan rates, you also need to compare refinancing rates.
But Do You Qualify?
A few conditions need to be met in order to refinance auto loans. First, the value of your car has to be more than the amount you still owe. If you owe more than the car is worth, it is known as an upside-down loan and these do not qualify for refinancing. Apart from this, the balance of your loan amount should be at least $7500. Last but not least, refinancing is only considered for cars that are less than five years old.
Like most new auto loan rates, refinancing only works best if your credit standing has improved since you took your first loan. The better your credit rating, the lower your interest rate will be. A lowered interest rate can drastically reduce the amount you will have to pay each month.
But refinancing won’t work if you don’t find yourself the best deal. Get the rates of a few different companies and compare them. A number of lenders will be more than happy to give you a quote online, which can save you a lot of time. In the end, a refinancing plan should make your loan repayment process easier to deal with. Good refinance auto loans will also save you a bundle of money.
By: Alice Smith
Posts Tagged ‘Loan Refinancing’
Interest Only Loan Refinance
December 4th, 2009
Refinancing of interest only loans simply means swapping one loan for another. It is an effective way to decrease the debt on existing loans. This is especially beneficial if the current interest rates are lower than the interest rates you are presently paying on the loan. Refinancing would enable you to convert your high interest debt into a low interest debt, as the amount of monthly payment would decrease. The extra money saved can be reinvested in something more lucrative like real estate or shares, or to pay off high-interest debts like credit cards. Refinancing is also done for converting an adjustable rate mortgage into a fixed rate mortgage. Refinancing has become so common in recent years that almost three quarters of new mortgages were refinanced loans in 2003.
Refinancing of interest only loans is very attractive, especially when the time comes for the loan to get amortized. That means the loan will have to be repaid at the current interest rate, along with the principle. Most people seek to refinance their interest only loan in order to buy more time, i.e. to delay the repayment of the principle further. However, this may also increase the risk on the loan, since the interest rates may go up further, the price of the house may come down or the economy may slump in the future.
Refinancing of interest only loans is ideal for people who are expecting huge capital gains in the next few years or are planning to sell their house by the time the interest-only period is over. This is a good alternative as long as the economy is good, the interest rates are steady and the prices of houses are increasing. Interest only refinancing is recommended for people who have irregular incomes like commissions or bonuses or those who are expecting a hike in their income in the coming years. The savings accrued from refinancing can also be used for home improvement, which will increase the value of the home in the future.
A few questions to be considered while refinancing are: how long do you expect to stay in the house? How much equity do you have in the house? Will you have to pay points for getting a low rate from the refinance? What would be the closing costs? Will the lower payments from the refinance enable you to cover the closing costs, points (if any) and the fees reasonably?
There are several lenders who are offering refinance options for interest only loans. The Internet is a good source for getting information about these offers and also to find out more about interest only loan refinance.
By: Eric Morris
Refinance Auto Loans – How to Benefit From a Car Loan Refinancing
December 4th, 2009
As much as you may truly enjoy your car, there are things associated with it that are not always that pleasant to deal with. There are bills related to insurance, wear and tear, and, of course, fuel. Most of these things are unavoidable. However, there is one expense related component that may be effectively dealt with: the monthly car premiums.
Now, most will shake their head at such an assessment. How can you get out of paying your monthly car premium? Well, you would not seek to get out of paying the premiums. Rather, you would refinance the loan to make it more affordable. This can then have a significantly positive impact on the purchase of the car. There are two ways this is achieved. The first method is the effect on the monthly premiums and the interest rates.
When you are paying a $400 a month premium, you will be required to pay more than a $300 monthly premium would deliver. This may seem like simple math to most but it is often overlooked. That additionally $1200 per year on the car payments can drain a household budget a great deal. When the household budget is already stressed, the $1200 in payments can be even worse.
Interest rates can also be a huge drain on a budget. Why pay more interest than what is necessary? Those that may have acquired a loan when a credit score was bad will end up with high interest rates. When the credit score improves, the ability to gain a better interest rate is possible. Refinancing can eliminate the need to pay a higher interest rate which is another reason it is so helpful.
By: Hector Milla