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Capitol One Auto Finance
Save money by arranging financing before going to the dealer

If you have found this page on verygoodppc.com, you are probably looking for information about Capital One Auto Finance.  For more complete information about auto financing in general, you should read our chapter Car Loan Financing Tips and Scams.

Biggest financing mistake car buyers make

The biggest you can make is trying to buy a new car without checking online auto loan rates first.  Buyers see 0% APR ads, or other low APR ads and think they'll walk right into the dealer and get a good rate.  WRONG!  Most people don't qualify for those great rates.  You should always check rates online and pre-qualify BEFORE heading to the dealer.

Car Finance Money Saving Tip

If the manufacturer is offering rebates in exchange for you financing through the manufacturer, you might be able to save a big chunk of change.  Usually you can get the best of both worlds (rebate and lower APR).  What you do is take the manufacturer financing to get the rebate.  Make sure there isn't a early repayment fee (if there is, wait until the time period for the fee expires). Now you can refinance the car loan online to a lower rate through Capitol One Auto Refinancing Loans or through E-Loan. To learn more, read our Chapter on Auto Refinancing Tips & Scams.

How your credit score affects your auto loan rates

The lower your credit score the higher auto loan interest rates you will pay.  NEVER apply for a new car loan until you get your credit report WITH credit score online at Equifax, Experian or TrueCredit.

Online Auto Loans: How to get  the lowest Auto Financing APR

According to the Consumer Federation of America, car buyers are often overcharged by up to 3% on their loans at the dealership.  This can add $1000 to the loan over the course of the whole term. Your best sources for new car financing are sites like E-LOAN and Capitol One Auto Finance. The rates from these sites usually beat dealer financing and don't have application fees. Your loan is usually approved in minutes.  Get financing quotes online and compare to what the dealer offers.  Use whoever has the best interest rate but make sure you are comparing loans with the same length.

Best New Car Loan, Used Car Loan Sites
Where to check online auto loan rates

Save with a Blank Check auto loan
Lock in APRs from 5.99%
Capital One Auto Finance

Capital One Auto Finance can give you lower APR with hassle-free auto financing, approval in minutes. Bring your auto loan check to the dealer.

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E-Loan's Apply Today, Drive Off Today can give you approval in 30 minutes. Online auto loan rates usually well below car dealer rates. New car financing at its finest.

How It Works:
1) Apply Online. Immediate approval and auto loan documents Online. Print your online E-Fund Agreement and instructions for you and the dealer.

2) At your dealer, fill in the E-Fund Agreement, read and sign it, and you're done. The dealer and E-LOAN will handle the rest. Easy auto financing.

Warning about low APR financing offered by the dealer or manufacturer

Estimates show that as few as 7% of people actually qualify for those low APR loan rates that are advertised by car manufacturers. Some of these loans require a credit score over 700 to get that rate, and most require a 36 month loan.

"Subject To Financing": Be VERY Careful of this

The "Subject to Financing" clause appears on paperwork of all new car loans.  Even though you think you have signed a contract, this clause means the deal is not done.  All of a sudden 2 weeks later the car dealer calls saying "your new car loan fell through" and then try to force you into a higher APR loan.  This is a common auto loan scam, usually pulled on people with bad credit. To avoid this common scam, use online auto loan sites such as Capitol One Auto Finance and E-LOAN to get your financing in order before going to the dealer. The lower online auto loan rates avoid these scams.

Financing used car loans when you buy from a private party

If you're buying a used car from a private seller, how do you finance a used car loan? Answer: Capitol One Auto Finance and E-LOAN!  It is very simple.  After your loan is approved, they FedEx the check to you.  All you have to do is give it to the seller, who cashes the check. Done deal.

Car loan payment calculators

We have a car loan payment calculator in our Free Excel Spreadsheet Download Area.  It is very easy to use, with 4 loan scenarios on one 8x10 printout, which allows you to make quick decisions about your auto loan. You can also find auto loan payment calculators online at Capitol One Auto Finance and E-LOAN.  For PocketPC, download our Car Loan Payment Calculator for Pocket Excel.  Use our free spreadsheet tools to compare online auto loan rates to the car dealer rates. You can also useour spreadsheets on your laptop or PDA to catch the car dealer cheating on the car payments.

Which saves more money: a rebate or special new car financing?

Use this auto loan calculator to answer this question.  The table below shows a real world example.  In this case, you are buying a new car for $19,287, and trading in your old car for $2,000.  It compares side by side the 0% APR auto loan with a higher 4.39% APR auto loan.  Notice that in this case, even with a higher APR, the rebate saved the most money. Crunch the numbers for your case and see which is best.

0% Rate vs. $3,000 Rebate Comparison
Annual Percentage Rate 0% 4.39%
Cost of Car $19,287 $19,287
Less Equity in Trade $2,000 $2,000
Less Rebate $0 $3,000
Amount of Finance $17,287 $14,287
Monthly Payment $288.12 $265.64
Total Cost $17,287.20 $15,938.40
Savings $0 $1,348.80

Effect Of Low Credit Scores on your car financing
In a nutshell, your credit score determines your new car loan approval and APR.  If you have a low credit score, you'll pay high car loan interest rates, up to 23%.  If your score is below 720, you might qualify for those special 0% rates.  Maintaining your credit score should be an ongoing process, not something you do right before financing a new car.  Banks can reject you if you have disputed items on your credit report, until they are resolved.  It can take up to 60 days to clean up your credit score.  Don't apply for a car loan until all disputes are resolved and you verified your FICO Score.

What Should Your Credit Score Be For Approval On A New Car Loan?

  • If your credit score is >680, you are a "prime borrower". Your low APR auto loan will most surely be approved
  • If your credit score is <680, you are "sub prime". You'll pay higher APR on your auto loan
  • Below 550, you can forget about a car loan, or get a bad credit auto loan

A car dealer shouldn't know more about your FICO Score than you. Get yours now.
In 2001 it became possible for you to get your own Beacon FICO Credit Score. Congress fought hard for your right to get your credit score, so use it. Previously lenders kept this beacon score secret from you, so they could charge you higher APR on new car loans. Get your Credit Score so dealers can't lie and say your score was low and charge higher APR. This happens all the time.
Whereto get your credit score: Equifax, Consumerinfo or TrueCredit. Is your credit score over 680? Time to get to work.

Now is the time to get your credit report: Don't put it off until later, Do it now before you finish reading this page, and correct it.

Steps to take before you apply for new car loans:

Financing is just a product the dealer sells you

Car loans at the dealer are not really loans, they are Retail Installment Sales Contracts (RISCs).  After you sign on the dotted line, the dealer sells the RISC to a bank, often sharing interest rates.   This means that the higher APR they charge you, the more money they make.  Unless there is a special low APR offered by the car manufacturer, you'll usually find lower interest rates at car financing sites like Capitol One Auto Finance or E-LOAN

Look Carefully at Lower Monthly Car Loan Payments

When shopping for an auto loan, you have to look beyond your monthly car payments.  Some dealers will quote a lower monthly payment than your bank, but the loan might be 72 months, and your bank's loan is 36 months.  This is one of the more common scams. Some dealers lie about the APR.  You should always plug the numbers into a car loan payment calculator to make sure that the payment is correct for the quoted APR.  You have to know the real cost of a loan including interest rate, trade-in value, taxes, and fees.  There are some people selling you new car financing who try to hide how much you're really spending.  They will divert your attention by focusing on the low monthly payments.

Good Online Car Financing Sources

The easiest way to get pre-approved for an auto loan is a credit union or trustworthy \sites such as Capitol One Auto Finance, E-LOAN and AutoCreditFinders.  You can save a ton of money by having your auto financing ready before you walk into the dealership. Once you are pre approved you can compare the online auto loan rates to the dealer's APR.  If the dealer can beat the APR you got online, without playing cash flow shell games, finance through the dealer. Otherwise use the online loan.

Advantages Of Online car loans

Online auto loan benefits:

Read the Complete Chapter: Car Loan Financing Tips and Scams

Jump to any chapter. I suggest you read each chapter in order.

Chapter 1
Get your credit report, how to get a car loan, scams, online car loans,first time car loans, budget & loan excel spreadsheets, credit repair.

Chapter 2
Reviews of internet discount car buying sites, new car prices, find dealer's invoice cost. Get a new car quote.

Chapter 3
What to bring to a dealership, what to say, how to act, what not to do, what to look for at the dealership, and a glossary of all dealer fees.

Chapter 4
How to read dealer invoices, finding dealer's cost, how much to offer the dealer, buyers offer spreadsheet, examples, trade-ins.

Chapter 5
Negotiating tips, dealer scams & tricks to watch out for, dealing with aggressive salespeople, choosing between rebates or low APR loans.

Chapter 6
Close the deal, avoid needless extras, scams in the business office, extended warranty scams, options, buying warranties online.

Chapter 7
Actual misleading dealer ads, and what to do when you've been ripped off, customer satisfaction surveys, how I bought my Lexus.

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