Walking into a car dealership without understanding the basic terminology of an auto loan is a sure way of needlessly throwing away money. At Approved Loan Store, we believe that better informed car buyers are happier car buyers in the long run, so we have put together the most common terms used in auto finance and explained them in simple, understandable language.
Auto Loan: An auto loan is an amount of money borrowed from a lender that will be repaid by the consumer with interest.
Loan Principle: A loan principle is the amount of money that the consumer is borrowing to purchase the vehicle. For example, if someone purchases a $25,000 car and puts a down payment of $5,000, the loan principle is $20,000.
Interest Rate: Lenders make a profit on a loan’s interest rate. The lower the interest rate, the less the buyer will have to pay on the loan in addition to the loan principle.
Loan Term: The loan term is the amount of time that the car buyer has to pay off the auto loan.
Credit Score: A credit score is calculated based on a customer’s credit history including whether they made their payments on time, how much debt they are carrying compared to how much credit they have available to them, and how long they have had open credit cards, mortgages, or other loans. Credit scores are used by lenders to determine auto loan approvals. Consumers with high credit scores are more likely to get approved for a high loan principle and low interest rate. Consumers with low credit scores will have a more difficult time getting approved for a high loan principle and low interest rate.
If you have a low credit score and have been turned down for an auto loan, Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, or no credit, we will work with you to get you into a great car with interest rates and a loan term you can handle! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and connect with Approved Loan Store on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube!
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