8/22/09

Get an Auto Loan the Smart Way

by: Joel Walsh 
Did you know that most people pay hundreds or thousands of dollars more on auto loans than they have to? Get an auto loan the smart way. Read on. 



Most people really get taken for a ride on their auto loan. Did you know that differences in the total cost of different auto loans can run into a thousand dollars or more? Here’s how you can get the lowest rate: 



Make a list of different auto loan lenders and their interest rates and terms, before you go to the dealer (the web is usually the easiest way to do that). Did you know dealers get a commission on the loans they refer? If you’re not careful, that extra bit of money for the lender could mean you pay a higher rate than you would if you got the loan yourself. 



Get a credit report and figure out your FICO scores. Removing any incorrect negative information from your report will help you get a better deal. Knowing exactly what your score is will help you figure out what interest rate you can realistically get. 



Have bad credit? Try going to your credit union, bank or another institution where you have a relationship. Lenders like to help out established customers. If your bank still won’t help, online "bad credit auto loan" lenders usually offer better less expensive loans than dealers who advertise their great deals for people with poor credit. 



Use a vehicle loan calculator. It will tell you what your loan will cost each month. It saves you the time of looking at vehicles you can’t afford, makes you aware of what information you’ll need to apply for a loan, and is a "reality check" of your financial condition. 



Comparison shop, comparison shop, comparison shop. You don’t get the least expensive car by choosing a dealer at random, and you won’t get the least expensive auto loan that way, either. 

Start researching your options now: 

Get credit reports and FICO scores here: 

Use this vehicle loan calculator: 

Comparison shop among these lenders: 


About the author:
Joel Walsh is a regular contributor to Auto Loan :http://www.cars-auto-loans.com, a website with information on car loan lenders, vehicle loan calculators, and other auto loan tools 



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Car Insurance Estimate

by: Timothy F 


Shopping around for a car insurance estimate is not something most people look forward to. It is one of the least exciting chores that is required in order to have a car on the road, but it is worth seeking out the most competitive car insurance estimate available. Although getting a car insurance estimate from a number of companies isn’t a desirable task; many people spend far more than they absolutely have to each year on their auto insurance because they simply haven’t taken the time to compare rates and policies with other auto insurance companies. It would be hard to find someone who would walk into an appliance store and decide to spend $200.00 more on a washer that offers the same exact quality and features as the one next to it that costs far less. It doesn’t make too much sense to do the same thing with car insurance. 

Most of the time, a car insurance estimate will include collision, liability and comprehensive coverage on a vehicle. Most households have two or more vehicles and every car should be included when seeking out a car insurance estimate. There are a few things that can be done to make getting a car insurance estimate easier and more accurate especially when dealing with more than one car insurance company. 

One of the best things to do before looking for a car insurance estimate is to see exactly what the state requirements are as far as what the necessary minimum coverage is in order to have adequate coverage. This is something that might be better to do without the assistance of an insurance agency if possible because their job is to sell insurance and they make more money with the more coverage they are able to sell. 

In order to spend less time on the phone when looking for a car insurance estimate, it is a good idea to have a number of items handy including a driver’s license, vehicle identification numbers, make, model and year of each car and even the name and contact information for the company that is financing all vehicles if applicable. There are also a number of factors that can be taken into consideration when seeking a car insurance estimate that may mean additional savings per year. Features on each auto including airbags, auto alarms, anti-lock brakes and other things may mean discounts on auto insurance. Some insurance companies will even offer discounts for having more than one policy with their company as well as insuring multiple cars through with their coverage. Additional discounts may be found through other things like accident-free driving record, defensive driving course incentives and other discounts. 

Other circumstances may cost a driver more with certain companies when looking for a car insurance estimate. Men under the age of 25, single drivers, younger drivers under the age of 21, the number of miles driven per day and even the kind of car that is driven can cost a person more money on car insurance when shopping around. The best part about this is that not one car insurance will probably charge the same amount of money for the same coverage so shopping around will prove that there are better choices available. 



About The Author 
Timothy is the webmaster and owner of " Discounted-Car-Insurance.com " and has been researching and reporting on Car Insurance Estimate solutions for years. Click Here ==> http://www.discounted-car-insurance.com/ 




About the author:
About The Author 
Timothy is the webmaster and owner of " Discounted-Car-Insurance.com " and has been researching and reporting on Car Insurance Estimate solutions for years. Click Here ==> http://www.discounted-car-insurance.com/



 

Auto Loans: Don’t Dig a Money Pit in Your Garage

by: Joel Walsh 
Choose the wrong auto loan and you might drastically increase the chances of defaulting and losing your car. Find out step-by-step how to avoid a money pit. 

Car loans are certainly less costly than home mortgages, student loans, or other kinds of loans. So why do so many people end up defaulting and losing their cars? Find out these hidden dangers: 
Biggest Hidden Car Loan Danger: The Inherent Money Pit 

Unlike home mortgages, student loans or other big-ticket loans, car loans are inherently money pits. A house can build equity; higher education can increase earning potential; even jewelry can sometimes be re-sold for as much as was paid for it. If you borrow to buy one of those things, you may eventually get a return on investment. But every single car loses significant value and keeps losing it as time goes by. 

Solution: spend as little on your car as possible. 

Of course, in order to spend as little as possible over the life of the vehicle, you need to get a well-made, fuel-efficient car, rather than the one with the lowest price on the windshield. 

But a pickup truck, SUV, sports car, or "luxury" model is a guaranteed money-loser. Don’t worry about what other people will think. Think about it: when was the last time you saw an expensive automobile and thought, "I really like and respect whoever owns that!" 

The best buy? Many economists actually recommend buying a used car that's a year or two old. That way you can actually benefit from the fact that cars only drop in value. Even a car that’s just six months old may offer you a substantial savings. Just have it inspected thoroughly so you don't lose what you've saved on maintenance payments. 
Hidden Car Loans Danger: Dangerously High Monthly Payments 

Unfortunately, most people never figure out the total cost before signing on the dotted line. They end up staying up late at night trying to figure out how to make ends meet. They live in smaller houses. They skip going out at night. They don’t go on vacation. 

All that sacrifice to have a brand-new SUV in the driveway! 

Take a hard look at your finances, and figure out how much you can pay total each month for your car. Be sure to take into account insurance, tax, maintenance, and fuel. Usually, when people actually do calculate the total monthly cost of the car they’re considering buying, they’re amazed by how high it is. 
How Much Car Debt Can You Afford? 

1) Make a list of your average monthly non-car expenses, and subtract them from your earnings. 

-___your monthly after-income-tax income 

-___any other taxes 

-___housing (including any fees and property taxes, and utilities) 

-___food 

-___health insurance or HMO 

-___life insurance 

-___debt payments 

-___401 (k), IRA, or other long-term savings 

-___short-term savings 

-___telephone, cellular phone, cable, internet, etc. 

-___entertainment and fun stuff (be honest!) 

-___cost of yearly vacation(s) divided by 12 

-___other expenses 

= ____what you can spend on a car 

2) Subtract your monthly car-related expenses from the amount you have left over from your other expenses. 

___What you can spend on a car (from above) 

-___Amount you’re spending per month on gas (raise or lower this figure depending on whether you are getting a car with higher or lower gas mileage). 

-___Monthly maintenance (remember: your new car won’t stay new long, so maintenance will be an issue). 

-___Monthly insurance (remember that for a new car, your insurance premiums may go up). 

-___Tax. 

= ____ Maximum monthly loan payment. 

Now plug the number above into a vehicle loan rate calculator to figure out big of a car loan, and how much interest you can afford. 
Final Hidden Auto Loan Danger: Unnecessarily High Rates 

If you simply take the first loan the dealer offers you, you are probably paying too much. Do some comparison shopping on the internet, and bring a list of the best loans with you when you negotiate loan terms with the dealer. 

Don’t let the dealer cheat you by shifting the cost from the car loan to the car price to the deal on your trade-in. Make sure you get a good deal overall. 

Congratulations! You now are far better prepared to stay out of an auto loan money pit than the vast majority of car buyers. 


About the author:
Joel Walsh is a regular contributor to Auto Loans :http://cars-auto-loans.com, where he writes about how you can get the best car loan 


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Auto Loan Options for People with Bad Credit

by: Peter Lenkefi 
Internet surfers with bad credit looking for an auto loan are bombarded with advertisements most days. Many of these ads are truthful in their bad credit auto loan options. However, there are many things to avoid, and this article will describe some of those. 

Directly financed auto loans for people with good credit are a bit different than those with bad credit. People with bad credit are expected to pay more of a down payment as well as a higher interest rate on their auto loans. Many creditors won’t even extend an auto loan to those with bad credit. Depending on how bad someone’s credit is, auto loans can range from a 20 – 50% down payment requirement, interest rates from 5-26%, and amortization (the length of the loan) anywhere from 2-4 years. 

This may sound like a lot of bad news for bad creditors looking for an auto loan. But with some good planning and foresight, these auto loans can actually help people with bad debts rebuild their credit history. 

The worst situations in bad credit auto loans show up when car dealers artificially inflate the pricing or interest rates on their cars. Auto dealers who specialize in bad credit loans will take a car normally selling for $5,000, inflate the price to $8,000, take a $2,500 down payment and then finance the purchase at 24%. Now the bad creditor will be in debt to the auto loan company for an inflated price that isn’t indicative of the vehicle’s real value. A way to counteract these types of sneaky bad credit auto loan dealers is to check the value of the car you are looking at, first, and then only pay $200-500 extra then what’s listed. Only in exceptional circumstances would you ever pay more than this for a car. 

Two different ways of selling a car have emerged recently with the new, Internet economy. The first is called the ‘dealer network system’. Auto purchasers can get a loan regardless of their bad credit history with this option. Essentially, a potential customer looks at a car on a website, and then answers some basic questions if interested in buying. This information is then passed along to a dealer specializing in bad credit auto loans. Since there are no fees involved, this can be a real boon for the bad creditor looking for a decent car loan. However, with this system, there is no way of researching the auto dealership you are about to do business with. 

The other new option is called an application service. In this situation, a person with bad credit applies online for an auto loan, and the financial information is then sent to multiple lenders at the same time, with the hope that one or two will be willing to take the credit risk. If the system works, several dealerships with fight for the customer, using price and convenience as their selling points. 


About the author:
For more more information about auto loan options please visit http://www.moneytipsdaily.com/Money-Tips/Financial-Advisor-Helps-People-Make-Money-Loaning-Themselves-Money.html


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Tips for Saving Money on Car Insurance

by: Ray Shelton 
Car insurance is required by all licensed drivers but many of them don’t know how to find the best rates available. Being complacent and purchasing car insurance without carefully investigating your options or maintaining the same car insurance for the remainder of your life could mean that you are paying too much for your car insurance. Comparison shopping, ensuring that you are receiving all the discounts you qualify for and maintaining a clean driving record are just a few of the money saving tips that can save you a fortune on car insurance. 

Comparison shopping for car insurance, even after you are already insured, cannot be underestimated. It is critical that you investigate all of your options before choosing an insurance provider to ensure that you are getting the best possible rate on your car insurance. There are so many factors considered in car insurance policies such as where you live, your driving record, your age and the type of car you drive just to name a few. With all of these factors to consider, it is very possible that you will find that there is a car insurance provider who will offer you a considerably lower rate than other providers. 

Even after you have secured insurance for your car, it is wise to periodically check the rates that other providers will offer you. Car insurance as well as your circumstances are perpetually changing and you may find that the provider who is willing to offer you the best car insurance rate varies periodically. Many car insurance providers offer a host of discounts to their clients who qualify for these discounts. These discounts can relate to your driving record, safety features of your car, your age or other factors. 

These discounts can result in a tremendous cost savings on your car insurance policy but while many insurance providers offer these discounts, they don’t always advertise them. This means that you may have to do research to determine what type of discounts you may qualify to receive. Carefully, review your car insurance policy to determine which discounts you are already receiving and then contact your car insurance provider to inquire about other discounts that may be available. For example if your driving record is devoid of accidents or tickets, you may qualify for a good driver discount. 

Also, if your car has certain safety features such as daytime running lights, you may also qualify for car insurance discounts. Your age can also qualify you for certain car insurance discounts. Some insurance providers also offer discounts to those who insure their house with the same company as they insure their car. Taking advantage of this type of discount can save you money on both your car and home insurance. Being aware of the discounts that are available and ensuring that you are receiving these discounts, can save you a great deal of money on your car insurance. 

Finally, maintaining a clean driving record is very important to receiving the best available car insurance rate. While it is true that each car insurance provider is unique in the factors that contribute to lower rates, the one factor that is consistent among all providers of car insurance is that a clean driving record is critical to your rate. Although accidents are sometimes unavoidable, it is imperative that you adhere to all traffic regulations and that you drive safely at all times. This will reduce the number of traffic violations that you incur as well as the number of accidents that you cause. Following these tips will help you to maintain a clean driving record that will keep the cost of your car insurance low. 

Many drivers lament paying their monthly car insurance bill because they feel as though the insurance isn’t necessary. Although car insurance is a financial burden that seems superfluous, it does pay off if you are ever in a serious car accident that has significant financial ramifications. For this reason, you should never consider allowing your car insurance to lapse and it is recommended that you search diligently to find the best available rate on your car insurance. 






About the author:
Get all the information you need about car insurance at: 
http://www.1-in-insurance.com


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Do You Need Bad Credit Help

by: Jeff Schuman 
? Are you one of thousands with no 
credit and no collateral to help secure approval, or you just 
have extremely bad credit and no one wants to help you, and all 
you hear is stories and more stories? 

Bad credit is a term used to describe a poor credit rating. 
Common practices that can damage a credit rating include making 
late payments, skipping payments, exceeding card limits or 
declaring bankruptcy. Bad Credit can result in being denied 
credit. 

Bad credit can result in a negative rating from the credit 
reporting agencies. Many factors can contribute to someone 
getting a "bad credit" rating, among these are non-payment of an 
account or late payments over an extended length of time. 
Whether non-payment of an account is willful or due to financial 
hardship, the result can be the same, a negative rating which 
will result in a low credit score. However, lenders are more 
willing to work with individuals if the person contacts the 
lender to let them know they are having problems meeting their 
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A credit score is defined as a statistical method of assessing 
an applicant's credit worthiness. An applicant's credit card 
history; amount of outstanding debt; the type of credit used; 
negative information such as bankruptcies or late payments; 
collection accounts and judgments; too little credit history, 
and too many credit lines with the maximum amount borrowed are 
all included in credit-scoring models to determine the credit 
score. 

Raising your credit score is possible. It's a well known fact 
that lenders will give people with higher credit scores lower 
interest rates on mortgages, car loans and credit cards. If your 
credit score falls under 620 just getting loans and credit cards 
with reasonable terms is difficult. 

Here are five things that you can use to raise credit score. 

1. Correct obvious mistakes. 

Your credit score is what shows up in your credit report. Review 
your reports from all three credit bureaus for accuracy once a 
year as well as several months before applying for a loan. 
Changing a mistake on your report can take 30 days to three 
months, or more. Get Your credit report from the three major 
bureaus: Experian, Trans Union and Equifax. 

2. Pay Your Bills On Time 

Your payment history makes up 35% of your total credit score. 
Your recent payment history will carry much more weight than 
what happened five years ago. 

Missing just one payment on anything can knock 50 to 100 points 
off of your credit score. 

Paying your bills on time is the best way to get started 
rebuilding your credit rating and raising your credit score. 

3. Reduce your credit card balances. 

A heavily weighted factor in your FICO score is how much money 
you owe on your credit cards relative to your total credit 
limit. Generally, it's good to keep your balances at or below 25 
percent of your credit card limit, said Jeanne Kelly, founder of 
The Kelly Group in Brookfield, Conn., which helps clients 
improve their credit scores. 

4. Don’t Close Old Accounts 

In the past people were told to close old accounts they weren’t 
using. But with today's current scoring methods that could 
actually hurt your credit score. 

Closing old or paid off credit accounts lowers the total credit 
available to you and makes any balances you have appear larger 
in credit score calculations. Closing your oldest accounts can 
actually shorten the length of your credit history and to a 
lender it makes you less credit worthy. 

If you are trying to minimize identity theft and it's worth the 
peace of mind for you to close your old or paid off accounts, 
the good news is it will only lower you score a minimal amount. 
But just by keeping those old accounts open you can raise credit 
score for you. 

5. Avoid Bankruptcy 

Bankruptcy is the single worst thing you can do to your credit 
score. Bankruptcy will lower your credit score by 200 points or 
more and is very difficult to come back from. 

Once your credit score falls below 620, any loan you get will be 
far more expensive. A bankruptcy on your credit record is 
reported for up to 10 years. 

The reality of a bankruptcy is it will limit you to 
high-interest lenders that will squeeze out high interest rate 
payments from you for years. 

It is better to get credit counseling to help you with your 
bills and avoid bankruptcy at all costs. By getting credit 
counseling instead of declaring bankruptcy you can raise credit 
score over a much shorter period of time. 

About the author:
Team-Schuman.Com contains the best make money online and make 
money websites available today. If you want to make money check 
us out here: 
http://www.team-schuman.com/badcredit.html


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Auto Insurance Rates

by: Sher Matsen 
will vary depending on the insurance agency, your driving record, and the type of insurance you are looking to purchase. I you are looking for affordable car insurance or truck insurance then read on. 

There are ways to reduce your premiums without giving up coverage. One of the easiest things to do is get auto insurance rate quotes online. This will allow you to comparative shop stress free. 

Raising your deductibles is the easiest way to reduce your rates. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium will be. The deductible is the portion you will have to pay in the event of accident, before your insurance coverage steps in. It’s important not to carry a deductible that’s more than what you are able to pay. Your insurance company will not honor its portion of the claim until you’ve paid your deductible. However, the higher your deductible the lower your premium cost will be, so you need to find a 

Always remember to ask your insurance broker for any available discounts. Quite often we forget to ask and they don’t seem to volunteer the information. A clean record on the current policy for a certain period of time, having your homeowner's coverage with the same insurer, taking a defensive driving course, having an accident free driving record, and having an approved anti-theft device will reduce your auto insurance rates. 

The type of car you drive can also reduce your rates. Stay away from cars that have a high class rating. Rates vary among the different makes and models of vehicles. The different rates are based on the risk of accident, cost to repair, higher theft rates for a particular model and replacement costs such as with a new vehicle. So be sure your vehicle isn’t going to be in a category that increases your rates too much. 

A safe driving record consisting of no accidents and no traffic violations will get you the most substantial discount. Most insurance companies are very good at recognizing good driving habits. These are the drivers they want to insure because their risk is much lower. 

If the car is old and not very valuable, comprehensive insurance is probably not worth buying as it can quickly add up to more than you’d ever receive in the event of an accident. You can save up to 20% by eliminating collision insurance. You may want to opt not to carry collision insurance as well which can save you and additional 20%. 

Check around to make sure you are getting the best auto rates you can. Online auto insurance shopping has taken the guess work out of buying insurance and you can very quickly see if you are being hosed. So if your insurance is coming due now is the time to start shopping!. 




About the author:
Sher from The Auto Insurance Center has been serving customers for over 20 years. Please visit us at http://www.all-auto-insurance.com/


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