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Posted on: 8th September 2009

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Category: Car Finance

 

 

 

Comparing Secured and Unsecured Car Loans

Ever wondered what the difference is between secured car loans and personal unsecured car loans and how that difference affects your loanand your repayments. Basically the difference is small in terms of the car loan details themselves, but is superior when the true cost of each is taken into account. It is easy to compare car loans quickly once you know how.

Calculating the Cost of Car Loans

Understanding secured and unsecured car loans in detail can be useful in saving money but, let’s first have a look at the numerous mechanism that affect the cost of your loan and of your monthly repayments. The cost of a loan is the total you repay less the sum borrowed. Hence, let’s say you are repaying $20,000 at 12% interest rate over 36 months; you will repay at the rate of $664.29 per month. That would total a repayment of $23,914.44, and the cost of the loan would be $3,914.44 plus any set-up or administration fees. A car finance calculator will enable you to work this out for yourself.

An option to a car loan would be car hire purchase (HP), where you hire the car over the repayment period and obtain the title to the motor car with your final payment. Until then the automobile belongs to the HP company.

Cheap Car Finance Interest Rates

However, most credits are either secured or unsecured, and not all low interest car finance companies offer cheap car loans that are unsecured so let’s consider secured loans first. A secured car loan is one whereby the financier offers the loan with the car as security. If you fail to make payments, the lender can sell the car to recoup their money. It could be probable to get a secured car loan if the car is over a certain age, often 7 years, but the finance term could be shorter than 5 yearsor not at all by using your home or some other form of security. These are not exactly classed as a car loan. It is generally the car that is the security.

Secured car loans can include on-road expenses such as the registration, loan protection insurance for disability,death or unemploymentand comprehensive vehicle insurance as part of the financing deal. Loan protection insurance makes sure that the loan is paid off in the event of your death during the loan period, and comprehensive car insurance is required to make sure that the sedan is in fine requirement should it be needed to repay the lend in the event of you defaulting on your payments.

This might look hard , but these are standard conditions for any secured loan, not only car loans. Secured car loan terms are from 1-7years, and the interest rate will be lower than that for an unsecured car finance where the lender charges extra to compensate for their added risk. As with any loan, a deposit will result in lower payments, or a shorter term, whichever you prefer.

Some car loans can come with an option to have a balloon payment, which is an amount borrowed where you pay interest only and finalised the principle when finalising the loan. This is widespread by those whose income will raise over the period, and they will be in a improved financial view to pay a lump sum in 3 - 5 years time. This too results in either a cheaper repayment per monthor a shorter repayment duration.

If you are looking to purchase a used vehicle and need a used car loan quote, your finance package will be priced differently according to the car finance company and the age of your car. Many will charge higher car finance rates, and the current credit down turn has changed the outlook of many lenders to unsecured car loans in particular. Many no longer offer personal loans due to the increased risk in the current economic climate.

Car Loan Brokers

However, they are still accessible, and some car loan brokers can deal with a variety of unsecured car loans companies. In addition to the interest rate on such loans, you should also compare the fees charged, since they can involve a considerable outlay for you before you get the loan.

The key differences between secured and unsecured motor finance, therefore, can be summed up as:

Secured finance are cheaper to repay, with normally lower interest rates.

You need to have full comprehensive car insurance with all secured car loans, while unsecured financing will not.

Both loans could require life insurance cover for the finance, but secured loans are more likely to.

You can sometimes include comprehensive insurance, registration and other costs in the secured loan, but with an unsecured car loan you must take account of the the outlay on top of the amount borrowed.

Fees for unsecured car finance can be noticeably higher than for secured loans.

Not all loan companies will offer you the option of an unsecured car loan.

There few doubts that if your vehicle is young enough to be given a loan with the motor car as colateral, then that should be your option. You might be able to arrange a secured finance for an older vehicle with your residential home as security, but you will have to make sure to maintain the finance payments since lenders are becoming unsympathetic in the current economic crisis. 

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Posted on: 1st September 2009

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Category: Car loans general

Car Loan Rates

Here are some points you should remember to think about when you decide to shopping for a new cars and finance with a low car loan rate that is available from a finance company or bank. It is essential to compare car finance products and rates by different lenders so that you can make your decision based on how happy you are with the rates and the conditions of the loan.

Car Loan Interest Rates

A car loans interest rate is largely affected by two things : how much you are borrowing and the term of the car loan. Though these seems natural points to weigh up of before choosing a car loans rates, the process of calculating how much you be supposed to request for and the repayments that you will pay can be a off-putting task. This is where a car loan calculator comes in.

A car loan calculator is an finance calculator that will calculate the car loan payments you will shell out supposing you apply for different car loan amount. The calculator has an easy-to-use interface, where you enter data and it automatically does your car finance calculations.

Car Finance Company Interest Rates

When deciding on a car loan with low interest rates , the car finance company may allow you to borrow more for a number of car related products you may want. For instance, you may want the car insurance, warranties for engine repairs and faults that the motor vehicle may encounter, on road costs, among others included in the car finance interest rates. The lending firm will have to approve this car loans offer. If it passes through, don’t forget that you will still have to borrow the money over the same phase as set in the car loan agreement.

If you are buying a used car, the best car loan rates could be slightly cheaper than those for buying a new car. Also, the rates change for secured motor finance and personal unsecured loans. Personal unsecured loans are charged much higher interest rates than secured loans. If you decide to go for the secured loans due to their lower car loan rates, you have to have enough funds to recompense for car insurance, and you will also have to offset the finance if you sell your car. It can be more difficult to get a car loan approved when the car is more than 7years old. The typical repayment time for the auto loan is mostly between five to seven years for nearly all lenders.

The car loan rates that you take may also be determined by where you intend to get your motor vehicle from. Imported used cars are not liked by most car loan companies, or they have a very thorough procedure for those applying for car financing for such. In such a case, getting a personal loanmay be the best alternative.

Next to choose a car loan rate, you have to be patient and do wide research. The car loans from banks or car finance companies must both be considered before applying. This is because they generally come up with their car loan rates based on numerous factors. For example, some finance companies may price the loan based on the age of the car, while others may lower interest rates based on the strength of the finance application. Banks also have individual criterea for pricing loans.

 

Car Loan Broker, Car Finance Broker

If you are not an ace in doing the groundwork or researching on the rates offered by different bank car loans and finance company products, you can employ the services of a good quality car loan broker. A car finance broker who is knowledgeable in motor finance options and the predominant car finance rates at the market may make better your work and make your finance rate selection much easier. He should be able to put side by side the car loans interest rates and propose different options that are best for you. Therefore, choosing a good car finance broker may also be a influential factor on whether your quest for buying a car will be fruitful or not. Also, they are the people who can vouch for you the best financiers or institutions to work with based on their terms of the contract.

Therefore it is important to compare different car finance interest rates available in the market before settling for one. You have to choose a car loans rate that you will be comfortable with, that is one that offers you the car loan term and approval you are happy with. A agreeable car finance broker can be a fundamental stepping stone that will allow you get a good quality car loan interest rate arrangement.

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