How Do You Refinance a Car Loan?
The goal of refinancing is to lower the interest rate you are being charged each month. That means you need to know what you are currently paying. Review your documents or contact your lender to confirm your current interest rate and monthly payments. Once you have that information, perform the following steps:
- Check Your Credit Score: If you have been paying all your bills on time since your vehicle was purchased, there is a good chance your credit score has improved and you could benefit from refinancing.
- Start Applying: Apply to several automotive refinance companies to ensure you get the best rate. Make sure you submit all applications within a 14 day period to minimize the negative impact on your credit score.
- Evaluate Offers: Take time to run the numbers to make sure any new offers coming back will get you the monthly payment you are looking for. Use our online monthly payment calculator to help you compare offers.
- Decide Loan Term: Decide if a longer or shorter term loan that best fits your situation. A shorter term loan will require larger monthly payments, but you will pay less interest in total. With a longer-term loan, your monthly payments will be smaller, but you will pay more in interest in the end.
The best way to refinance auto loan depends on your circumstances, so make sure that any offer or term you choose works for your situation.