Saturday, January 2, 2010

About New and Used Car Loans

Before agreeing to a new or used car loan, it is important to find the best deal on the car or truck of your dreams. Finding a great deal requires preparation which is what a car finance calculator can offer. Online car finance calculators are available for plugging in numbers regarding a new or used car loan and estimating the monthly payment for the vehicle based on various factors including interest rate, down payment amount and total purchase price of the car.

The car finance calculator gives the consumer back the power to make the most educated decision when choosing a loan for their new car. Too many consumers walk into a car dealership with an idea of what vehicle they want but little idea of the numbers involved in calculating the monthly payment. Financing a car is not as simple as taking the purchase price and dividing that number by the total number of repayment months, unless the car can be financed with a 0% interest rate.

Budgets are an important part of affording the luxuries people want. If a certain amount of money is allotted in the budget for a new car payment, the car finance calculator can offer a total purchase price amount for the consumer to use a shopping limit. For instance, the consumer can use a car finance calculator to plug in a purchase price, estimated interest rate amount and total length of repayment. The amount calculated for the monthly payment will changed if this information is changed. Once the consumer finds a monthly payment they are comfortable paying, the purchase price will be there as a guide.

Repayment options are often used to lower the monthly payment amount required by the lender. If the consumer is sure they want a $30,000 car, the lender may offer a 72 month repayment to push them into the loan at a lower monthly payment. however, longer repayment terms mean the consumer will be repaying a larger amount for the car. The less time the loan spends in repayment, the less money the total purchase price will be. This is another way a car finance calculator can aid the consumer in taking back the power from the lender and dealership.

Other important features of an advanced car finance calculator include the ability to see how much money will be saved if different parts of the loan are altered. This could include reductions in interest rate, increased down payment amounts and shortening the repayment term for the loan. While the consumer may find out they can afford less for the total purchase price, the car will be repaid in a shorter term which is fantastic for the credit rating and the consumer can always trade in the car after the vehicle is repaid.

Car finance calculators can only estimate the total monthly payment based on the information and numbers provided by the user. For a more accurate calculation, the consumer can ask a local car dealer to run their credit application and return a pre-approved interest rate amount.