5 car loan traps to avoid
We all love our cars, and can talk endlessly about speed, torque and engines, but unfortunately many of us struggle to understand car loans.
Finance is often dry and confusing, so I get why people would rather watch paint dry than read up about car loans. Ignorance, however, is not bliss, because making a mistake with your car loan could cost you thousands of dollars.
Here are the five top mistakes people make:
Mistake 1: Getting the car before the loan
One trap excitable shoppers make is to buy the car before the loan. It’s like watching your new car crash in slow motion. If you fall short on the finance side, then you can kiss goodbye to any deposit you’ve laid down, and the car of your dreams.
Before you even hit the showroons, get your finances in order. A good first port of call is to check your credit history so you know there are no forgotten gremlins in that closet. Then start thinking about what type of loan you need and how you might want to finance it.
Even if nothing goes wrong, it’s never a good idea to rush something as important as a car loan. It’s important you have time to weigh up your options so you can choose the best loan, rather than be forced to settle for the fastest loan.
Mistake 2: Failing to use a car loan calculator
Don’t make the mistake of starting the finance process without first using a car loan calculator. Knowledge is power, so you want to make sure you’re fully armed before you do battle with lenders.
The beauty of a car loan calculator is that you can explore a range of repayment scenarios by punching in different borrowing amounts, interest rates, loan terms and repayment schedules. The more you understand your borrowing capacity, the less likely you’ll be shunted into a second-rate loan.
Mistake 3: Getting sucked in by advertised rates
One trap that’s easy to fall into is to focus on the ‘advertised rate’ rather than the ‘comparison rate’. The advertised rate doesn’t include fees; it’s an artificially low figure designed to entice unwary consumers. The comparison rate, though, does include fees. When it comes to car loan shopping, it really is your best ally.
A recent car loan comparison search on RateCity shows how falling into the advertised rate trap could cost you hundreds of dollars over the life of your loan.
| Westpac | Bank of Melbourne | BCU | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertised rate | 8.49% | 6.99% | 5.90% |
| Comparison rate | 9.67% | 8.11% | 6.82% |
| Difference | 1.18% | 1.12% | 0.92% |
Mistake 4: Ignoring the true cost of balloon payments
Balloon payments are another car loan trap that can ensnare unsuspecting borrowers. Just like with advertised rates, lenders use this sleight of hand to make a loan seem smaller than it is.
In this instance, the lender lures in the borrower by offering reduced monthly repayments. The catch, though, is that the borrower has to pay a one-off lump sum – or balloon payment – at the end of the loan. Generally, the total repayments on a loan with a balloon structure will be higher than a loan without.
Mistake 5: Waiving your right to make early repayments
Repaying a car loan as soon as possible seems like a sensible move and the sort of behaviour that ought to be encouraged. Unfortunately, some lenders will penalise you with an early repayment fee, designed specifically to recoup any interest lost as a result of the expedited loan term. It’s definitely a caveat you want to avoid if you think you might be able to get ahead on your loan. There’s nothing worse than paying extra for something just because you are early.
Disclaimer
This article is over two years old, last updated on October 4, 2017. While RateCity makes best efforts to update every important article regularly, the information in this piece may not be as relevant as it once was. Alternatively, please consider checking recent car loans articles.
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Product database updated 26 Nov, 2024
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