Thursday, August 27, 2009

Why Use a Car Payment Calculator?


So you have decided that its time to change your car for a newer model, but you are not sure if you can really afford to. A car payment calculator may be what you are looking for. You can find a free one on most car loan websites. Using one is easy; just complete the required information such as the amount you need to borrow, the term of the loan and the interest rate. The loan calculator will then calculate your monthly repayments.

This is extremely useful, especially when comparing offers from different banks and auto loans lenders. You can also play around with the values such as the interest rate to see what effect it will have on your monthly repayments.

Because the auto manufacturers and the car dealers provide car finance, this type of finance is easier to qualify for than conventional loans. You can also qualify for dealer financing when you have less than perfect credit. The big problem with dealer financing is that it is sometimes difficult to know exactly how much you are actually paying for the car. You would be well advised to research both the car prices and the repayments using an online car payment calculator.

However, notwithstanding the fact the car payment calculator is a useful device; it will only give you an approximate idea of what your repayments will be. The reason being is that you do not know what interest rate you will be charges on the loan as this depends largely on your credit score. However, it will give you a good idea of how much you can afford to spend on a car.

You can begin to get auto loan quotations when you have worked out exactly how much you can afford to pay. If you then use the Internet to apply for the loan, you can receive quotations from many lenders by completing a few online applications. Approval in most cases will take just a few hours. You should take time to carefully compare all offers and not accept the first offer you receive. Look out for hidden costs and other charges that may be hidden in the small print.

The advantage of using a car payment calculator is not just restricted to the above mentioned points. There are car loan calculators which can provide a full amortization schedule. There are loan calculators with graphs options that enable the borrower to review how different loan terms or down payments can impact their monthly payment.

An auto loan calculator will only give you an estimate of the monthly repayments on the car not the actual running cost. In addition to the loan payments you will need to budget for running costs which includes maintenance and gas. Do not forget taxes and registration cost also.

There are many advantages to using car finance calculator and getting loan approval online and the least of these are that you are free to shop for your next car wherever you want to.