If you're in the market for a vehicle and have bad credit, you've probably been asked by a car dealer or two about whether or not you have money to put down. This is common and depending on your credit score, you may or may not have to have a down payment. All car dealers have different requirements for money down and it can depend on a number of factors. Here, we'll take a look at how different types of car dealerships and lenders view down payments, as well as, how they can affect your loan approval.
New Car Dealerships
Most new car dealerships are able to apply rebates and incentives to reduce the need for money down. If you have negative equity in a vehicle that you're trading in, you may have to provide money down to cover the negative equity so that it's not carried over into your new loan. While buying a new car while having bad credit isn't so common Gebrauchtwagen-Ankauf, there are many manufacturer's that offer lower priced new cars with attractive financing incentives to make buying easier for people with lower credit scores. Kia and Hyundai are known for their bad credit financing programs and this may be something worth looking into if a new car is what you're interested in. You may wish to call your local dealer to find out about current rebates and incentives that you can use in lieu of a down payment.
Used Car Dealerships
Buying a used car without a down payment requires the right combination of car, book value, trade-in value and credit score. Most lenders will only allow a certain percentage of the book value to be loaned on a used car if you have a low credit score. Therefore, you'll have to focus on vehicles that have a good ratio of sale price to loan value. If trading, negative equity can once again cause you to need money down in order to not carry over too much money onto your new loan. This all depends, as every circumstance is different, although it's not uncommon for a used car dealership to be able to work the numbers in your favor so you can buy with as little money down as possible.
Buy Here Pay Here Car Lots
Buy here pay here dealers in general always require money down, and aren't as flexible with trade-ins. If you have negative equity in the vehicle you're trading, you'll most definitely be asked for a larger down payment. Buy here pay here's rely on down payments to reduce the amount financed so they have less risk in offering you a car loan. Be wary of high interest rates offered by some bhph lots, as they can be very high. Usually, a lower interest rate is offered by a buy here pay here if you have money to put down.
Online Loan Matching Services
Services available online in some cases may be able to match you with a lender willing to help you get approved for a car loan with little to no money down. It's a matter of finding the right combination of vehicle and dealer, to work with your individual circumstances.
