For anyone trying to find a reliable and affordable car title loan, the options can feel rather limited. Even when you find a company you would like to lend from, you might find getting an actual car title loan can be a bit of a nightmare.[1] To get around this problem and to help you avoid these issues, you should always be ready to look into the best ways to get the right kind of deal.
To make that possible, you need to turn to the right kind of thinking. Let’s have a look at the best ways you can borrow money without feeling like you are fighting against the tide.
1. Know Your Financial Limits
One major problem that we see a lot of is people going for the kind of car title loans they are ineligible for or cannot afford. Don’t start trying to look as if you are in a better situation financially by going for the big-shot loan. Be realistic in what you can afford – it’s better to pay off a smaller value in a small window of time than take forever and a day to pay off a loan with the larger value.
Always take the time to know your limits and make sure that the choices you are making are a big help to you. Look at your monthly expenses and what it leaves you with. This will help you determine how much you can afford to spend on this kind of monthly loan fee. Longer repayments mean a longer time to pay off your loan and smaller fees. So it all boils down to the kind of loan you feel like you want to take on.
Just make sure you don’t try and put yourself in for the higher deal thinking it may make you look more serious. If your rating is not a match, you won’t get what you ask for, regardless of value.
2. Understanding Penalties
Like any other form of loan, you have to make sure you are on time with payments and various demands when paying back on your car title loan. While this can be hard to get right, it’s something you do need to take into account. A failure to do so can leave you unable to meet repayment costs, especially if you need to pay a penalty on top of it.
Don’t take a loan thinking that by paying it back tomorrow, that you will suddenly get a you a superb credit rating. Fast repayment is as bad as slow repayment in some cases.[2] Paying it off several months early can actually be a penalty against you, as stupid as that may sound. The reason why is simple – the people who run these systems want to make as much as they can from the loan. They need that collateral, so by taking that away, you are softening the validity of other investments they have made.
The higher the interest for the company, the better, so don’t expect them to be singing and dancing if you try to pay the full amount of the loan early. Understanding this now can save you the trouble in the future, if it does occur.
3. Don’t Expect Instant Approval
While many firms like to promise instant approval, the reality tends to be quite different. While some will only accept you online or offline, some do both. But anyone that wants to push an approval through without proper checks is worth avoiding. Some can take a few hours and some take just about 20 minutes, but as long as there is a delay, you know you’re in the clear and working with a reputable loan company. You want to know someone went to ratify that you are the kind of customer that they want, need, and can afford. Instant gratification is not a good sign, although it may be appearing so.
Always be sure that the people you are investing your time and effort into will look into any extras your approvals or title loans may come with because it’s very easy – too easy, really – to get sucked in by fast acceptance and the like. These tend to come with little underhand clauses, so make sure you only look to get involved with firms that can be trusted to play the game.
4. Check the Licensing
For most people, another major problem that can really hamper and limit the chance to do well with car title loans is getting involved with licensing when they don’t really understand what is going on. It might seem like a good idea, a fair investment, and a good level of affordability in the loan – but is it even legal in your state? Ensure that the lender has legal eligibility to even offer you a car title loan in the first place.[3]
There is nothing worse than wasting time setting up a plan only to find out that the loan will not or does not cover your particular area. Licensing matters too, as it can leave you high and dry in many ways. If you get involved with unlicensed lending, then you are out of any kind of protection or luck in the general aspect. You can easily avoid this problem from escalating further just by checking if they are a reliable, safe place to lend from.
Take the time to do that now and you can avoid any kind of trouble with regards to this later on down the line. Understand the predicament today and you can prepare to conquer it tomorrow. So, equipped with the tips above, you should find it much easier to find quality car title loans in the future. With a smart plan and a way to make your case come across as one worth considering, success is all the more achievable.
Featured photo credit: newcarcanada via newcarcanada.ca
Reference
[1] | ^ | https://www.consumer.gov/articles/1013-car-title-loans |
[2] | ^ | https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0514-car-title-loans#roll-over |
[3] | ^ | http://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/110714/car-title-loan-requirements.asp |