Hearing about refinancing mortgages is common, but you may not have thought about refinancing your car loan when interest rates drop. Refinancing an auto loan can be a good idea for several reasons, and it is easier than refinancing a mortgage.
Refinancing could save thousands of dollars over the life of the loan, even if you received a decent rate. Anyone who didnt get a car loan below 3% APR should consider refinancing. More than likely, however, your APR was much higher than that.
If you had a few dings on your credit report when you bought a car, the lender may have quoted you 20% to 25% APR. Despite what you might think, you arent stuck at this rate. Once you have held the loan for about 6 months and paid on time, lenders are more willing to take a chance on you. You can also change a few things to raise your credit score in that period.
Lets say you received a loan for $16,500 for 60 months at 21% APR. If you refinance at 7% APR, your monthly payments will drop from about $446 to $330. Those savings over the life of the loan totals about $6,945. As you can see, refinancing is key.
Refinancing will not only save you money, but it can also be...