When it comes to taking out a car loan, a credit score of 400 is a poor rating that will undoubtedly hamper your chances of receiving the loan. Your credit score is instrumental in determining your chances of being granted a much needed loan and how easy it will be to apply for said loan. Most banks and credit companies choose not to become involved in transactions with customers with a poor credit score, in order to avoid any unpleasant circumstances that might arise out of the customer’s inability to pay back the loan. For those who have a low FICO credit score or a poor credit history, shopping around for a new car loans can prove to be a challenge. A good credit score needed for car loan sanctions can be achieved by rebuilding your reputation, paying back loans quickly and working diligently to repair the situation as soon as possible.
Step 1: Preparation
Before beginning the process of repairing your credit score and finding a loan with a FICO score of around 400 points, it’s important to do the following:
Get all papers and necessary documents in order. These include identification documents, bank receipts, income payment copies, proof of residence and other official papers required for applying for a loan.
Be prepared with a down payment. Since the objective of this entire exercise is to repair your credit score and find a bank willing to give out a loan, it’s important to be ready to pay back at least one installment.
Have someone ready to be the co-signer when you prepare to apply for car loan. People with a low FICO credit score and bad credit history are usually given loans more easily if they have another individual sharing the responsibility of the loan with them.
Step 2: Find a Used Car
With a poor credit score it isn’t possible to buy a new car, and sometimes even in the used car category you have to compromise on the kind of car you want. It’s better to find a reliable vehicle that is functional and one that is in an affordable range.
Step 3: Find a Specializing Car Dealership
There are certain car dealerships that specialize in dealing with clients who have a low credit score to their name. These dealerships are specially built to cater to the needs of clients who have problems in dealing with their credit scores and who do not have the same financial strengths as the average customers. The advantage of dealing with such firms is that they pay attention to the smallest needs of clients who come in with specific problems, and therefore you have a better chance of getting a loan while also having your individual circumstances taken into account.
Regardless of a good car loan credit score level, one can acquire a loan at any level. Some work and effort may need to be done if the score is lower, but it still achievable.
I’m less certain that it’s the manufacturers “competitive spirit” than that. It seem much more likely to me that the combination or Cash-4-Clunkers hangover plus the need to dump slower selling models is more like it. Habits, especially bad ones, are hard to break. So we will see car makers will go with the standard “sell the sizzle” approach to fix sales/inventory problems. Most of Nissan’s 0% deals are on 2009’s (the notable exceptions are Armada and Titan – notoriously problematic models for Nissan dealers). There is no question that it makes more business sense to offer 0% now than over the past several months when credit cost were higher, so from that perspective their action is rational. And let’s face it, the manufacturers, and now our very own government, have been conditioning customers to wait for the sizzling deal, rather than compete on quality, price, service, etc. We might like that or we might not, but it seems accurate to me. And I don’t think the auto business is the only one like that. Consequently, don’t jump to the conclusion that bankruptcy is out of the question any more. Ask yourself this, “how have the manufacturers fixed their business models?” What have they actually done?