Before you step foot on the property of a dealership, check into pre-approved financing. Knowing the buying power you have, before you start buying so important. Here is what you need to know about getting pre-approved for financing and car buying.
Know Your Budget
Just like buying a house, when buying a car, you need to know what your personal budget is. What you’re approved for and what you can afford are completely different. You need to know your budget before you get approved by the bank.
Head to the dealership website
Typically, the dealership offers its own kind of financing. This is good for those who want to get pre-approved for financing when buying a car. You can head to the dealership website and start the pre-approval there. It’s nice to apply for the financing and get it out of the way before heading to the dealership to buy a car.
Know your options
Thanks to being able to get pre-approved for your next car purchase, you can do a little studying. Just like you got pre-approved online, you can also look at their inventory online. See what you’d potentially like to purchase. Look at the price, miles, and the condition of the vehicle. If you find a contender, you can go into the actual dealership and look.
Don’t get discouraged
Applying for a pre-approval is a good thing to do, but don’t be discouraged if it’s not what you were hoping for. You may be approved for more than you thought or less than you thought. Again, this is why applying for a pre-approval is a good idea.
Know how much down payment you have
When taking out a loan, it’s always a good idea to have some sort of down payment ready. Taking out less money for a loan is always a good idea and a down payment helps lower the loan amount. Bring your down payment with you to finish the transaction at the dealership.
Look over the fine print
When you’re looking at getting pre-approved for a car loan, look over the fine print. It’s good to know what to expect in your potential loan. An interest rate is something you really want to pay attention to.
Taking the time to get pre-approved will help the process of buying a car at a car dealership go a whole lot smoother.
Christina Gould says
You definitely need to know your budget before walking into the showroom. It can be dangerous there. Thanks for posting!