Real Estate Innovation

5 Time-saving Tips for Car Loans

No one has a lot of time to get a car loan. There are a few ways you can lessen the amount of time it takes to get a car loan.

It doesn’t matter whether you have good or bad credit. Everyone can benefit from these time-saving tips:

1) Collect all the necessary paperwork. Be sure to include a paystub, which will prove your income. A recent electric, phone, or cable bill should be included to show your residence. If you have filed bankruptcy and/or have collections or other credit issues, find all that paperwork as well. The last thing you must be sure to do is to include any paperwork dealing with problems arising from a messy divorce. All of this paperwork should be gathered together and taken with you when you go to see a lender to prevent you from having to make several trips.

2) Most likely, you will be required to provide three or more personal references when you apply for an auto loan. Your personal references should be relatives or friends who do not live with you. Write down their names, addresses, and phone numbers ahead of time so that you won’t have to spend time on this as you fill out your loan application.

3) Talk to your boss, office manager, or human resources department. When you apply for an auto loan, most lenders will call and verify your employment. Let the person in charge of employment verification know that you’re expecting an auto lender to call about you - that way they’ll be ready to provide what the bank needs quickly and accurately.

4) If you have a trade-in, you should find out the exact payoff amount rather than estimate it. Many people estimate their payoff, which either costs them more money or wastes more time. When you estimate your payoff, the lender may calculate your interest rate as if it were the actual payoff. If the exact payoff amount is lower than your estimate, your interest rate will be higher than it could have been. If your lender approves you for a loan amount that is based on your estimated payoff, you will have to be re-approved if the actual payoff is significantly higher. Finding out the exact payoff amount before you apply for a new loan could save you time or money.

5) Be as accurate and truthful as you possibly can. You may be required to list former residences, former employers, etc. when you fill out your credit application. Accurately listing this information on your application will lead to faster processing. Don’t lie on your credit because, more than likely, your auto lender will find out and then check every other aspect of your credit. This will considerably slow your application approval or cause your application to be turned-down.

Follow these five tips and your next car loan application will be processed quickly and efficiently, and you’ll get your loan as fast as possible!