Buying a car comes with its own vocabulary, and some of those terms can make a big difference in how much you actually pay.
You don't need to become a finance expert. But you should understand what you're agreeing to before you sign anything.
Here are the terms we think every car buyer should know.
Principal
Principal is the amount of money you're actually borrowing.
If a vehicle costs $15,000 and you put $4,000 down, you aren't financing the full $15,000. Other costs can affect the final amount financed, but your down payment reduces how much money you need to borrow.
That's one reason a larger down payment can be a good thing, even though nobody particularly enjoys putting more money down up front.
The less you borrow, the less money you're paying interest on.
Down Payment
Your down payment is the money you pay toward the vehicle up front.
A smaller down payment may sound better at first, but that money has to come from somewhere. The more you put down, the less you have to finance.
At Chuck Ryan Cars, our down payments can sometimes be higher than what you'll see at dealerships offering five- or six-year loans. That's intentional. Most of our in-house loans are around two years, so our customers can get the vehicle paid off and own it outright much sooner.
For some customers who have a substantial portion of the required down payment, pickup payments may also be available. That allows an eligible customer to drive the vehicle home and finish paying the remaining down payment in scheduled, interest-free payments. Regular vehicle payments begin once the full down payment has been paid.
Availability and terms depend on the individual deal, so ask us what options may be available to you.
Interest Rate and APR
These two terms are related, but they aren't exactly the same thing.
Your interest rate is the percentage charged for borrowing the money.
APR, or Annual Percentage Rate, gives you a broader picture of the yearly cost of borrowing because it can include certain finance charges in addition to interest.
When you're comparing loans, don't look only at the payment. Look at the APR, the length of the loan and how much you'll pay altogether.
Loan Term
Your loan term is how long you have to repay the loan.
Longer isn't automatically better.
Stretching a loan over five, six or seven years can lower the monthly payment, but it can also keep you paying interest for years.
Most Chuck Ryan Cars in-house loans run approximately 18 to 36 months, with about two years being typical.
Our goal is to get you to the best part of a car loan:
Paid off. Title in hand. Car is yours.
Payment Schedule
Not everybody gets paid the same way, so we don't think everybody's payment schedule should look the same.
At Chuck Ryan Cars, we get paid when you get paid.
If you're paid every two weeks, your payment schedule can generally follow that schedule. If you're paid monthly, your payments can be scheduled monthly.
It's a simple idea, but it makes budgeting a whole lot easier.
Auto-Pay
There's another way to make keeping up with your payments easier: Auto-Pay.
If you enroll in Auto-Pay and stay enrolled for the life of your CRC loan, we'll take $300 off your final payment.
Your payments are made automatically, so there's one less due date to remember, and you get a $300 reward at the end of your loan.
Amount Financed
The amount financed is the amount of credit being provided to you under the financing agreement.
This is an important number to look at before signing because it tells you how much you're actually financing after things such as your down payment are taken into account.
Don't assume the vehicle's sticker price and the amount financed are the same number.
Total Cost
This is the number people sometimes forget to ask about.
A payment can sound affordable while the loan itself is expensive.
When comparing financing, ask yourself:
How much will I have paid when this loan is completely finished?
A $350 payment doesn't tell you much by itself. How many $350 payments are you making?
That's why we encourage people to look beyond the payment and understand the entire deal.
Payoff Amount
Your payoff amount is what it would take to completely pay off your loan at a particular point in time.
It may not be exactly the same as simply adding up your remaining scheduled payments, so if you're thinking about paying a vehicle off early, ask your lender for the current payoff amount.
Chuck Ryan Cars does not charge a penalty for paying an in-house loan off early. In fact, we're happy when you do.
Equity
Equity is the difference between what your vehicle is worth and what you still owe on it.
For example, if your vehicle is worth $10,000 and you owe $4,000, you have approximately $6,000 in equity.
Once your vehicle is paid off, that vehicle can become a valuable asset when you're ready for something different. You may be able to trade it in and use its value toward your next vehicle.
That's one reason getting a car paid off sooner can matter.
Hard Credit Inquiry
A hard inquiry happens when a lender checks your credit as part of an application for financing. It can temporarily affect your credit score.
If you're shopping for an auto loan, however, don't be afraid to compare legitimate financing offers. Credit-scoring models generally recognize that consumers shop for auto loans and may treat qualifying inquiries made within a certain shopping period as a single inquiry for scoring purposes.
The exact window varies depending on the scoring model, so the important part is to do your rate shopping within a relatively short period rather than spreading applications out over months.
Buy Here Pay Here or In-House Financing
With traditional financing, a bank, credit union or finance company lends you the money for the vehicle.
With Buy Here Pay Here, also called in-house financing, the dealership finances the purchase itself.
At Chuck Ryan Cars, we offer in-house financing, but that's not the only option we can explore. We can also work with banks and other lenders when that's a better fit for the customer's situation.
Our in-house financing isn't based solely on a credit score. We look at whether you have sufficient income and whether the down payment and payments are affordable for your situation.
Ask Questions Before You Sign
If you don't understand something in a financing agreement, ask.
There is absolutely nothing embarrassing about saying, “What does this mean?” or “How much will I pay altogether?”
It's your money. You should understand where it's going.
At Chuck Ryan Cars, we'd rather spend a few extra minutes explaining the numbers than have you leave confused about what you just agreed to.
Quick and Easy doesn't mean rushed. It means making the process easier to understand.