Financing

Loans, APR, pre-approval, and the finance office.

• Financing · 5 min

  APR and Car Loan Terms Explained, With the Math

  Understand APR versus interest rate, see what a longer loan really costs, and learn the questions to ask before you sign.

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• Financing · 5 min

  Buying a Car With Bad Credit: A Practical Plan

  You can buy a car with damaged or thin credit. Here is how to limit the cost, what to watch for at buy-here-pay-here lots, and how to improve your position.

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• Financing · 6 min

  Car Loan Pre-Approval: Why to Get One and How to Do It

  Get a real loan offer before you visit a dealer, keep the credit impact small, and use the offer to check the dealer's financing.

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• Financing · 6 min

  Dealer Financing vs. Bank vs. Credit Union: Where to Get a Car Loan

  Learn how dealer-arranged loans and rate markups work, when dealer financing really is the best deal, and how to compare offers fairly.

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• Financing · 5 min

  How Much Should You Put Down on a Car?

  See exactly what a down payment changes, how a trade-in counts toward it, and when keeping more cash in the bank is the smarter move.

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