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A lot of good used cars available, our shopping homework shows

A lot of good used cars available, our shopping homework shows
Lots of people will buy used cars in 2014. More than 40 million, in fact, comprising about 70 percent of total vehicle sales. Deciding how much you can afford begins by taking a look at your family budget and determining your maximum monthly payments without taking away from other essential needs. That might mean purchasing a used car instead of a new one, as tempting as that bright, shiny new model might be. But our research shows a lot of quality used cars are available that could allow you to avoid some of the costs of the first couple years… Read More
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Category: Financing

Car Loans for People with Bad Credit are available

Car Loans for People with Bad Credit are available
Car loans for people with bad credit may seem as improbable as unicorns. But we know there is plenty of opportunity to find car loans for people with bad credit. “Some estimates show that 25 percent of American adults are saddled with bad credit,” says the website DMV.org, a privately owned organization that has been reporting government-related information across all states for more than a decade. “Yet, thousands of these individuals manage to get car loans every day,” says DMV.org. In fact, car loans for people with bad credit are part of the reason for recovery of car, truck and… Read More
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Category: Financing

Bad-credit auto loans helped boost sales in 2013

Bad-credit auto loans helped boost sales in 2013
It’s a good time to buy a new or used car if you need to borrow the money to make the purchase, even with a bad-credit auto loan. That doesn’t mean bad-credit auto loans come without costs, only that they may be a little less painful. “U.S. consumers are taking out bigger car loans with longer pay-back periods as lenders offer lower interest rates and accept borrowers with weaker credit ratings,” Reuters news service reported recently. “Maybe auto consumers have noticed and adopted something of a swagger – more and more are cruising dealer lots looking for brand-new sets of… Read More
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Category: Financing

How to use your 2014 tax refund to buy a car

How to use your 2014 tax refund to buy a car
What will you do with your tax refund? It’s not one of the frequently asked questions we receive at RoadLoans.com, but at this time of year it’s a good one for anybody considering the purchase of a new or used car. And if you did purchase a new or used car, you would be in some pretty good company. Millions of taxpayers – more than one in five of those who expect to spend their tax refunds on something vehicle related – will use the money to purchase a new or used car, suggests the report “Use Your Tax Refund… Read More
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Category: Financing

What is a new vehicle’s dealer invoice price?

What is a new vehicle’s dealer invoice price?
Dealer invoice price. It’s something of a Holy Grail for new-car shoppers. Stated simply, a new vehicle’s invoice price is what a dealer pays to an auto manufacturer for a particular car, truck or SUV, and it’s the same for every dealer across the country. The invoice price doesn't include any of the dealer's costs for advertising, selling, preparing, displaying or financing the vehicle, according to Kelley Blue Book in an article “10 Steps to Buying a New Car.” “There are some instances where a dealer might be inclined to sell a car at or below invoice price,” writes Suzanne Kane… Read More
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Category: Financing

What is MSRP for new-vehicle shoppers?

What is MSRP for new-vehicle shoppers?
MSRP. The latest social media slang it’s not. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), is the window sticker price that often is the first thing at which new-vehicle shoppers look – after color, of course. It’s one of several prices shoppers need to consider when searching for a new vehicle, along with the dealer invoice price, the amount paid by a dealer to the vehicle manufacturers, and the market price, the amount buyers are paying for a new vehicle in a particular area. Often, the buyer’s question is: Should I pay the MSRP? The answer is a definite maybe not.… Read More
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Category: Financing

RoadLoans.com top 10 blog posts of 2013 – Part 2

RoadLoans.com top 10 blog posts of 2013 – Part 2
The top 10 posts of 2013 offer a clear look at the interests of prospective new and used car buyers visiting The Open Road blog at RoadLoans.com. Those 10 were the most popular this year among more than 400 posts that we will have published on the blog in the several years since it was launched to November of 2013. Two of the top 10 posts were published in 2013, six in 2012 and two in 2011. We’re happy to report that RoadLoans.com visitors continue to find these posts helpful. The top blog post of the year – “What Is… Read More
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Category: Financing

RoadLoans.com top 10 blog posts of 2013 – Part 1

RoadLoans.com top 10 blog posts of 2013 – Part 1
About 170 blog posts – nearly one every two days. That’s how many automotive- and auto-financing-related articles we will have published on The Open Road blog at RoadLoans.com during 2013. We’re happy to report that the top 10 are those readers have found most helpful. The two blog posts far and away the most popular published this year – each drawing more views than the next eight posts combined – are No. 1 “Car Loans for College Students Can Make Sense if Done Right,” posted May 28, and No. 2 “How to Get a Bad Credit Car Loan,” posted June… Read More
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Category: Financing

Shopping for a car loan? Look here for help, advice

Shopping for a car loan? Look here for help, advice
If you are reading this blog post, chances are you’re shopping for a car loan to make that new- or used-vehicle purchase. And chances are you also have a lot of questions about the process. That’s where we can help. (Now you might think it’s self-serving for an auto finance company such as RoadLoans to offer help – and we understand how it could look that way – but our website provides all sorts of resources that do not require you to be a customer.) For example, you’ve already found the RoadLoans.com blog, The Open Road, which regularly provides all… Read More
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Category: Financing

RoadLoans – an auto lender known by company it keeps

RoadLoans – an auto lender known by company it keeps
It has been said that people are best known by the company they keep. Well, the same can be said of businesses, including auto lenders. That’s why it’s important that auto lender RoadLoans is a “preferred direct lender” (AutoTrader.com), “trusted lender” (Cars.com) and “financing center” (ebaymotors.com) of such well-known names in the automobile industry. All four websites, as well as newcars.com and pickuptrucks.com, link directly to RoadLoans.com auto financing applications, providing buyers an option tied directly to their shopping experience. RoadLoans is a direct-to-consumer auto lender owned by Santander Consumer USA Inc., a leading automotive finance company in the United States.… Read More
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Category: Financing