When you apply for a car loan, lenders will pull a hard inquiry on your credit reportto see your credit history and assess your creditworthiness to purchase the vehicle. This typically drops your score five to 10 points—but remember that it's only temporary!
We've got the answers. Your score dropped after buying a car due to hard inquiries. Each credit report the auto loan lender pull adds 1 new hard inquiry, and each hard inquiry lowers your score up to 10 FICO points. A single car loan application could lower your score up to 30 points.
As you make on-time loan payments, an auto loan will improve your credit score. Your score will increase as it satisfies all of the factors the contribute to a credit score, adding to your payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit, and credit mix.
Ways Buying a Car Can Impact Your Credit
When you first get an auto loan, you may see a slight dip in your credit scores because you're taking on a hefty new debt. However, as you begin making on-time payments on the loan, your credit score should bounce back.
When you make a timely payment to your auto loan each month, you'll see a boost in your score at key milestones like six months, one year, and eighteen months. Making your payments on time does the extra chore of paying down your installment debt as well.
FICO credit scores, the industry standard for sizing up credit risk, range from 300 to a perfect 850—with 670 to 739 labeled “good,” 740-799 “very good” and 800 to 850 “exceptional.” A 700 score places you right in the middle of the good range, but still slightly below the average credit score of 711.
Buying a car also adds to your debt load, which can make you appear to be a riskier borrower. That could mean mortgage lenders are less likely to approve you for a mortgage loan. And, if you take on a large debt such as a car loan, you might be less able to afford the payment on the home you really want.
Each individual lender that accesses the borrower's credit report will appear on the report as a separate inquiry. But, because credit scoring systems count multiple auto loan inquiries as a single inquiry, this process of shopping for the best rate does not affect a person's ability to qualify for credit.
In general, lenders look for borrowers in the prime range or better, so you will need a score of 661 or higher to qualify for most conventional car loans.
There is no set credit score you need to get an auto loan. If you have a credit score above 660, you will likely qualify for an auto loan at a rate below 10% APR. If you have bad credit or no credit, you could still qualify for a car loan, but you should expect to pay more.
Thus, a single auto loan application made to a single auto dealership can realistically trigger 10 to 20 (and possibly even more) hard credit inquiries on a consumer's credit report. Fortunately, the system does not punish consumers for trying to save a little money on their car loans.
Paying off a car loan early can save you money — provided there aren't added fees and you don't have other debt. Even a few extra payments can go a long way to reducing your costs. Keep your financial situation, monthly goals and the cost of the debt in mind and do your research to determine the best strategy for you.
In terms of the best time of the year, October, November and December are safe bets. Car dealerships have sales quotas, which typically break down into yearly, quarterly and monthly sales goals. All three goals begin to come together late in the year.
The best-known range of FICO scores is 300 to 850. Anything above 670 is generally considered to be good. FICO also offers industry-specific FICO scores, such as for credit cards or auto loans, which can range from 250 to 900.
A 700 credit score meets the minimum requirements for most mortgage lenders, so it's possible to purchase a house when you're in that range. However, lenders look at more than just your credit score to determine your eligibility, so having a 700 credit score won't guarantee approval.
“It's the single worst financial decision millennials will ever make.” That's because the moment you drive it off the lot, the vehicle starts to depreciate: Your car's value typically decreases 20 to 30 percent by the end of the first year and, in five years, it can lose 60 percent or more of its initial value.
While the older model will likely cost less, interest rates on used car loans are typically higher than loans for new cars. Experian State of the Automotive Finance Market report shows that in the second quarter of 2020 the average interest rate for new-car loans was 5.17% compared with 9.78% for all used-car loans.
Consider refinancing your current car loan
Refinancing with a new 72-month loan is a relatively long time — that's six years. Instead, look for a shorter term and a lower interest rate. If you do refinance for a long-term loan, consider paying extra toward the principal every month to pay off the loan early.
Credit utilization — the portion of your credit limits that you are currently using — is a significant factor in credit scores. It is one reason your credit score could drop a little after you pay off debt, particularly if you close the account.
This is why Edmunds recommends a 60-month auto loan if you can manage it. A longer loan may have a more palatable monthly payment, but it comes with a number of drawbacks, as we'll discuss later. The trend is actually worse for used car loans, where just over 80% of used car loan terms were over 60 months.
A down payment may help you to more easily qualify for an auto loan, especially if you have lower credit scores. Without a down payment, the lender has more to lose if you don't repay the loan and they need to repossess and sell the car. Cars can begin losing value as soon as you drive off the lot.
Car dealers check your credit to learn more about your financial situation and to protect themselves from fraudulent shoppers. Your credit report helps verify you are who you say you are. The information in your credit report is also essential to obtaining financing.