Key Takeaways. An 800-plus credit score shows lenders you are an exceptional borrower. You may qualify for better mortgage and auto loan terms with a high credit score.
An 800 credit score will typically land you the best interest rate available if you're approved for a loan. For example, you may qualify for a 0% financing deal on a new car or a lower mortgage or personal loan rate. This can save you thousands of dollars in interest during your lifetime.
In general, borrowers will pay a higher interest rate for a used car loan. With a credit score of 800 to 809, you should qualify for the best APR a lender offers. The average rate for a used car loan in the 800 to 809 credit score range is 5.38% (47% higher than the average rate for a new car).
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.
For best results, you should aim for at least a FICO score of 660 before applying for a new car loan.
Auto dealerships use the FICO credit bureau, which stands for Fair Isaac Corporation. They also use the FICO Auto Credit Score, which has a range of 250 to 900. This may mean that an auto dealer has a different credit score for you than the one you see on your personal credit report.
A 700 credit score puts you firmly in the prime range of credit scores, meaning you can get a competitive rate as long as you shop around, have good income, and have a solid debt-to-income ratio. A 700 credit score gets an average car loan interest rate of 3% to 6% for new cars and 5% to 9% for used cars.
According to experts, a car payment is too high if the car payment is more than 30% of your total income. Remember, the car payment isn't your only car expense! Make sure to consider fuel and maintenance expenses. Make sure your car payment does not exceed 15%-20% of your total income.
First of all, a 900 credit score isn't really possible. And just 1% of the population can achieve a credit score of 850, so there's a certain point where trying to get the highest possible credit score isn't realistic at all. Only a few credit score models have a credit score limit of 900 as is.
If you have been using credit for only six months or a year, it's unrealistic to expect a score in the high 700s. Still, it is possible to establish excellent credit — a score of 800 or higher, for example — in your 20s.
A 750 credit score is Very Good, but it can be even better. If you can elevate your score into the Exceptional range (800-850), you could become eligible for the very best lending terms, including the lowest interest rates and fees, and the most enticing credit-card rewards programs.
Not only might you need to have a decent-to-good credit score to secure a no-money-down loan, but having a good credit score (at least 680 points) is also the best way to prevent a lender from increasing the interest rate they would've given you on a conventional loan.
If you have a credit score above 750, you can probably qualify for the best rates available and negotiate an excellent deal on your car. If your credit score is lower, see if you can give it a boost before you apply for a loan.
Although a 650 credit score is desirable for any loan, first time car loans may require a score of 680 or higher to waive any co-signer requirements.
It's typically recommended that you buy a car worth no more than 35% of your gross annual income— so if you make $60k per year, you can afford a new car that is worth $21,000 or less.
To find out how much car you can afford with this 36% rule, simply multiply your family's income by 0.36. So if you earn $100,000, for example, you could afford to take out a car loan of up to $36,000 — assuming you don't have any other debt.
Experts say your total car expenses, including monthly payments, insurance, gas and maintenance, should be about 20 percent of your take-home monthly pay. For non-math wizards, like me – Let's say your monthly paycheck is $4,000. Then a safe estimate for car expenses is $800 per month.
It is advised to customers that they restrict their car loans to not more than 20 percent of their monthly income. For example, if you make Rs. 40,000 per month, your monthly car loan EMI should not exceed Rs. 8,000.
Expert estimates range broadly. Greg McBride, a senior vice president, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com, advises that a car payment should equal no more than 15 percent of your pretax monthly pay. That means that if you make $50,000 a year, your monthly car payment could be as much as $625.
You should target a credit score of more than 660 to receive favorable terms on your car loan from your lender. First-time car buyers with lower credit scores may be subject to higher interest rates.
The recommended credit score needed to buy a car is 660 and above. This will typically guarantee interest rates under 6%.
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.
700 is a good credit score to buy a car because it proves you are a responsible borrower with a credit history in the prime range. Even if your score is under 700 there are still ways to obtain affordable financing, especially at Green Light Auto Credit!