Why do dealerships want you to finance through them?

Asked by: Prof. Darian Ferry III  |  Last update: June 19, 2023
Score: 4.5/5 (47 votes)

“Car dealerships want you to finance through them for two main reasons: They can make money off the interest of a car loan you get through them. They may get a bit of a kickback if they're the middleman between you and another lender (commission).

Why you should not finance through a dealership?

2) Dealerships don't want you to have your own financing.

Dealers don't just sell cars, they sell your business to lenders for a profit. They're counting on making money on your loan.

Is financing through a dealership a good idea?

The Advantages of Dealership Financing

Dealerships with in-house financing may offer lower interest rates than banks or credit unions. Because dealerships specialize in lending to car buyers, in-house financing could save you money. Dealership financing may be the best option for buyers with bad credit.

Is it smart to finance a car through a dealership?

Financing your vehicle directly through the dealership is the right option if you are looking to avoid the heavy lifting that comes with shopping for vehicle financing. It is also easier to qualify for, so if you have poor credit, financing through the dealership may be more accessible.

Can a dealer force you to use their financing?

They sure can. Dealerships can refuse any type of financing for any reason. It's not immoral or unethical; it's just business. That said, car dealers usually refuse outside financing if they've lowered the price enough.

Car Dealership Tricks. Why Dealership Financing Makes Them Money.

16 related questions found

Can a car dealership take a car back after you signed a contract?

A customer may take delivery of a car on a Friday, drive around for the weekend and suddenly see something that is much more appealing. But once you've signed the deal, this is binding. And a dealer will only allow you to take delivery once the payment has registered after the money has in fact changed hands.”

Can you back out of a car deal before taking delivery?

Unless your contract has specific language providing a right to cancel, you are the owner of the car once you sign all of the documents and cannot cancel car loan before delivery. The dealer is under no obligation to take the car back if you change your mind, even if you choose not to drive the car off the lot.

Does financing a car build credit?

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.

What credit score is needed to buy a 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.

What is a good APR for a car?

What is a good APR for a car loan with my credit score and desired vehicle? If you have excellent credit (750 or higher), the average auto loan rates are 5.07% for a new car and 5.32% for a used car. If you have good credit (700-749), the average auto loan rates are 6.02% for a new car and 6.27% for a used car.

Why is it better to finance a car?

Should I finance a car? Financing your vehicle purchase offers you the benefit of paying gradually over time so that you can keep extra savings around for other essential expenses. If you secure a low-interest rate on your auto loan, financing can make more sense than paying in cash.

Should I let car dealership run my credit?

Resist early requests from the salesman to run your credit. Only allow the dealership to get your credit application when you are sure you want to buy a car. A dealership needs a car shopper's Social Security number before it can access the shopper's credit report.

Why is it important to haggle when negotiating to buy a car?

Bargaining may be an easier price-setting mechanism than changing a posted price every day or week.” Plus, if a customer walks in offering to pay a hair below the list price, the dealer may actually come out ahead by cutting a deal and saving on the inventory cost.

Why do car dealerships want you to finance instead of paying cash?

Although some dealerships give better deals to those paying with cash, many of them prefer you to get a loan through their finance department. According to Jalopnik, this is because dealerships actually make money off of the interest of the loan they provide for you.

How do dealers make money off financing?

Traditional means dealerships make money off of financing

What the dealer negotiates with lenders is the interest rate they pay, not what the end user, or car buyer, pays. This provides the dealership an opportunity to mark up the interest rate ultimately offered to the client and make money off of financing.

Why do car dealerships run your credit so many times?

In order to offer the best possible financing terms, a dealership will collect rate quotes from multiple lenders in hope of offering the customer the best deal available. Each rate quote, however, requires the lender to run its own hard credit inquiry.

What is the payment on a $15000 car loan?

Using the formula above, you can estimate your monthly payment for various loan terms to be: 12 months: $1269.25. 24 months: $643.99. 36 months: $435.49.

How much should I put down on a 15k car?

As a general rule, you should pay 20 percent of the price of the vehicle as a down payment. That's because vehicles lose value, or depreciate, rapidly. If you make a small down payment or no down payment, you can end up owing more on your auto loan than your car or SUV is worth.

Is 650 a good credit score to buy a car?

A good credit score to buy a car is often above 660, as you're then considered a "prime" borrower. There's no industry-wide, official minimum credit score in order to qualify for an auto loan. Generally, the higher your credit score, the better terms you're likely to get on the loan.

Can I buy a car with a 600 credit score?

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.

Will financing a car hurt my credit?

First, it will increase your total debt load and change your credit utilization ratio, which may cause a slight drop in your score. If you've just established the loan, there's no payment history yet, but any slight decline in credit score should be remedied quickly if you make your first few payments on time.

Does paying off a car loan early hurt credit?

Lenders like to see a healthy mix of revolving accounts, like credit cards, and installment accounts, like auto loans. If you pay off a car loan early and it's your only installment account, your credit score could take a hit. And if you have very few credit accounts, the hit to your score could be even greater.

Can I change my mind after signing a car loan?

Most dealerships don't allow returns or exchanges unless something is wrong with the car. Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no "cooling off" period for vehicle sales. Dealers are not legally required to give you three days to cancel the contract, explains the Federal Trade Commission.

Can you cancel financing a car?

There's no such thing as cancelling a car loan. You can't just bring a vehicle back to a dealership, hand over the keys, and state that you won't be making payments anymore. However, this doesn't mean that there's no way you can get out of an auto loan that isn't working for you.

Can a car dealer asking for more money after purchase?

NO, they do not. On its face it sounds like fraud. Short of hiring a lawyer, tho you may need to, speak with the Md State Police, who license car dealers, and the Consumer Protection Div of the Md Attorney...