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.
Once you pay off a car loan, you may actually see a small drop in your credit score. However, it's normally temporary if your credit history is in decent shape – it bounces back eventually. The reason your credit score takes a temporary hit in points is that you ended an active credit account.
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.
If you pay off your only active installment loan, it is considered a closed credit account. Having no active installment loans or having only active installment loans with relatively little amounts paid off on those loans can result in a score drop.
Saves You Money on Interest
Paying off your car loan can reduce the amount of interest you'll pay over time because you'll no longer be responsible for paying interest once the account is paid off. How much you save, however, depends on the loan's remaining balance.
PAY HALF YOUR MONTHLY PAYMENT EVERY TWO WEEKS
With a payment every two weeks, you'll end up making 26 half-payments per year. That adds up to 13 full payments a year, rather than 12. If you have a 60-month, $10,000 loan, you'll save only about $35 in interest, but you'll repay the loan in 54 months rather than 60.
The biggest benefit of prepaying a Car Loan is that you clear off a debt and don't have to make monthly payments. When you pay off a Car Loan, you release the hypothecation on the vehicle and have full ownership. Apart from this, lenders will also offer additional benefits.
No, paying off your car doesn't reduce your insurance rates, but it does give you more control over the type and amount of coverage you have, which can help you save money on your insurance rates.
Once you've paid off your loan, your lien should be satisfied and the lien holder should send you the title or a release document in a reasonable amount of time. Once you receive either of these documents, follow your state's protocol for transferring the title to your name.
Once your loan is fully paid, the lien on your car title is lifted, and the title can be released to you. At this point, the legal ownership of the car transfers from your lender to you.
How many miles is too many miles on a car? Between 10,000 and 15,000 miles per year is what's considered average. A car that's done 100,000 miles in 3 years - for example - is high mileage.
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.
If you pay double each month, you cut down on the interest twice as fast and start paying on the principal much sooner. Doing this, a five-year loan could very well turn into a two to three year loan. By paying more each month you will be spending more in the short term but saving more in the long term.
With proper maintenance, cars can have a life expectancy of about 200,000 miles.
Generally, vehicles are likely to start experiencing problems after the 100,000-mile mark. Also, in most cases, they no longer have a valid manufacturer's warranty, meaning you have to pay for repairs out of your own pocket when something goes wrong.
Lenders typically report the account at the end of its billing cycle, so it could be as long as 30 to 45 days from the time you pay the account off until you see the change on your credit report.
The less you rotate cars the better. I personally would not recommend rotating more than every 5 years. Drive your car until that thing is dead and no longer safe…or at least needs a new transmission or some other huge amount of repair that is not worth the money you put into it if fixed.
Financial experts say to not spend more than 35% of your annual income on the car itself and the costs that come with your purchase. Below you'll find a breakdown of what to consider when buying a new or used car and how much you should spend.
Most professional mechanics will tell you that 12,000 miles per year is an accurate estimate for a car that has not been overdriven and considered to have high mileage.