Buying a car is an exciting step and one that requires some forethought if you have to finance the purchase – particularly when it comes to deciding on an auto loan term. That’s because the auto loan term you choose affects how much you’ll pay monthly, your interest rate, and even the overall cost of your car. Whether you’re buying for the first time or excited to upgrade your current vehicle, we’ve got the breakdown on how to pick the right auto loan term for your budget.
Basics of Auto Loan Terms
An auto loan term is the amount of time you agree to pay back your loan. Terms can range anywhere from 24 months to 84, and usually have different interest rates and monthly payments. Here’s what each term does:
- Short-Term Loans (24-48 months): These loans will have a higher monthly payment, but their interest rates are lower thus you will be able to get your car paid faster with a reduced amount of interest over time.
- Long-Term Loans (60-84 months): Long-term loans come with lower monthly payments that can fit within your budget, but they also usually have higher rates and cost you more over the long term.
How to Choose the Right Auto Loan Term for Your Budget
1. Assess Your Monthly Budget
Before you decide the term of an auto loan, it’s important to take a look at your monthly budget. Figure out how much money you can spend each month on the loan without stretching your budget too thin. Make sure to consider other costs associated with having a vehicle like insurance, maintenance, gas, and unexpected expenses.
Tip: Use the 20/4/10 rule as a guide. Put down at least 20 percent of the purchase price, finance for no more than four years, and keep total monthly vehicle expenses — including principal, interest and insurance — below 10 percent of your gross income.
2. Consider the Total Cost of the Loan
As tempting as it could be to choose a loan term based solely on the low monthly payment, it’s important to remember that the longer the loan term, the more you could end up paying in interest alone – despite the loan’s low interest rate.
A 60 month loan may have a lower monthly payment than a 36 month loan, but you will likely pay much more in interest over the five years versus the three.
3. Align with Your Financial Goals
Think about why you are getting a car loan and how that debt fits into your long-term financial planning. If you intend to keep the vehicle for many years, then taking on a longer term loan may be appropriate. However, if you intend to upgrade your vehicle in a few years, then a shorter term loan may be beneficial
Future Considerations: If you expect your circumstances to change in the future due to increased income or other factors, find out if the loan term chosen can be adjusted to meet your needs going forward.
4. Take Advantage of Ruloans’ Auto Loan DSA Opportunities
At Ruloans we present you more than loans. As an auto loan DSA Agent, earn handsome on time commissions (payouts) on the disbursal amount. Our Ruconnect App, India’s 1st B2B Loan Distribution Channel Partner App makes registration easy for a seamless experience and faster approval.
Ruconnect App Features: KYC and Document submission in a concise manner for registeration, DSA partners to claim online payouts, real-time application tracking, and refer customer CIBIL among others.
5. Shop Around for the Best Rates
Ruloans has tied up with 275+ top notch banks, NBFCs and insurance companies to ensure that you will get accurate bank interest rates and timely results. By using our vast network of resources, you can get the best loan or insurance deal that fits your budget perfectly.
Credit Score Impact: Having a higher credit score can help you obtain a lower interest rate, which then you are able to afford a shorter loan term with less total interest paid.
6. Factor in Depreciation
Cars depreciate, which means they lose value the older they get. If you finance the vehicle for too long, you increase your risk of becoming upside down on the loan — this is when you owe more than what the car is worth. To protect yourself from this happening, choose a loan term that is appropriate with how quickly the car will lose value and with what you can afford to pay back.
7. Utilize Ruloans’ Resources
Ruloans has many tools to help you make the right decisions, from auto loan term calculators to expert answers, we are here to help you at every step. We value our customers and loan agents as much as we do our cars.
Final Words!
Choosing the right auto loan term depends on how much you can afford to pay each month and your overall financial goals. With a number of loan options, competitive rates, and the backing of India’s biggest loans distributor at your disposal, Ruloans can get you in a new ride or allow you to apply for auto loan on your own terms. For those interested in becoming a loan agent, you can apply online for auto loan or explore our auto loan DSA opportunities.
