back to articles | December 15, 2019 | Greg Thibodeau
Categories: Auto Loans & Financing Refinance To Save Consumer Credit Loan Calculators & Rates Types of Car Loans The myAutoloan Difference
How to Refinance Your Car Loan & Save Money
If you’ve ever refinanced your home mortgage, you know that refinancing can come with plenty of headaches and paperwork. Such an experience may keep you from refinancing your car, too. Is it really worth it to refinance your car loan? In many cases, yes! Refinancing can lead to less stress and big monthly savings. Plus, it’s much easier and faster than you could ever imagine. We’ll walk you through how to refinance your car loan the simple way.
5 Steps to Refinance Your Car Loan
1. Evaluate your current car loan situation
While there’s almost never a bad time to refinance your car loan, some moments can prove better than others. How do you know if it’s time to make your move? Look for these signs:
- Interest rates have gone down since you originally bought your car
- Your credit score has greatly improved
- Your income has increased or decreased
- You’re unhappy with your current car loan
- You want to remove or add co-signers to the loan
If any of these reasons sound familiar to you, keep reading and follow our steps to refinance your car loan.
2. Gather your documents
Make the refinancing process go as quickly as possible by having the right information ready to go. Note that the first three pieces of following info can be found on the monthly statement from your lender. Before refinancing, make sure you know:
- Your current monthly payment amount
- The amount of time you have left to repay your loan (in months)
- Your current interest rate
- Your driver’s license number
- Your car’s VIN number
- Pay stubs from current employer
- Your Social Security number
3. Apply to refinance your car loan!
Now for the fun part. (We say this because saving money is always fun!) You have a few options here. You can visit multiple websites and financial institutions, fill out multiple applications, and then separately evaluate each offer one by one.
OR, you can visit one website, fill out one application, and evaluate multiple offers side-by-side within a matter of minutes. The first option wastes valuable time. The second option gives you more time and more choice. Apply to refinance your car loan on myAutoloan and in a matter of minutes we’ll match you with up to four offers from trusted lenders. It’s one application, multiple loan offers.
4. Choose the best loan offer for you
When you refinance your car, a new loan is used to pay off your existing one. The refinanced loan is a new contract between you and the lender, with a potentially different interest rate, term, and monthly payment.
Choose the refinance loan offer with the interest rate, loan term, and monthly payment that works best for you and your current situation.
5. Wrap up the refinancing process with the lender.
Once you select the best refinance car loan offer for you, your lender may ask you to complete some additional paperwork. They may send it to you via overnight mail or make it available to you online.
The lender will complete the underwriting process on your behalf, contact your current lender (if different from your new one), and arrange a payoff of your old auto loan. Then you can consider your car refinanced!
But will refinancing save me money?
Yes, refinancing really can help you save money.
LauraKay, a myAutoloan customer, was able to save $100 a month on her car payment by refinancing her car loan. That’s thousands of dollars in savings over the course of her loan.
“I was able to save almost $100 a month on my car payment,” says LauraKay. “Went from 16.75% due to my age and no credit history at the time to 3.10%.”
Renee was also able to drop her payments and her interest rate by refinancing.
“I was able to get my car refinanced from 24% interest down to 10% and my payments dropped over $100. I am very pleased with my experience!”
Another myAutoloan customer was stuck in an unfortunate situation with an upside down car loan. Refinancing helped them lower their interest rate and monthly payments by almost 50%.
“I couldn’t get a refinance on my upside down loan anywhere, I was paying a super high interest rate over 20%!!! MyAutoloan found me a financer who lowered my interest and monthly payments by almost half! The process is smooth and almost effortless in securing a refinance. I would recommend this site for anyone with a high interest car loan at least 1-2 years into the loan.”
Refinance your car loan today
What are you waiting for? Take charge of your old auto loan. Complete your refinance application online and get matched with up to four refinance offers in minutes. Don’t wait—interest rates could change tomorrow!