What is an Auto Title Loan? 

Are you thinking about taking out an auto title loan?

These loans can help you if you’re in a tough financial situation, but there are some important things you need to think about before you apply for one.

Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about auto title loans, how to see if you’re eligible, and other crucial factors to consider.

What is an Auto Title Loan?

An auto title loan is a type of short-term loan where you use your car as collateral or an asset that secures the loan for the lender.

This means that you are promising that if you do not pay back the loan according to the terms you and the lender agree to, they can take your car. Typically the lender then sells the car to get their investment back.

Auto title loans often come with extremely high interest rates. You should only use them if you’re in a pinch and need money very quickly or if you have poor credit history and can’t get a loan elsewhere.

Three Things to Consider

Auto title loans come with unique terms and conditions that you need to understand before you apply. To help you get started, here are three things you need to think about before you decide if taking an auto title loan out is right for you:

1. Determine If You Qualify

Before you can consider an auto title loan as an option, you need to see if you qualify. First, you can typically only get a car title loan if you own or at least have equity on your car.

Next, make sure the loan meets your needs. Auto title loans are often a smaller amount of money, typically about 25 to 50 percent of your car’s total value. The terms are also short, usually around 15 to 30 days, so you must be prepared to repay the loan very quickly.

2. You May Lose Your Car

Since you take out an auto title loan against your car, you promise that the lender can take your car and sell it if you cannot repay the loan. Keep this in mind because the lender can take your car even if it’s worth more than the loan amount so that you could lose a lot of money.

3. Be Prepared for High Fees and Interest Rates

Auto title loans often carry high interest rates and fees. This is because they’re typically given to lenders with bad credit, which means that there’s a high risk of default.

You need to be prepared to pay around 25 percent of the loan amount or higher per month to finance the loan. That means if you take out a $5,000 loan, you’ll actually owe $6,250 back to the lender.

Learn More About Your Loan Options

Auto title loans can be helpful if you need money fast and can pay it back on time. However, they often come with high fees and interest rates that can put you even more in debt.

If you’d like more information on auto title loans or other short-term loan options that might be a better fit for you, make sure you check out the rest of our website.