Can I Pay Off My Car Loan Early?

If you live around Santa Cruz, you will most likely want to finance your new or used vehicle and pay off the loan monthly. However, paying off your car early is a great way to get rid of the monthly payment amount. So, is it good to pay off a car loan early? Let the experts at Santa Cruz Toyota help you decide how to pay your car loan and if it would benefit Monterey drivers.

The expert finance team at Santa Cruz Toyota will go over a couple important topics:

• Is it good to pay off a car loan early?
• How to pay off a car loan early

We can help our customers decide whether it’s good to pay off your car early and how to achieve that goal. Let’s check out some useful tips!

Is it Good to Pay Off a Car Loan Early?

If you’re considering paying off a car loan early, you must have good financial planning. One of the benefits of paying off a car loan early is the lower interest rates and the lesser chance of defaulting on your loan.

When Should You Pay off Your Car Loan Early?

• Little outstanding debt such as mortgage or credit card payments. Paying off your car early could provide more income for other expenses.
• You have a large budget or savings that allows you to make larger payments each month that won’t have a significant impact on your finances.
• You want to make a purchase such as a house and want to decrease your monthly expenses.
• Want to improve your overall debt-income ratio.

When Paying Off a Car Loan Early May Not Be the Best Option

• You are tight on emergency funds
• Some lenders will provide you a great interest rate, and it would make more sense to continue making payments monthly. This would allow you to save the extra money to put away towards your savings and other expenses.
• You want to improve your credit score and are using the on-time payments to build your credit score.
• If your loan agreement includes prepayment penalties, you want to stick to your payment plan to avoid any unnecessary fees.

How to Pay Off a Car Loan Early

If you want to know how to pay off a car loan early, there are a few different ways to make early payments. Let’s take a look at a few ways you can pay off your car loan early:

• Make Bi-Weekly Payments – With bi-weekly payments, you can take your monthly payment and divide it by two. However, it’s important to consult your lender to ensure this is possible.
• Round Up Your Payment Each Month – Each month when you make your payment, round the amount to the nearest $50.
• Make One Extra Payment Each Year in One Lump Sum – You could also make a payment of one lump sum once per year, as opposed to rounding up your payment each month.
• Resist the Temptation of Skipping a Payment – Depending on your lender, they may allow you to skip one or two payments. Although tempting, this will increase the length of your loan and cost you more in interest.
• Refinance with a New Car Loan – Refinancing is a viable option, especially if you continued to make on-time payments for a couple of years. However, you should only refinance if it provides you with a lower interest rate, lessening the monthly payments, and allowing you to pay your loan early.

Learn More About Car Loans with Santa Cruz Toyota!

So, is it good to pay your car loan off early? Let the experts at Santa Cruz Toyota near Aptos help you decide. However, it will be yes in most cases! If you have any more questions about car loans, come visit our finance department or contact us today!