Hiring a Car Financing Specialist

You may not have considered hiring a specialist to help you with car financing, but here are some reasons why you should!

Laying the cards on the table - Find out what your chances look like when you start applying. Your specialist should be well versed with what figures look like for a person with a similar background and financial ability as you.

Smoother Application Process - Because brokers handle lots of applications, they will be able to share with you guidelines and rules and of course help you to handle the paperwork so that there’s less chance of delays or rejections.

Deeper Analysis - With a specialist, you can be sure that they know how to crunch figures and help you work out a comparison for which loans are the most cost-effective for you.

Securing the Purchase - From the start right through to the finish, you can trust your specialist to help you complete the application right through to the point you get the loan transferred to you and perhaps past then.

Hiring a Car Financing Specialist

The Smarter Finance Company is one such company that can help you with your car financing and loan application woes!

What Happens when you Apply for Car Financing?

Here’s how your car financing process works. Find out more about what you need to do!

Providing Details - Providing your personal and financial information to a credit union, bank or other lending institution is an important step. It may be a good idea to collate all this information when you are ready to start shopping.

Offering you a Rate - The moment of truth - how much will you will be able to borrow for that car of your dreams. Do your comparisons and see how low the rates can go...

Negotiation - Banks and credit unions might not negotiate with you, but if you are buying a packaged deal from the dealers, it’s no harm to ask!

Finalizing the Loan - Make sure that the whole contract is documented and that your loan is approved. Everything should be in order when you sign for your new car and drive it off into the sunset!

Why not seek some professional assistance to finance your car. You can call The Smarter Finance Company for a bit of advice today! 

What Happens when you Apply for Car Financing?

Getting A Good Deal for your New Car

A car ain’t cheap! But you can take these steps to ensure that you’re not paying more than you should!

Research Prices - Look for options before you start buying your car so that you’ll be familiar with what a reasonable price will look like. Start looking at loan approvals too so that you can gauge just how much you can afford to be spending. 

Deliberate - After the initial selection process, take a step back and look at all your options. From the list of potential cars, you can figure out what best suits you. A professional car financing specialist might be able to make the job a little more easy on you too.

Time your purchase - If you didn’t know that cars could be discounted, well now you know! Holidays, new releases and at the end of the month are the best times to go finalize a purchase!

We hope that you’ll be well-prepared to purchase that new car when you do so we’d love to give you a helping hand with comparing car finances! Call The Smarter Finance Company to speak with our consultants today!

Getting A Good Deal for your New Car

How to Avoid Car Sales Tricks

We’ve got some tricks of our own so you can get the better of those sneaky sales people!

Check out Financing before Purchasing your Car - Doing your research and doing your own comparison will help you find out what the going financing rates are!

Get the Certification and Reports - Make sure that the paperwork is in order. Ensuring that you have accurate information or spending a bit to send your car for an inspection will save you from buying a dud!

Ask for Documentation - Get your dealer to confirm all the information and document your agreed price on paper, including all of the features and add-ons like insurance and installations so that you have it on record.

Don’t commit too Quickly! - Take your time to make your final decision. A car is a big commitment so you can afford to take a day or two to finalise your choice.

Getting ready to buy a car can be a lot simpler with a specialist by your side. Call The Smarter Finance Company for that helping hand now!

How to Avoid Car Sales Tricks

What Loan Suits You Best?

Here is some information about the 3 basic car loans that you’ll see when you’re applying for car financing...

Personal Loan? - With no deposit required, the personal loan is the simplest loan of the lot - immediate ownership is granted to you once you’ve paid! Just remember that this type of loan can potentially be risky if you have no collateral to put up as security!  

Hire Purchase? - Hiring the car from your lender is a good option if you want to eventually own your car. With a deposit and with the car itself as a security, interest rates are much lower and monthly instalments possibly more manageable.

Dealer Finance? - Getting a quotation from your dealer has its pros and cons - rates may not be as competitive as the salespeople mark up interest rates to earn a commission for themselves!  The convenience is a plus though so if you don’t mind paying a little bit more for that...

Why not let The Smarter Finance Company help you compare the options? Call us today!

What Loan Suits You Best?

The Advantages of Getting Car Finance

Why do people need to go to a broker to work out car financing plans or to get a secured loan? Here’s why!

More money! - Car financing will greatly increase your base pool of funds so that you can afford a higher class of car than you could normally afford.

Easy Applications - Car loans are easy to apply got and chances of approval are high since cars are a necessary convenience to a lot of people.  

Low Risk - When you pledge your car as a security, you don’t have to worry too much about what will happen IF you default.  

Fixed Interest Rates - You can fix your interest rates so that your monthly installment rates are stable throughout the length of your repayment period.

More Perks - Get freebies and add-ons or even discounts and vouchers when you sign up with a financier on promotion!

The Smarter Finance Company is privy to the best car finance deals in Australia. Experience these advantages first have with us and get a great deal to boot! 

The Advantages of Getting Car Finance

How to Avoid Getting Scammed

Nobody wants to know that the wool has been pulled over your eyes, so here are some tricks of the trade that you should watch out for when you’re buying a car.

Selling You Something You Can’t Afford - be careful when a deal seems too good to be true, dealership might tell you what you want to hear only to change the terms later on.

Inflating your Interest Rate - The quoted interest rates at the showroom might not be the actual rates available from lenders so remember to do your research!

Selling you a Dud - It’s hard to tell about the history of a car until something happens. Accidents and maintenance in the past may not have been done regularly and that can lead to you buying a pretty banged up vehicle!

Trying Their Luck - While this doesn’t apply to all salespeople, it’s true that they need to make a sale in order to earn money and may just tell you all sorts of things or push their luck with you trying to get you to feel guilty or buy at their quoted prices.

Doing your research greatly eliminates the chances of being scammed. You can check with The Smarter Finance Company for more tips and tricks and financing help!

How to Avoid Getting Scammed

Car sales Tricks

When you’re ready to buy a car, there are some tricks of the trade that you are going to want to know about!

Lies - Take the salesperson’s words with a pinch of salt, they may be trying to offload a car on you. Don’t feel pressured to buy when you are not ready.

Switches - When the salesperson is trying to get you down to the showroom, they’ll tell you what you want to hear. But beware that they might just pull a switch on you and tell you that the car you want isn’t available...

Distractions - Taking your attention away from the final price and convincing you that a monthly payment is a good deal is the oldest trick in the book. Make sure you do your sums so that you don’t over pay or end up with redundant add-ons.

Getting your car financing worked out before you head to the dealership can help solve a lot of these issues. Contact The Smarter Finance Company to get started!

Car sales Tricks 

A New car versus an Used car

If you need a replacement car, you might want to look at our list that compares buying a new one or a used one first.

Buying a New Car
Pros - You don’t have to wait for a car that you want to be available, they come brand new. You have your pick of options and noone else has touched the steering wheel or sat in that seat. You don’t have to worry about car history either.
Cons - New cars are definitely more expensive and value drops instantly after you’ve signed the dotted line. Feedback on new models is also harder to find.

Buying a Used Car
Pros - Cost is definitely a factor - you might be able to get a car that you like for a steal, and at cheaper interest rates too.
Cons - The history of the car is in question here especially if the previous owner did not maintain or repair issues effectively. You may not pay actual value of the car either since sellers always try to make money when they sell.

You can find out more when you compare car financing rates with The Smarter Finance Company. Let us help you decide which one will fit you best!

A New car versus an Used car

How to be Safe on the Road

Please be careful when you’re out on the road. Take some helpful tips from The Smarter Finance Company...

- Stay at a Safe Distance: Remember your 3-second rule so that you have enough stopping distance when the car in front of you brakes suddenly

- Watch Out for Others on the Road: You’re not the only one on the road and accidents can be caused by others around you when you’re driving. Keep alert and watch out for weird behaviour and unexpected changes in road conditions.

- Stay Focused: Keep your eyes ahead and remove distractions. Don’t let your attentions be diverted from controlling your car because anything can happen in a split second.

Kist in case something happens, you need to have good car insurance coverage too. Check with us to compare deals for car insurance in Australia.

http://financesmarter.com.au/blog/how-to-be-safe-in-your-car/

Things to think about When you Buy a Car

Here’s a quick how-to list of how you can get ready to search for a brand new ride!

1. List your Criteria - Figure out what you want in a car and list it down. Think about comfort, safety, engine power, fuel economy and even the cost all.

2. Prioritise your List - Are you willing to settle for less fuel economy if your car comes with more power? Rank your list of criteria since certain models of cars will be better at some things rather than others!  

3. Fix a budget - You need to decide how much you are willing to spend! A financing plan might raise your budget, but you need to figure out a comfortable monthly repayment amount for you to handle.

4. See what fits - Once you’ve got your criteria and budget, you can really start shopping. When you find something that fits your list, shortlist it and then you can pick the best ones from your final set!

If you need some extra help working out your finances, you can look for The Smarter Finance Company to help you out with your car loan! Call us today! 

Things to think about When you Buy a Car

Smart Tips for Selling your Car

Here’s how you can get an even better deal when you sell your car. Read on!

1) How much is it worth? Do your research and find out how much or how little people are selling cars the same make and model for.

2) Is it the Right Time to Sell? Are there sales and promotions for your car first hand going on? Keep tabs on trends and demand for certain types of cars because different cars will be more in demand through different seasons of the year.

3) Does it look good? If you can spruce up your car - get it washed, shined and vacuumed then its value will go up, up, up!

4) Can you Negotiate? Knowing how much your car is worth is half the battle won but have a bottom line for yourself. Start with what you would like to have and be reasonable about how much you get.

If your car doesn’t sell for as much as you would like, with The Smarter Finance Company, we can help you come up with any shortfall with our car financing plans!

Smart Tips for Selling your Car

Use Your Car for Your Safety!

Because so many things can happen to you on the road, your car is built to keep you safe. Here’s how!

1) Check your Speedo - Check that you’re within the speed limit and don’t speed. Save yourself from a speeding ticket and an accident!

2) Check your Blind Spots - Use your side view mirrors and keep your windows unobstructed and clear so that you can see your blind spots for any hiding pedestrians or vehicles

3) Use your Lights and Wipers Appropriately - In bad weather conditions, your high beam, demisting lines on your rear windshield and your wipers are there to give you a clear view of what’s in front and behind you.

4) Wear your Seatbelt - Always buckle up and buckle up tight! Keep a seatbelt cutter of knife handy as well in case you are trapped in the car and need a quick way out.

Keep safe not only by knowing how to use your car, but by having comprehensive car insurance in place too!

Use Your Car for Your Safety!

How to be Safe in your Car

Your car can be a dangerous machine, what more out on the road and at a high speed? Take some advice from us and be safe!

1) Don’t Drink and Drive - We’re sure that you know full well the effects of alcohol on you even when you’re not driving. Play it safe and get a designated driver or take a cab instead of driving.

2) Stay Focused - Don’t be on your phone, keep your eyes focused on the road. Kids should be safely buckled in and pets in pet carriers. Don’t get distracted!

3) Don’t drive when you’re Sleepy - It’s hard to get a good night’s sleep sometimes, or perhaps you’re sick and are taking medicine that makes you drowsy. Either way, it’s a better idea not to drive if you don’t think you’ll be alert on the road.

4) Keep Cool - No matter what happens on the road, don’t let anger or road rage get the better of you. Taking it out on someone else can cause them to lash out too so keep a cool head as best you can.

How to be Safe in your Car

Make sure your car insurance is in check and be safe! Being safe starts with you!

How to get a Fair Deal for your New Car

Want to make sure that you get a reasonable quote for the car you want? Take some tips from us!

Negotiate the Final Price - Be firm on your final price and try not to negotiate on add-ons once you’ve made your stand.

Expect Sales Tactics - Don’t be pulled in by limited time offers or pushy sales people. Focus on your criteria and meeting it. It may be hard not to be influenced but know that sales tactics are to be expected.

Make the Most of your Quotations - It might seem obvious, but getting a number of quotes means you can pick the cheapest car from the lot! Telling the dealers that you are getting other offers may also further reduce their figures!

How to get a Fair Deal for your New Car

Shopping for cars can be stressful, and so can comparing car finance too! But for that, you can always give The Smarter Finance Company a call! Why not do that today!

Car financing for Newbies - The Novated Loan

How can you use a novated loan to help finance your car? Find out more below...

How it works - Ever wish you could streamline your car payments? The Novated Loan helps you integrate your financing payments into your salary structure with the help of your employer! Choose a non-maintained novated loan to retain some control of how you pay for your car’s expenses and a maintained novated loan if you would prefer all the variables to be taken care of.

Pros - There is convenience in including your payments in your salary. Both parties are rewarded in this mutually beneficial relationship and more than in just good feelings! There are tax deductions also of course! And the lender is happy to lend you a larger amount at a smaller interest rate too.

Cons - The car remains under your name so if you are out of a job, the responsibility is on you to continue making payments.

The Novated Loan can make your life easier, but let The Smarter Finance Company help you work out the details. Call us today!

Car financing for Newbies - The Novated Lease

Car financing for Newbies - Comprehensive Insurance

How does Comprehensive Insurance work? Let this short article give you a heads up...

How it works - Insurance covers accidents and all sorts of unexpected situations that may happen to you and your car, whether on the road or at home parked under a tree. Comprehensive insurance normally will cover fire, theft and third party damage.

Pros - Definitely you will get peace of mind from the assurance of financial protection. You’ll be able to afford repairs and even medical care if it boils down to that as long as you have insurance in place!

Cons - Premiums can vary in cost to you and if you are a safe driver, you might wonder why you need to pay for something you might not utilise. Just remember that you’re not the only driver on the road though!

Car financing for Newbies - Comprehensive Insurance

Find out more about what insurance can be provided to you. Call The Smarter Finance Company today!

Car financing for Newbies - Roadside Assistance

We find out more about Roadside Assistance and how it can benefit you when you buy a new or used car.

How it works - A roadside recover team can help you get back on the road if something happens to you when you’re driving. A tow or a quick jumpstart or even help retrieving your keys from a locked vehicle is easy when you have a trustworthy team to call.

Pros - Sometimes you just need a helping hand but you don’t know who to call. Roadside Assistance gives you the peace of mind that someone with experience and a solution can come to your rescue at any time.

Cons - If something doesn’t happen during the term of your subscription (which is a good thing), your subscription fee goes down the drain.

Car financing for Newbies - Roadside Assistance 

Don’t you think it’s better to be safe than sorry? Find out about the options for Roadside Assistance with The Smarter Finance Company today! 

Car financing for Newbies - The Secured Loan

We take a look at the secured loan and how it can help you finance your new or used car!

How it works - A secured loan is carried out by putting up an asset, normally the car itself, as collateral so that the lender has an assurance of your commitment to the contract. If the borrower defaults or misses payments, the lender has the right to repossess the car as payment instead.

Pros - Because of the collateral that you’ve put up, lenders are appeased enough that their “investment” in you will be returned and that you won’t miss your payments. You are likely to be able to borrow a bigger fum of money with lower interest rates. Tax deductions, both for sales and for businesses, also apply.

Cons - There is a chance that your collateral or the car itself might get taken away by the lender if you are unable to make payments.

Car financing for Newbies - The Secured Loan

You can work out how to make sure that a secured loan is affordable for you by contacting The Smarter Finance Company!

Car financing for Newbies - The Hire Purchase Agreement

Let’s find out more about the Hire Purchase Agreement for financing your new car.

How it works - The lender buys the car and lets you “hire” it from them. But with the added benefit of ownership once you have made sufficient payments to the lender. You can adjust the payment terms according to your preferred tenure and work with the lender to find a monthly instalment amount that meets your needs.

Pros - Since the lender owns the car until you’ve paid up, they are much more willing to give you better interest rates and accept the agreement at a lower deposit amount. Sales tax and VAT can be waived and can benefit businesses in terms of managing their cash flow. Ownership is also granted at the end of the term.

Cons - If you default on payments or break contract anywhere in between, you lose the right to own even a portion of the car despite how many payments you’ve made.

Car financing for Newbies - The Hire Purchase Agreement

Find out more about the Hire Purchase Agreement with The Smarter Finance Company!

How to Pick a Car that’s Right for You!

Just how can a person decide on just ONE car? There are a lot of things to look at isn’t there? Here we narrow down some tips for you...

How big?

Different cars cater to different needs and you need to work out just how much capacity your need. Test drives and asking questions at the showroom might be able to help you sort out some queries you have.

How powerful?

More power may mean more speed, but you may not always be more safe!  What level of security and power you really needs depends on the terrain that you travel on a regular basis.

Gas, Diesel or a Hybrid?

You get different fuel economy from different types of petrol. Again, depending on what your average route looks like, different choices will give you a better yield!

How to Pick a Car that’s Right for You!

Your tastes may change over the years and finding a car that suits you will take some searching. We hope that we’ve been able to help you narrow it down!

How Does Car Financing Work?

Numbers and accounting may give you a headache, but use our quick guide to car financing to get a basic understanding of what’s going on...

Taking a Loan

You need a little extra funds for a car, you look for a lender to put it up for you. You go into a contract to get the money and that’s your car financing plan.

Documentation

Supplying details to your lender helps them to decide whether to approve the loan too and at what rate!

Car Financing Rates

Comparing your quotations means picking out the best rates - there are also lots of options to play around with the match the financing plans to your requirements

Making Payments

Once you’ve made payments for the car, you just need to meet your installment deadlines and ensure that you remit money on time! Repossession and defaulting on your loan contract is no joke!

You might need a little extra help when it comes to looking at different plans, so don’t hesitate to contact a professional car financing agency like The Smarter Finance Company if you need to! 

How Does Car Financing Work?

What to Do when Researching Car Finance Rates?

Here are some important things to look at when you are starting to look around for car financing deals

Monthly Payments
Balance making your payments and your cash flow so that you can get a god class of car and still have spending money at the end of the day! Don’t forget other costs like taxes, petrol, insurance, and maintenance!

Interest Rates and Fees
Examining how your plan is affected by interest rates and even late fees and non-payment fines can help you determine exactly how much you should take out on your loan.

Credit History
Have these documents on hand so that your application can move smoother. These will affect your loan approvals too!

Your Credit Score

• Previous and current addresses
• Employment and income history
• Declaration of (any other) income
• Declaration of any other Assets and Loans

When in doubt, head to your nearest car financial professional (like The Smarter Finance Company) for help!

What to Do when Researching Car Finance Rates?

How to Make the Most of the Value of your Car

Although the value of your car never remains the same after purchase, you can take steps to keep it as high as possible!

Parking & Driving:

Park away from other cars and in the shade where possible. Take care of your engine and keep your mileage down.

Maintenance History:

Regular servicing and rectifying all issues with the car when it happens can definitely help with your car value. If you need to do repairs, stick to reputable workshop to get work done!

Manage your Financing Plan

Manage your monthly instalments and make payments on time. Refinancing at the right time can also help you to save money and make taking over the car’s lease more attractive.

There are many other things that you can do to maintain the value of your car. Find out more tips to upkeep your vehicle and the car financing with The Smarter Finance Company!

How to Make the Most of the Value of your Car

Should you Buy a Car from a Dealership?

There are certain benefits in purchasing your new car from a dealership! Here are some:-

Quality Assurance

Most dealers are hell bent on keeping their reputation so they make sure that your vehicle is in tip top working order!

After Sales Care

Besides getting your warranties for your new car here, you can also exercise that warranty in the attached repair and workshop facilities.

Grab a Good Deal

There are always seasonal sale periods or discounts that may be given to you if you go down to the dealership at the right time of year! 

One-stop Shop

Besides your car, you can get your financing and insurance settled at the dealership too!

Do your comparisons and work out your figures. You can find out more about your options from The Smarter Finance Company!

Should you Buy a Car from a Dealership?

Buying a Car without Credit History

If you have no previous records of loan applications or making financial commitments, it’s not the end of the world, you can still apply for car financing help!

Look Around

There are lots oflenders these days who are willing to put up loan for new customers without credit history. Shop around and do your comparison for the best rate!

Higher Interest Rates Apply

Lenders may “charge” you more to protect their interest because they cannot predict how you would uphold the contract agreement, unfortunately, there will always be a small different in the rate you receive!

Tell them more about yourself

If you are able to tell the lenders more about your financial history, perhaps you may be able to negotiate a better deal.

Consider someone to back you up!

Getting a trusted family member or friend to act as a guarantor can be an option as long as you don’t use them as a way out when you can’t make your payments!

You can also look for professional car financing help to help you cut down your processing and comparison times and get you the best car financing deals for your situation too!

Buying a Car without Credit History

What to do in the Car Showroom

Here’s how to be focused when you go to look at shiny new cars!

Grab a salesperson

The sales people are the most knowledgeable people around, use that to your advantage!

Know what you want

Even if you don’t know about cars, you might have an idea of what you need your car to do for you. Tell the sales person and let them present you with options

Ask about Everything!

Ask the salesperson about the advantages and disadvantages, the fuel consumption, the options and features that are available... Anything else that you can think of - ASK!

Think on it

Don’t be rushed into a hasty decision. Take the time to deliberate over the information and schedule test drives if need be so that you can come to a conclusion.

A showroom is just one way to go about finding out about cars. Make use of all avenues and even your car financing office to help you get comfortable with your final choice! 

What to do in the Car Showroom

Finalising your Car Choice

One last step before you sign the title for a new or used car - test driving it!

1- Make an appointment

Tell the showroom that you’d like to schedule a test drive - reserve the vehicle that you’d like and ask them for one as close to the one you’d like so you can test all the features. Ask any other questions and perhaps ask about the area around the showroom that you can drive to.

2 - During the Test Drive

Get familiarised with the car and get comfortable too. Drive as you would normally on a typical day. Sit in the rear cabin so that you know what it’s like to be a passenger too!

3 - After the Test Drive

Take your time to review the drive and perhaps schedule other test drives back to back so that you can feel the immediate difference when you drive the different cars.

A car is a big commitment so a test drive can really help you make a clear cut decision! 

Finalising your Car Choice

How much should you spend on a car

We can help you decide how much money to spend on your new car. Just take a look at the different components here:-

Down Payment

Making a cash payment upfront helps to reduce the monthly repayment amounts that you need to pay, but it should be balanced with how much you have in your bank account at that moment of course!

Monthly Payment

Examine your savings each month and how much you can comfortably put aside each month to go towards your car repayments. You can also tap on your savings or adjust your expenditure to make sure that you can fit the monthly payments in.

Extra Costs

Extra costs can affect how much you spend on your car outside of your monthly payments. Road taxes and sales taxes, registration costs, insurance, petrol and maintenance all adds up!

Don’t spend past your limits and look at your car financing plan carefully before committing. Being comfortable with the amount you pay will make your life a lot easier!

How much should you spend on a car