Pierre Money Mart Blog

Auto sales in the U.S. were anemic through much of 2008, but the first really cataclysmic month was October, when a credit crisis froze consumer lending. “You can’t have an auto industry if you can’t borrow money,” said Michael DiGiovanni, General Motors’ chief sales analyst. “The whole industry is based on credit availability.”

The particularly bad news for DiGiovanni was that GM’s finance arm, GMAC (51 percent of which is actually owned by Chrysler parent Cerberus), was one of the lenders that was most crippled. GMAC had already largely exited lease underwriting and begun restricting loans to only the most credit-worthy customers (with FICO scores of 700 or better) – shutting out more than half of all applicants.

GMAC’s woes have dragged down GM sales recently, but for decades it was a powerful engine of the automaker’s success. When GMAC was founded in 1919, its original mission was not to finance retail new-car sales. It was to lend money to dealers so they could purchase cars from GM’s factories during slow-selling winter months (those being the days before closed cars were commonplace), which allowed them to build up inventory for the warm-weather selling season. This kept GM’s factories humming on a more efficient, year-round cycle.

Soon, though, GMAC expanded its purview to include financing new-car purchases for consumers. But in those early days (the Roaring Twenties), customers first had to be convinced that borrowing for a new car – or buying it “on time,” to use the vernacular of the day – was a good idea.

Odd as it sounds today, back then thrift was seen as a virtue, and debt was something to be avoided. Carmakers, joined by other consumer-goods manufacturers (furniture, sewing machines, pianos), sold the notion of installment plans as wise, convenient, and modern. Once consumer perception began to change, it opened the floodgates to increased sales. Determining how much car one could buy was no longer a question of how much cash you had on hand, but how much you could afford per month.

Before then, the average American family would have to save for five years to purchase a new car, which is why Ford’s ultra-low-priced Model T was such a huge success. Henry Ford, though, disapproved of installment purchasing (although his dealers were happy to arrange financing for customers), and instead Ford in 1923 launched the Ford Weekly Purchasing Plan. But this was essentially just a savings account, in which customers could deposit as little as $5 a week in an attempt to save up for the purchase of a new Ford. The Plan flopped, and Ford wouldn’t launch its own captive finance arm until 1959. Chrysler followed in the 1960s. Meanwhile, by 1925 GMAC was writing almost half of all auto loans, and it helped General Motors power past Ford in sales and gain its dominant position in the automotive marketplace.

Today, just over half of all new vehicles are financed and a further 20 percent are leased; only 27 percent are bought outright with cash. It’s no wonder that a disruption in the credit market can so devastate auto sales. In America, saving for a big-ticket purchase is an idea as old-fashioned as cranking up a Victrola to hear some music. Credit isn’t just the lifeblood of the auto business, it’s the lifeblood of the entire economy.

The U.S. Congress will be seeing a bill this week that, if adopted, would allow automakers the ability to obtain $20 billion in federally backed loan guarantees. The bill is open to any auto manufacturer including foreign-based Toyota and Honda, but it’s clearly targeted at the domestics. As the credit ratings of the Big 3 continue to drop, this bill could potentially save them hundreds of millions of dollars while fomenting the development of clean-air technologies. U.S. Representative Mike Rogers, the bill’s author, says it would “level the cost of investment capital in the United States between domestic and Japanese auto manufacturers.”

The way it would work is that the U.S. Department of Energy would be given the authority to approve loan guarantees to auto manufacturers for alternative-fuel research and development projects. If the auto manufacturer defaults on the loan, the U.S. Treasury would be forced to repay it.

A Ford spokesman said they support the measure while GM spokesman Greg Martin implied they weren’t seeking loan guarantees. He said, “It’s an intriguing idea that merits consideration, but right now our turnaround and our success rests on the advanced technology that we are putting in our cars and trucks today.”

Here’s how to stack the odds a bit more in your favor:

Shop money first — Many people make the mistake of shopping for a car, then worrying about how to pay for it. Instead, check into your financing options before you get near a dealership. You have many options — from credit unions to banks to the captive financing arms (GMAC, Ford Credit, etc.) of the automakers themselves. Offers can vary considerably; as with a real estate loan, even a seemingly small difference in the interest rate being offered can cost (or save) you a lot of money over the life of a new car loan. And just as you’d haggle with the salesman over the price of the car itself, you can and should try to negotiate the best deal possible on your financing. Make them earn your business; don’t just give it to them on a silver platter. If GMAC is offering 1.9 percent financing, you may have to forego an additional rebate to get it. Get the specifics and ask your bank/credit union if they can do better.

Know the true cost of what you’re buying (and what you can afford) — There is more to the cost of a new car than the price you pay for the car itself. Things like insurance, property taxes (where applicable), annual fuel costs and so on should always be factored into your purchasing decision — before you commit to buying anything. Insurance payments on a high-performance sports car may be more than you expected. People sometimes get into trouble by focusing on the car payment alone — forgetting about the peripheral costs that come with the purchase of any new car or truck. If you buy “on the edge” — with little cushion left for these unanticipated expenses — you might end up getting a visit from the repo man.

Know your quarry — Before you get near a dealer’s lot, you should have spent some time online getting to know as much about the vehicle you’re thinking of buying as possible. What are the standard and optional engines? Available equipment? The trim levels? What’s the dealer invoice price for the vehicle — and the various options? (Many people forget there’s a big difference between the MSRP “sticker price” and actual dealer cost for individual options as well as for the car itself.)

The more informed you are, the less likely it is you’ll end up with buyer’s remorse — or a bad deal. AOL Autos is one of several excellent resources for this research. Trade publications such as Automotive News and Consumer Reports are also a great resource for in-depth info about any new car on the road. It’s a good idea to read as many new car evaluations of the model you’re considering as possible. These expert reviews may enlighten you about good (and bad) points you might otherwise be unaware of until after you’ve already bought the car.

Check into the available deals — Year-end closeouts, cash back, special financing, etc. Each automaker publishes their current offers on their official web page (for example, General Motors’ web site is www.gm.com). AOL Autos brings all these offers to you alongside other vehicle details to assist you in your shopping. These offers are constantly changing, vary from region to region — and model to model — so it’s important to get the latest, most up-to-date info. Compare what’s being offered by one automaker against the deals (or lack thereof) being offered by a competitor. A little digging could save you thousands before you even get to the dealer’s lot. Also pay attention to the market. Slow-selling models (or final year models of vehicles about to be replaced or updated) are typically the ones dealers are most anxious to get rid of — which means you can usually negotiate a great deal for yourself. On the flip side, avoid shopping for the latest, most trendy and popular models until the buzz has died down a little — unless you don’t mind paying every penny of full MSRP sticker, plus a little extra.

Never focus on the monthly payment — “How much can you afford per month?” is a deceptive shuck and jive used by some car salesmen to get you to stop thinking about the total price of the car by focusing your attention on what appear to be “low” monthly payments. But ultimately, the only figure that matters is the bottom line cost of the car itself. Haggle over that figure — and the monthly payments will take care of themselves.

Worry about your trade-in later — You’re buying a new car; haggling over your trade can be distracting. With the focus on how much you’ll be getting for your old car, it’s easy to lose sight of how much you’re paying for the new one. Haggling over one car is confusing enough; adding another to the mix is never a good idea. Estimate the value of your trade-in online using a service such as KBB brought to you by AOL Autos. This will give you a ballpark number to free your mind while you shop for a new car. The best thing to do is negotiate your best deal on the new car — and once that’s done, bring up the matter of your trade-in.

Always take an extended test drive — Buying a new car or truck without spending at least a few hours behind the wheel is a lot like getting married after that first date. Things you didn’t notice at first may soon come back to haunt you — for example, seats that give you a back ache; or an under-powered engine. Or terrible blind spots. These are things you’ll notice during an extended test drive — and it’s why you should never buy any new car without having spent a t least a couple of hours behind the wheel in a variety of driving environments, such as stop-and-go traffic and highway driving. If the car will be used by family members, they should come along for the ride, too. If everyone’s not happy with the car, odds are you won’t be happy with the car. Most dealers will be happy to let a serious buyer take a test drive. If the dealer won’t allow it, you should think hard and long before buying the car — from that dealer, anyhow.

For those of us who are unfamiliar with the concept of car title loans, allow us to explain. At times, the best of us get strapped for cash; we may have no credit or bad credit (just like they say in the commercials), which keeps us from getting small loans from a bank or some other more traditional means. A title loan offers you cash from the lender, in return you sign over the title of your paid-for car to secure the loan. Typically, these loans are due back in full 30 days later. There’s no credit check and only minimal income verification. It sounds pretty straightforward, but borrowing from these places can lead to a repossession of your car and a whole lot of financial trouble.

Interest Rates That Make Credit Card Companies Blush

Car title loans have been lumped into the “predatory lending” category by many consumers. Non-profit organizations such as Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and the Center for Responsible Lending have issued detailed reports outlining some of the title loan issues that the public should be leery about.

One of the biggest issues with these loans is interest rates. Many people dislike credit card interest rates, which average between the mid to high teens for most Americans. Car title loan interest rates make complaining about credit rates seem ludicrous. Car title lenders are in a different category than credit card companies or banks and work around usury laws. Thus, title loan lenders are able to charge triple digit annual percentage rates (APRs). Yes, triple digits. It’s not an exaggeration to see 250% APR and higher on these car tile loans and only a handful of states have passed strict laws that prohibit exorbitant percentage rates. Even if your credit card company is charging you a high interest of 25% APR, it’s nothing compared to car title loans.

By federal law, title loan lenders have to disclose the interest rates in terms of the annual percentage. If you have to get a title loan, make sure they don’t just give you a quote of the monthly percentage rate, they have to give it to you as an APR. If they are unclear about the rates, which many can be, just know that a monthly rate of 25% is equivalent to a 300% APR.

Fees and Interest Only Payments

In addition to high interest, these car title loans usually include a number of fees that add up quickly. These include processing fees, document fees, late fees, origination fees and lien fees. Sometimes there is also a roadside assistance program that borrowers can purchase for another small fee. Some lenders have even gone so far as to make the roadside assistance mandatory The cost of all these fees can be anywhere from $80 to $115, even for a $500 loan. Most of these fees are legal, except one that lenders sometimes charge, the repossession fee. Lenders are not allowed to charge you to repossess your vehicle, but some still do.

As if high interest rates and a mountain of fees weren’t enough, lenders also give borrowers the option of interest-only payments for a set period of time. In these cases, the loans are usually set up for a longer period of time (compared to the typical 30 days) and the borrower can pay the interest only on the loan. These types of payments are called “balloon payments” where the borrower pays the interest of the loan each month and at the end of the term they still owe the full amount of the loan. The CFA reported that one woman paid $400 a month for seven months on an interest-only payment term for a $3,000 loan. After paying $2,800 in interest, she still owed the original $3,000 in the eighth month.

Rolling Over and Repossession

If you think most of the people who take out these loans pay them back in full after one month, think again. Because of the high interest and the fact that these lenders cater to low-income borrowers, many people aren’t able to pay back their loans in the 30-day period. This is called “rolling over” the loan. The terms of these loans are crafted to keep borrowers in a cycle of debt and bring customers either to the verge of repossession or to actual repossession. Not being able pay off the initial loan and then renewing it the next month costs borrowers even more money in interest, on top of the original amount they’ve already borrowed.

Let’s talk about repossession for minute. The CFA reported that, of the people they interviewed in their 2004 study, 75% had to give the title loan lenders a copy of their car keys. Some companies started the cars to see if they worked and took pictures of the vehicle even before a customer filled out the loan application. A company based in Arizona said they have GPS systems installed on the cars so they can track the cars and shut them off remotely if they don’t receive payment on time. That may be an extreme case, but these lenders take a customer’s promissory signature very seriously. If you can’t pay, they will come looking for you and your car.

The concerns for having your car repossessed are obvious. How do you get to work, drop off the kids at school, pick up groceries or go out on the weekends without a car? As if those scenarios weren’t bad enough, owning a car can be some people’s biggest financial asset. If the car is taken away, so goes the money it was worth. Some states have laws that force the lenders to pay you the difference of the loan once a lender has repossessed and sold your car, but some don’t. It is possible to default on the loan and not get any money back for your car, even if you only borrowed a few hundred dollars.

This occurs because car title loans are also over-secured. Typically, the maximum amount most lenders will give you is 25 to 50 percent of what your car is actually worth. However, if you can’t pay back the loan they may be able to sell your car and keep 100% of the profit. Some lenders won’t take possession of a vehicle but instead take the customer to court for the money. They then tack on court costs and finance charges on top of the existing loan amount.

Alternatives

Many car title loan lenders defend their business practices by saying they offer loans to people who would otherwise not be able to gain financial assistance. Although this may be partly true, signing over one of your most valuable assets for several hundred dollars is not the only option.

Some credit unions, like in North Carolina, have begun providing loans that have low interest rates of about 12% APR, a fixed 31-day repayment plan (to keep from rolling over a loan) and set up direct deposit out of the borrower’s paycheck so that loans will be paid off in full.

Other options may be paycheck cash advances from your employer, cash advances on credit cards, emergency community assistance, small consumer loans, or borrowing from friends or family. If you find yourself contemplating a car title loan, check out these alternative options and read the information for yourself at www.responsiblelending.org or www.consumerfed.org. If you still need to sign over your car for cash, educate yourself on the decision and know the possible repercussions of these types of loans.