What You Need to Know Before Returning Your Financed Car
Understanding a Car Financing
Financing for a car usually involves taking a loan to purchase it and repaying the same in installments over a stipulated period. This provides the capability to people to purchase otherwise unaffordable vehicles that cannot be bought by making a full payment upfront.
Reasons of Returning a Financed Car
- Financial Hardship: You have lost your income, or there is an emergency expense, or if the economy has gone down then you may not be in a position to afford the car’s monthly payments.
- Underwater Loan: Your car depreciates very fast. In comparison with the loan amount, its value does not reduce accordingly. As a result of this, the borrower may owe more than the cost of the car.
- Avoiding Repossession: Although voluntarily returning the car may be humiliating, it is sometimes preferable to the car being repossessed. Repossession hurts credit scores and is extra pricey in fees.
Factors To Consider Before Returning Your Financed Car
- Impact on Credit Score: A return of a financed car may hurt your credit score, reducing the potential for future borrowing at cheap interest rates.
- Additional Fees: You may be liable for return charges, which can add to your financial burden, particularly in the case of early termination fees or mileage-related penalties.
- Other Alternatives: You can try restructuring your loan, checking about deferment or refinancing; these can provide temporary relief without the long-term impacts of returning the car.
Long-Term Consequences
- Financial Ramifications: If you return a car, this does not mean that you are relieved of the loan you have taken out to purchase it; most probably, you will be liable for the deficiency remaining after selling the car at auction.
- Future Car Purchases: This kind of history with returned or repossessed cars makes it quite hard to acquire financing for future car purchases.
Conclusion
While returning a financed car might provide immediate financial relief, one must weigh the benefits against the short-term perceived solution that hurts the long-term consequences. Financial counseling and other alternative solutions can help out in times of financial struggles without ruining the long-standing financial stability of the family.
Obviously, any person who wants to return their financed car will need to talk to financial advisors or lenders to clearly understand the implications of this step and to determine whether other options exist that may prove more helpful.
Also read: 2024’s Top 10 Fuel-Efficient Cars
