Benefits and Drawbacks of Auto Title Loans

You must have heard of car title loans as a way to get yourself out of a cash crunch. However, before you consider going for an auto title loan, you should know exactly how they work and consider the benefits and drawbacks of car title loans. Considering these pros and cons will help you decide if getting a car title loan is really the best option for you or not. Let’s have a look at the benefits of car title loans first.

Less Risk – The biggest benefit of a auto title loan is that it is less of a risk as compared to other loans, such as a home loan. At the same time, a car title loan provides you similar value to any other loan, and there is added security knowing that your secured loan is not based on your home. This reduced level of stress during tough financial times makes a car title loan a better option in case of emergencies, which is when you would be in need of a loan the most.

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Possibility to get Decent Loan Amounts – Unlike in the case of credit cards and payday loans, the amount you can borrow will depend on the value of your car. A valuable car can fetch you more cash than what other short term lending options will allow.

Credit Rating does not matter – Since car title loans are secured against the value of the car, getting one will not depend on whether you have good credit or not. You simply need to be the owner of the car and that’s it.

Apart from these benefits, car title loans do have their drawbacks as well, and if you are planning on getting one, you should be familiar with the drawbacks as well.

Risk of falling prey to a less than reputable company – A lot of people fall prey to a company which is not very well reputed. When getting a car title loan, it is important that you choose a company which is rated highly by the BBB (Better Business Bureau). This will ensure that the loan you are getting is in your best interests and you will get the value you hoped for.

Extremely high interest rates – The second biggest drawback of a car title loan is the high interest rate. Auto title lenders are in a different category than credit companies and banks and work around usury laws. This is why title loan lenders are able to levy triple digit annual interest rates, which are extremely exorbitant.

Chance of losing your car – Since your car is the asset you put up as collateral when getting a car title loan, there might be a risk of you losing control of your car to the lender. Auto title lenders gain ownership of the vehicle if the borrower is unable to pay back the loan on time. Therefore, you need to have a payback plan in place before you put your means of transportation up as collateral.