By Kevin M
One of the biggest line items in a typical household budget is car expense, and one of the reasons it’s so large is because of car loans. After decades of easy credit, we’ve been conditioned to think of car loans as a normal part of the car buying process. I have a car, therefore I have a loan.
But is that the way we should be thinking? Are there deeper risks to having a car loan that we tend to gloss over? I think so. The loan you sign on for when you’re safely employed can quickly become unsustainable after just a few months of unemployment. And with job losses and extended periods of unemployment becoming the “new normal” we should be changing our assumptions about car loans.
What are some of the reasons you should avoid a loan and pay cash for your next car?
A loan puts your car at risk
Unlike credit cards—where the lender has no specific claim on your assets—it you fall behind on your car loan, your car can be repossessed. This reason alone should remove any casual notions we have about car loans. They’re higher risk than almost any other loan type! Even if your house is foreclosed on, there is an extended period of due process that can take a year or more in many states, giving you valuable time to maneuver. No such protections exist for a car loan; stop paying and the repossession process is pretty swift.
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