Before your car payment is due, call the lender and ask for extra time. If you're at least a few months into the loan and haven't missed any payments, the lender will probably let you miss one or two months' payments and tack them on at the end. If you don't pay or make arrangements with the lender, the lender can repossess without warning, although many will warn you to give you a chance to pay what's due. If your car is repossessed, you can get it back by paying the entire loan balance and the cost of repossession, or, in some cases, by paying the cost of the repossession and the missed payments, and then continuing to make payments under your contract. If you don't get the car back, the lender will sell it at an auction almost always for far less than it's worth. In most cases, you'll owe the lender the difference between the balance of your loan and what the sale brings in. If you are far behind on your car payments and can't catch up, the truth is that you may not be able to afford the car. Under these circumstances, you should think about voluntarily "surrendering" your car before the dealer repossesses it. This strategy can save you expensive repossession costs and attorneys' fees. Because it also makes life easier for the dealer, you should try to get concessions from the dealer before you give up the car. A dealer will often waive its right to collect the amount left owing on the loan and/or promise not to report the default or repossession to credit bureaus. Try to get the dealer to agree not to report negative information to credit bureaus in return for your voluntarily surrendering the car. Negative information (such as a surrender, default, or repossession) will appear on your credit report for seven years, and will affect your ability to get credit in the future.
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