What Credit Report Do Car Dealers Use

Is There Anything I Need To Do Concerning My Credit Before I Go Car Shopping

Check your credit report yourself. This is the most recommended piece of advice by both dealership representatives and consumer advocates. Eleazer says to pay attention to the accuracy of the report and challenge any mistakes with the credit reporting agency. Resolving these problems ahead of time could raise your credit score and give you access to a wider range of finance options.

“I tell consumers to take advantage of one free credit report each year,” says Shawn Petersen, regulatory, legislative and compliance counsel for NIADA. “Going into a car transaction armed with that information, and knowing what your credit report says, will show the dealer that you are knowledgeable.”

That knowledge could help you avoid mistakes and save a lot of money in the long run.

The Edmunds content team brings you industry-leading vehicle reviews, news and research tips that make it easier for you to find your perfect car.

What Types Of Loans Is Credco Associated With

CoreLogic Credcos website states that 19 of the top 20 mortgage lenders use its Instant Merge three-bureau merged credit report, so a CREDCO inquiry is probably more common than you might imagine. If you recently applied for a mortgage with a company like Wells Fargo, thats probably why youre seeing it.

Its important to note that, while mortgage is a significant part of CoreLogic Credcos business, the companys data and consumer information services touch a number of other industries as well.

One notable industry when it comes to CoreLogic Credcos credit-reporting services is the automotive industry. According to the companys website, CoreLogic Credco is integrated with more than 50 dealer sales and finance platforms. Auto dealers and lenders may partner with the company to order credit reports from all three bureaus from a single source so if youve recently applied for an auto loan and see CREDCO on your reports, we may have just cracked the case.

Still unsure about a CREDCO mention on your reports and want some additional information? Just call them. You can reach the companys consumer assistance telephone number at 866-873-3651 on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time.

How To Begin A Car Dealership Floor Plan

Floor planning may seem daunting at first, but its really quite simple. To put it in the simplest terms, floor plan financing works like a credit card made solely for purchasing vehicle inventory. This line of credit relieves dealers from using their own cash. The increase in cash flow allows dealers to use that money on other needs of the dealership instead of being tied up in inventory.

Most companies that offer car dealership floor plan options want to make floor planning as easy and beneficial as possible for independent car dealers. Before taking the plunge into floor planning, make sure you follow these guidelines.

Do your research

The decision to floor plan your inventory is typically not an easy one. Its important to do some research to see if floor planning is right for your business. In most cases, dealers seek floor plan financing options for all the great benefits for their dealership.

Dealers commonly rave about how much time is saved with floor planning, in addition to the increase in cash flow, since deciding to floor plan. In most cases, dealers buying with cash have additional paperwork to keep track of to make sure their vehicles are properly purchased. When dealers finance a car with a floor plan, they simply bid and put the unit on their line of credit.

Its also important to research floor plan finance options. You want to find a lender that will work with you and design a plan that fits your specific dealership needs.

Apply

Grow your business

You May Like: When To Switch From Car Seat To Booster

C Wrap Up The Negotiation With The Salesman Quickly

Try to complete the negotiation in a half hour. Much longer than that and it isn’t worth the salesperson’s time to give you the best deal since they will end up with as little as $50 commission. Set your “deal timer” for 30 minutes. Tell them if the deal isn’t agreed upon when it goes off you will leave.

They Can Make Or Break A Car Deal

Smart car shoppers do their homework before setting foot in a dealership. They research makes and models, read the expert reviews on Edmunds, and know what vehicle they want before talking to a salesperson.

And of course almost everyone realizes that a car dealer or lending institution will want to evaluate a potential buyer’s credit report before agreeing to a loan or lease. But sometimes even the most savvy consumers don’t really understand the specifics of what goes into that report, even though it may determine whether they drive away with the car of their dreams.

To be a savvy consumer, you need to understand your credit report & mdash it can determine whether you get the car of your dreams.

Also Check: How To Charge A Completely Dead Car Battery

Poor Credit Score And Car Loans

Your credit score is a benchmark in qualifying for vehicle financing. Auto lenders use it to gauge your creditworthiness, which is your ability to successfully repay borrowed money on time.

If you know your FICO credit score, and its below 660, you may need to seek out a special finance dealership for a higher chance of qualifying for a car loan. Borrowers with credit scores in that range and lower are typically considered bad credit borrowers. Most traditional auto lenders, such as banks and credit unions, often require a higher credit score to qualify.

Special finance dealerships do check your credit score, but theyre signed up with subprime lenders that are able to assist in many unique credit circumstances. If you have a history of bad credit, no credit history, or have even gone through bankruptcy, a subprime lender may be the answer to your auto loan woes.

How Much Of Your Paycheck Should Go Towards Your Car Payment

If you dont want to worry about eating out or going to see that movie that caught your eye, and you also want to put away money to make an investment, many experts recommend only 10%.

Thats right. Only 10%.

Now, for most Americans, thats not a lot to spend on a car at all, but its a safe amount. Consider that the average income in the U.S. is only $52,000 a year, and it becomes apparent people need to be more frugal especially in this economy.

Recommended Reading: How To Cancel Car Insurance Geico

Your Credit Score May Vary Depending On The Scoring Model

Car buyers sometimes notice that the FICO credit score pulled by the dealership differs from the three-digit score they recieved from the credit monitoring service that they use.

Since FICO uses a proprietary formula to calculate a persons credit score, it may differ slightly from the scores determined by other credit monitoring services. The variance in score is typically very slight, and tracking your credit is still a great habit to improve our score and to make sure you catch and report any identity theft attempts.

How Retailers Benefit From Dealer Financing

The so-called buy rate is the interest rate that the financial institution quotes to the dealer for the financing. The actual interest rate the dealer offers to the customer, however, can be set higher than what the buy rate is. Dealers are not obligated to offer customers the best available interest rate, which allows them to set higher rates or longer terms on financing. An auto loan calculator can be used to determine what the actual optimal interest rate would be for a car, based on its price. The dealer might own the actual loan rather than transfer it to other parties.

While it might be less expensive for the customer to secure their own loan, dealer financing can reduce the time and effort it takes to do so. Auto dealers often market these loans to customers who might not otherwise qualify for financing because of a poor credit rating or other factors. The interest rates may be higher for such loans or other tradeoffs may be incurred. In some instances, dealers who offer such financing to customers who may be considered high-risk might also install devices in the vehicle that will disable it if payments are not received on time or to aid in the finding and repossession of the vehicle if necessary.

While it might be less expensive for the customer to secure their own loan, dealer financing can reduce the time and effort it takes to do so.

Recommended Reading: How Long Do Car Batteries Usually Last

What Is A Good Credit Score For An Auto Loan

While lenders can set their own standards when assessing an individualâs FICO score, generally accepted standards across the board for multiple lenders. According to Experian, âhigher scores represent better credit decisions and can make creditors more confident that you will repay your future debts as agreed.â

So whatâs a âgoodâ credit score? Anything above 700 will at least allow borrowers to be in a good position to obtain auto loans. Once you build your score over 800, you can pretty much be assured of your excellent credit and an ace up your sleeve when negotiating your annual percentage rate and your loan terms. However, if you credit score is higher than 600 and lower than 750, youâre in line with most borrowers. The average credit score in America is 657.

What Is The Difference In Credit Scores

While the fundamentals behind consumer credit scoring models are similar, each credit scoring model uses specific criteria to analyze one of your credit reports and generate a credit score.

Sometimes there are small, but potentially important, differences. For example, one credit scoring model might ignore paid collections accounts while another might consider a collections account a negative item even if it’s been paid.

FICO® and VantageScore are the two market leaders in credit scoring, and the base scoring models they create also share some similarities.

Each model only looks at the information in one of your credit reports from Experian, Equifax or TransUnion to determine your score. A higher score is best because it indicates you are less likely to miss a loan payment.

The latest base models also have the same scoring range: 300 to 850. However, FICO® also has industry-specific scores, including scores for auto lenders, that range from 250 to 900.

You May Like: Are Car Lease Payments Tax Deductible

Can I Still Get An Auto Loan With Bad Credit

Yes, credit is a major factor in getting an auto loan, but you should also keep in mind that most dealers really want to sell you a car. They’re often willing to work with you in order to do so. Nerdwallet points out that, “…at the end of 2017, the average credit score for a new-car loan was 713, and 656 for a used-car loan, according to an Experian report. But nearly 20% of car loans go to borrowers with credit scores below 600, according to Experian. Almost 4% go to those with scores below 500.”

While you’ll likely be able to get a vehicle loan with less-than-stellar credit, it might have a pretty significant impact on the maximum loan amount, the loan term, or annual percentage rate that you receive. So the worse your credit is, the higher the rate, longer the monthly payment schedule might be, and the less money you might be able to borrow towards your new vehicle.

Can The Dealership Run My Credit Without My Knowledge

It’s not supposed to. The dealership is required to get your permission to run a credit report. Usually, the salesman asks you to sign a credit application. If you are shopping over the Internet, you can sign the application and send it back electronically, says Cutright, who managed Internet sales departments during his car-selling career.

A dealer does need a Social Security number to run a credit report. And in a few instances, dealers have asked for the customer’s Social Security number, telling them that the Patriot Act required them to do so. Then the dealer used the number to pull the customer’s credit report without permission.

In fact, the anti-terrorism law only requires a Social Security number for a cash car purchase of more than $10,000. It does not require a dealer to review a credit report, say attorneys from both NADA and the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association.

Sometimes customers fear that when the salesman asks for a driver license , he will use the driver license number to run a credit report. States can no longer use a Social Security number as a driver license number, so this is less likely to occur. If you have an older license that still lists your Social Security number as your license number, contact your registry of motor vehicles to get it changed.

You May Like: How Much Does A Car Salesman Make Per Car

Which Credit Bureau Is Used

Ive included a table indicating which credit bureau in Canada each issuer uses. These are general guidelines and are not strict rules. The credit bureau that each bank checks may vary depending on the individual consumer. However, the majority of applicants have the same results as this table. Ive added a list of which Canadian credit bureaus are pulled by major credit card and other financial issuers. If you have any additional data points youd like to contribute, please send me an email. Most of this information is from various online resources including RFD, and pretty much match my own credit history with the bureaus. The split pretty much is right down the line Equifax and TransUnion are pulled equally.

What Are The Five Key Performance Indicators

With data visualisation for car dealers, you can take advantage of these KPIs:

Because these factors are so crucial, many businesses are turning to data analytics for CDK Autoline to maximise their business growth.

Don’t Miss: Who Owns Avis Car Rental

How Do I Get Started

If youre ready to get in the drivers seat, the first step is to apply for auto financing. Make sure you have the following items when youre ready to apply:

• Financial information, including proof of income or an income statement

• Personal information, including your SIN
• An idea of what type of vehicle youre looking for

Now that you have an overview of how and why dealers check your credit for car financing, youre on the way to your next vehicle. So, once youve got all the necessary items in line, youre set to apply for a car loan with RightRide, Canadas largest auto dealership and financing network, offering flexible rates, options, and plans customized for you.

Getting A Car Loan With Your Bank Vs The Dealer

In general, there are two ways to borrow money to pay for your car. You can take out a loan from the dealer that sells you your vehicle, or you can borrow from a third-party lender, such as your bank or credit union.

The difference between the two usually comes down to convenience vs. price. While its easier to apply for a loan through the dealer, theyll usually charge you more than your bank or credit union would.

The truth is that dealerships make the majority of their profits through their loans, not the profit margins on their cars. They really want you to get your loan through them so they can finance your purchase directly or go out and secure a loan on your behalf.

Either way, theyll charge you quite a bit for their services. Youll pay much less if you get prequalified with your bank, credit union, or an online auto lender before you even walk onto the dealership lot.

That way you can get a better picture of your options ahead of time and avoid getting pressured into paying for the additional financing fees of a dealership when its time to buy.

However, not every bank engages in auto lending, and not every dealer allows you to get third-party car financing. Youll have to do your due diligence to find the right car, lender, and dealer before buying.

Also Check: How To Make The Car Freshies

What Goes Into A Credit Score

The most widely recognized credit score, the FICO score, is produced by the Fair Isaac Corp. There are other scores available, but FICO scores are used in 90 percent of the lending decisions in the U.S., so it’s important to know how they’re compiled.

Base FICO scores range from 300 to 850, with higher numbers indicating better creditworthiness. The exact components that make up the score are proprietary, with more than 30 factors taken into account, but these are generally grouped into five major categories:

This is a big one, accounting for 35 percent of the total score. When a consumer misses payments or is consistently late, it sends up a major red flag to lenders. They want to know you’re going to pay them back for your car.