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The order that saves the most money: know your budget (10–15% of take-home, insurance included), pre-qualify before you shop (so the dealer negotiates against a real offer), and never take lot financing without a competing application. Then, once your credit improves, refinance — the loan you can get today is not the loan you have to keep.
The guides

Pick your situation

Getting approved

Auto loans for bad credit

How subprime approval actually works, what rates to expect by tier, and the path from approval to rebuilding.

Read the guide → Your tier

Car loans at a 600 credit score

What 600 really gets you, which lenders work that tier, and how to avoid overpaying for the approval.

Read the guide → The budget

How much car can you afford?

The take-home math nobody runs, worked examples by income, and the four financing traps that sink budgets.

Run the math → The trap

Buy here pay here vs a real loan

The everyone-approved lot vs a real application: double APRs, trackers, and payments that build nothing.

See the comparison → The exit

Refinance your car loan

When refinancing beats waiting, how much a 50-point credit improvement is worth, and the payoff math.

Read the guide → The other bill

Credit & car insurance

In most states your credit prices your premium too — fair credit can cost more than a ticket. The fix is free.

Read the guide →
Ready to see your real rate?myAutoloan matches you with up to 4 lender offers from one application — scores from ~575, answers in minutes.
See My Auto Loan Offers →

Paid partner link · WiseIQ earns a commission if you apply through this link. Terms are set by myAutoloan and its lending partners. Refinancing an existing loan? Start with the refinance application instead.

The one rule that outranks the rest: the loan follows the budget, not the car. Every guide above assumes you'd rather own a boring car outright in four years than be underwater on an impressive one for seven. If that's not you, no guide helps.
Who gets paid on this page
myAutoloan — if you apply through our link
Dealers, BHPH lots, and every other lender discussedpays us $0
If that changes, this box changes the same day. How we rank →