Title Loan

Different lenders call them different things, but what you seek is called a title loan. In a title loan, a borrower in financial distress uses their vehicle's title as collateral for a short term loan.

The loans work as follows: The borrower turns over the title and keys to the vehicle. In some cases, the lender will install a GPS or starter interrupter in the vehicle to make repossession easier.

The lender loans a fraction of the vehicle's value at high interest rates — as much as 25% for one month, which equals 300% APR. The borrower is expected to pay the whole amount back, plus interest, at the end of the month.

If the borrower does not make the loan payment, there are only two options. The borrower can roll the loan over for another month, with more fees and interest. This generally leads to a dangerous cycle of borrowing and rolling over the loan amount. In some cases, as the loan amount increases it becomes almost impossible to pay the debt. The other option is the lender repossesses the vehicle.

Your Title Loan Question

As indicated above, the qualifications for a title loan are minimal: You need a vehicle title that has no lien holder. The title lender will not care about your credit rating, recent bankruptcy, income, or debt-to-income ratio. If you do not pay the lender's recourse is to repossess your vehicle.

I do not recommend a auto refinance, cash-out auto loan, or whatever the lender calls a title loan. The rates are onerous, and the risk to the borrower is high. Consider another form of short-term loan, 401(k) loan, or peer-to-peer loan. Each of these will have lower rates and less risk to you if you default.

I hope this information helps you Find. Learn & Save.

Best,

Bill

Bills.com