How To Get A Car Financed When You Have Low Income

Purchasing a vehicle typically costs anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000. This can be quite a problem for people with a low income or a low credit score. Fortunately, with a bit of effort, affordable low-income auto financing can help out in these situations.

Minimum Acceptable Income For A Car Loan

The road to discovering eligibility for an auto loan starts with knowing how much a person makes monthly. This is an important factor since most lenders will set a required minimum income for borrowers. For instance, Auto Credit Express states that a borrower with poor credit must have a minimum gross income of $1,500. This amount is before tax deduction.

Lenders will determine the minimum acceptable income for a client by calculating their debt-to-income ratio (DTI) as well as their payment-to-income ratio (PTI). Therefore, before opting for low-income auto financing, it may be helpful to personally evaluate your financial standing by calculating these these two ratios on your own. 

However, it’s important to note that not all auto lenders have the same requirements. Some will accept customers with a lower monthly income as long as they have a low debt-to-income ratio or a good credit score. 

How Much Of Your Income Should Go For Car Loan Payments?

As mentioned earlier, lenders look at the quality of your DTI and PTI.

PTI is a comparison of your monthly payment for buying a vehicle and your monthly income. Ideally, it should be within 15% of your gross monthly income before tax deduction.

So, if the borrower earns $1,500 monthly, the PTI should be within $225.

The next thing to consider is the DTI. It’s the comparison of the outstanding monthly debts (which may sometimes include medical insurance as well) and the gross monthly income. The ideal range of your DTI should range from 36% to 40%. Traditional lenders prefer borrowers with a low DTI, but in no case should it exceed 40%.

How Do Lenders Verify Your Income?

Lending institutions verify income by checking the last paycheck, the employability status of the past six months, and the employment history of the applicant over the past three years. Again, these metrics aren’t the norm for every institution, some may only ask for the last paycheck whereas others ask for everything.

Moreover, the consistent work history of the past six months assures lenders that borrowers have the capacity to return the loans. However, for unemployed people with a fixed monthly income, the verification process is quite different.

How Can You Qualify For A Low-Income Auto Loan?

Traditional lending networks typically require a monthly income of at least $1,500 from possible customers. Meanwhile, there are more unorthodox establishments that allow different eligibility criteria.

The easiest way to know that you qualify is to be aware of your personal credit score. The next step would be to seek out moneylenders that allow loans for such ratings. Do this by visiting lenders’ websites and filling out online applications. Once you’ve applied, the lending company will get in contact with you and tell you its requirements. 

Low credit scores and low monthly incomes are a bad combination since they both signal a high-risk return factor on loans. However, you may be able to receive financing even if with a subprime rating by accepting higher interest rates. 

Shop Around For Lenders That Offer Loans To Low-Income Borrowers

It’s important to gather quotes from multiple lenders. Alternatively, you can apply on a unified platform and the service provider will match you with the right lending institutions. One such great website that offers auto loans to low-income borrowers is myautoloan.com. Starting with $1,800 as a monthly income and a low score of 500, borrowers are granted loans ranging from $8,000 to $10,000.

All in all, people with a wide range of credit profiles are eligible to apply for a loan here. If you’ve applied and qualified for the financing, the team will get the auto loan approved within 24 hours.

Ways To Increase Your Chances Of Approval

Even if you're on a low income, there are multiple ways to increase your chances of approval and still receive good terms. These include:

• Team up with a cosigner with a strong credit score. This increases the confidence of lenders and the focus on low monthly income takes a back seat
• Use the financing to buy a newer car. You might not be able to afford a brand new vehicle. Choosing a good quality second-hand car with low mileage is a more affordable option. Therefore, lending networks may trust that you’re more likely to make your monthly payments
• Having a stable address is a huge asset. This is another factor that can help demonstrate your financial stability and reliability

Bottom Line

Even with a poor monthly income, it’s possible to finance a car. Keep in mind that applying for a low-income auto loan requires that you search for a lender who has the right eligibility requirements for you. When in doubt, always go with traditional lending establishments that have a good reputation in the market.