Learning about a Personal Car Loan
January 6th, 2012The first type of personal car loan is done through a home equity loan. With the current drop in home values across America because of the downturn in the economy, these types of loans are not quite as available as they used to be. However, depending on the equity situation you have in your home and the area in which you reside, a personal car loan may still be an option open to you.
In its simplest terms, a home equity loan is basically a second mortgage. While banks in the past were able to lend up to 80% of your home’s value, that percentage is certainly on the high side given current conditions of the rather poor real estate market. If you fall within your lender’s guidelines, it is possible that this type of personal car loan could result in an APR that is lower than most conventional auto loans.
On the upside, one of the larger benefits of a personal car loan based on a home equity loan is that the interest that you pay is tax deductible, provided you itemize your deductions on your income tax return. On the downside, unlike a conventional car loan, your home is the collateral for a personal car loan. If you can’t make the payments, your car won’t be repossessed, but your home could be foreclosed on. This would obviously be a risk that most people simply wouldn’t want to take.
The second type of personal car loan is done with a home equity line of credit. You apply for this type of personal car loan by requesting a line of credit from a bank based. As before, this is based on the equity in your home. If approved, you write a check against this line of credit.
As with a home equity loan, the interest is tax-deductible. It also allows for payment flexibility. Rates, however, tend to be variable, so what started as a good deal could turn out to cost you more money than originally planned. This type of personal car loan is also structured for a longer period of time, meaning you could end up paying quite a bit more in interest than a conventional auto loan. Finally, just as with a home equity loan, any default could lead to the loss of your home.
Now that you know a little bit more about the inner workings of a personal car loan, making an educated decision on applying for an auto loan is just that much easier.

