Finding
a reputable bank that is willing to provide boat finance can be a very
frustrating experience. You have to add more effort and do a lot of
research on the available loans, go through the fine print to find the
lowest interest rate loans. First of all you need to search widely for a
boat that offers the best deal, whether new or used, depending on your
taste and preferences. You then have to determine the total cost of the
boat, leaving room for fluctuations so as to know the principal loan
amount needed. You can strive to get a pre-lending letter which can jump
start your boat acquisition process since boat dealers will rate how
serious you are with it. It also adds some adrenaline to the process
because the prospects of sale will bring any dealer to the negotiating
table.
Next,
you have to run a credit check on your self on a credit rating agency.
Strong credit scores can help you obtain discounted interest rates from
lenders. A good credit standing will also increase the pool of lending
agencies who will want to deal with you because you somehow pose a
lesser risk. It is therefore important to improve your credit rating by
paying up loans and credit card debt before you run a check. Next is to
compare loans from different lenders with their interest rates.
Scouring Online Lending Institutions
There
is fierce competition in the lending sector, you can use the Internet
to carry out research on these loans. In addition to interest rates,
other important factors to consider are additional fees which are never
stated upfront most of the time. This will help you know if you are
getting a good loan. After finding a suitable loan, you need to
carefully evaluate the lender offering them. It is advisable to call
upfront and ask as many questions as possible before physically visiting
them. On your visit, find out how much the required monthly payments
will be, determine the length of time it will take you to fully pay off
the loan. Boat finance loans with lower monthly repayment amounts end up
taking longer periods to pay while those with higher monthly repayments
are excruciating.
Getting
a lender that will carefully balance the amount of monthly repayments
with the total time to completely pay off the loan is of paramount
importance. There are lots of on-line calculators that will help you
determine this. It is advisable to use these calculators in case of any
doubts as they will help you make an informed choice. It is also
important to find a lender that will finance extra equipment and
insurance. Since banks and credit unions rarely offer all inclusive boat
finance, marine lenders remain as the best option.
When
you are no longer skeptical of the process, you can now apply for the
loan. The lender will require proof of your credit worthiness which is a
guarantee that you can actually afford the loan. If you are employed,
you will be required to submit tax returns for two years together with
the schedules. For the self-employed, you should be ready to avail your
business tax returns for scrutiny.
You
are then required to produce a down payment, mostly 20%. This will
depend on the age, model and price tag of the boat you want to purchase,
in addition to this, your credit rating is also considered. For new
boats, some manufactures may consider you for a reduced or no down
payment at all on special offers. Some regions have boat tax and
surcharges which is incorporated in the down payment. This works in your
favor because the lending agency gains only a fraction of the down
payment after deductions. This compels lenders to reduce interest rates
for boat finance loans with down payments exceeding 40% of the total
value. The total risk is reduced greatly as a result of higher down
payments, this in turn leads to competitive interest rates.
By
properly doing your homework, you stand a chance of getting a good boat finance loan, you can therefore rest assured that you will get that
tantalizing boat that has always been in your dreams, in addition to
this, you will end up saving a lot of money by getting the best rate.