If you’ve got bad credit, you’ve probably been told that there’s no way you could possibly secure a car loan and that the only way you could get a car would be to save up the money and pay for it all at once. While this might have been true in the past, it simply is not the case anymore. At one time, those who had bad credit couldn’t think of getting mortgages or loans. Now, even people with the worst possible credit who have gone through bankruptcies can get loans. The path to getting such a loan isn’t easy, but it can be done.

Bad Credit Car Loans from Dealerships

Most likely, you’ve seen the advertisements from local dealerships stating “no credit, no problem! We grant financing to anyone!” While some dealerships might be sincere when stating this, most exaggerate the claim. That’s because it actually isn’t as easy as they make it seem.

In a lot of cases, the dealership will require a down payment in order to even get financing. This down payment could be anywhere between $100 and $1000. Other dealerships won’t require the down payment and will, instead, give you a loan with a very high interest rate. With or without the down payment, you’ll still be looking at $200-$400 a month in payments.

Dealerships may make it seem like they are in it to help you. The fact is, however, that most dealerships really don’t have your best interest at heart. They’re mainly in the business to make money. They’ll take a risk and loan to a person with bad credit, but only if there’s a good chance they’ll make a lot of money in the process. Dealerships realize that there is money to be made by charging outrageously high interest rates. That’s why they even bother to loan to very risky people—it can be extremely profitable for them. And it comes at your expense.

Luckily for you, you have another option besides a dealership loan: you can go online and get a good car loan.

Bad Credit Car Loans Online

Before the internet, people with bad credit would have had to settle for high interest rates. That has, of course, changed. The online market is so competitive that lenders are forced to offer low interest rates to potential customers. Even those with bad credit can and do get loans with very fair interest rates.

When you get a loan directly from the dealership, you are often stuck with a very limited repayment plan. That’s not the case with online loans. You have the ability to negotiate with online lenders for a rate and repayment plan that is ideal for your situation. You also have the ability to request loans from many different lenders and aren’t limited to just one or two offers. That’s the beauty of the internet and online bad credit car loans: you can get what you need in a fair and quick way.

Since the internet is obviously prone to many scams, it is important for you to choose a loaner carefully. Generally speaking, you don’t want to go with a lender that you’ve never heard of before or one that insists on any kind of “up-front” payment. Also, stay away from lenders based overseas as these tend to almost always be a fake.

One you find lenders you can trust you should get as many legitimate quotes as possible so that you can get the best possible loan. Good luck!