Tricky salesmen will sometimes goad you into taking possession of the car before all contracts and financing are finalized. Once you have taken possession of the car, they will call you and tell you that the financing did not go through and then slap you with a higher interest rate.

You can shop for a loan at larger banks or smaller local banks. Each of them have their own advantages. A larger bank may have a whole department totally decided to people with credit issues and so they will be very familiar with your situation. A smaller bank is likely to consider a car loan on a loan by loan basis. Walk into your local bank and sit down with a bank officer and explain your situation face-to-face. They are more likely to give you a loan once they understand your predicament. Also a face-to-face meeting will allow you to explain any discrepancies on your credit report.

A bank loan is preferred because a bank will not take advantage of the fact that you have poor credit by raising the price of the car, giving you a low trade in value or adding unnecessary extras like credit insurance and extended warranties.

Dealer Financing
If you are not able to secure a bank loan, your only choice is dealer financing. This is not a bad thing. You can still find a decent interest rate. The most important thing to remember here is not to get blinded by the interest rate. Some tricky dealerships might give you a low interest rate but hike up the price of the car or give you a low trade in value.
About the Author

The author is the owner of the information-rich website www.poorcreditgenie.com. The website offers free advice on how to rebuild credit and manage debt. The site also features numerous articles and news stories on credit report, credit cards and bankruptcy.