 TITLE: How to Get a Car Loan CONTENT: Make Loan Payments on Time\n--------------------------\nCredit scoring models take into account how reliably you pay all your bills, including auto loans. In fact, payment history is the most important factor in determining credit scores. By paying your car loan on time every month, you can help build positive credit history.\nWhat's more, when you finish repaying the loan, the lender will report the account as closed and paid in full to credit bureaus, and that will remain on your credit report and benefit your credit for 10 years from the closed date. That paid-up loan tells future lenders you know how to manage credit and repay your debts.\nHowever, paying late or missing payments altogether can hurt your credit scores and make it harder to get credit in the future. Late or missed payments appear as negative information on credit reports, and remain for seven years. On the positive side, as the late payment ages over time, the less impact it will have on your credit score.\nMissing too many payments may cause the lender to turn your debt over to collections or even repossess your vehicle. Both collections and repossessions remain on credit reports for seven years from the initial date of delinquency, and can negatively affect credit scores throughout that time. END