 TITLE: Auto Lenders for Bad Credit Borrowers CONTENT: Tips for Getting an Auto Loan With Bad Credit\n---------------------------------------------\nIf you can hold off on your purchase, there are also things you can do to help improve your credit or your chances of getting approved and being offered a good rate:\n*   **Get a cosigner.** A creditworthy cosigner can help you qualify for better rates and terms on your car loan. But think carefully before you ask, because the person will also be legally responsible for repaying the loan if you can't. Failing to repay a cosigned loan can take a big toll on credit scores belonging to both the primary borrower and the cosigner.\n*   **Increase your down payment.** If you can swing it, a larger down payment means you won't have to borrow as much, which can make it easier to get approved for a loan.\n*   **Purchase a less expensive vehicle.** Similarly, you can reduce how much you borrow if you choose a less expensive vehicle or opt for a base model rather than fancy upgrades that drive up the cost of the car.\n*   **Improve your credit.** Paying your bills on time can help you improve your credit score, but it won't necessarily be a fast process. One of the few ways to quickly improve your credit is to pay down (or consolidate) credit card debt to lower your credit utilization ratio.\n*   **Sign up for** **Experian Boost™† .** If you haven't done so already, using Experian Boost could be a free and quick way to improve your credit. After signing up and linking an eligible bank account, you can add on-time phone, utility and Netflix® payments to your Experian credit file. The presence of more accounts in good standing on your credit report can help improve your scores, especially if you have a \"thin\" credit file.\nOnce you're ready, shop around for an auto loan to see which lender gives you the best offer, even if you still have bad credit. However, do so strategically.\nApplying for an auto loan can lead to a hard inquiry, which can hurt your credit scores temporarily. But VantageScore® and FICO® credit scores count hard inquiries from auto loan applications as a single inquiry if they happen within a short time period (FICO® provides a 45-day window and VantageScore gives you 14 days). With this in mind, get everything ready and try to submit all your applications within two weeks to find your best loan offer without unduly hurting your credit.  \nCheck Your Credit Before Applying\n---------------------------------\nWhether you're ready to shop for an auto loan or have time to improve your credit before buying your next vehicle, you may also want to check your credit first. Check your credit reports from all three credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com. You can also get your free FICO® Score☉ 8 from Experian. You'll find out which factors are impacting your score the most and can track your score over time with the included monthly updates. Want to see the version of your credit score commonly used by auto lenders? Sign up for Experian CreditWorksSM Premium to see your FICO® Auto Score. END