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How to buy a car from a private seller — and what to watch for
Buying a car from a private seller can save you money, but take precautions.
Rebecca Betterton, a Certified Financial Education Instructor℠, is a writer for Bankrate who has been reporting on auto loans since 2021. Through her writing, Rebecca aims to provide clarity and accessibility to the automotive loans industry as the cost of financing new and used vehicles continues to climb due to steep inflation.
She specializes in assisting readers in navigating the ins and outs of securely borrowing money to purchase a car, but recently widened her scope to cover personal loans and other debt topics. Prior to her time at Bankrate, she was a social media reporter and copywriter.
When Rebecca isn’t researching recent trends in personal finance, she is an avid runner and a lover of interior design.
Rebecca understands the anxiety that comes with heading to a dealership. She is passionate about empowering readers to make informed financial decisions in the showroom through focused advice and guidance. Outside of that, she has spent the last year researching EV financing and trends to make it more accessible for all sorts of drivers.
Buying a car from a private seller can save you money, but take precautions.
Consider the state of the market before shopping Presidents Day car sales.
Check out how much a car detail might cost you.
If you have fair or poor credit, consider Auto Approve and Ally for refinancing.
Compare a few credit-builder loan options to secure the right one for you.
Co-signing and co-owning are two ways to add a borrower when taking out a car loan.
You can check out a few different loan options at once using a marketplace, all online.
The best route for buying a car depends on the type of experience you prefer.
You still can snag a personal loan with a low credit score. Here’s how.
An auto loan allows you to borrow money from a lender in order to purchase a car.
Learn how you can save time and money by getting preapproved for an auto loan.
Shopping around is important if you’re seeking a car loan with bad credit.
Rolling over your car loan increases the negative equity of your vehicle.
If certain conditions are met, you can deduct some or all of the interest payments you make on your car loan from your federal taxes.
This guide explores where to buy a car with bad credit to get the best deal.
Upstart and Best Egg are both good lenders for fair-credit borrowers.