How to Get a Car Loan After a Bankruptcy

When you file for bankruptcy, a lot of people will tell you that re-establishing credit will take years. They'll also warn you that you'll be unable to buy anything on credit for a long time, and that your credit history will be permanently damaged.

This is NOT true.

While filing for bankruptcy definitely hurts your credit, you can overcome most of the harmful effects in as little as one year. If you know how to work the credit system, you can have good credit again soon.

1. Get it together.

Come up with a budget and a savings plan. You need to figure out how you're going to save. Also, make sure all of your old creditors know that you no longer owe them money. If they send you a collection notice, take care of it right away. Finally, reflect on what caused you to file bankruptcy in the first place and make sure you don't repeat the same mistakes.

2. Start hoarding cash and saving paperwork.

While saving a couple of months salary is probably the hardest part of the process, you need to have an emergency cash fund. Besides, you'll need cash for a down payment and secured credit cards. You also need to save all of your important financial documents like pay stubs, bank statements, and bankruptcy documents. Keep them in a safe place because you’ll need them to show creditors in the future.

3. Time for a secured credit card.

Once you're able to save up a little bit of cash it's time to get a secured credit card. Secured credit cards are credit cards secured by a cash deposit, with the amount of your deposit being the amount of available credit. The key to these cards is to use them only once and then destroy them. When your first bill comes, pay the card in full. By doing this you'll trick the credit reporting agencies into giving you credit for making payments in full every month, even though you've only used the card once. By destroying the card, you make sure your balance stays at zero.

4. Purchase a cheap used car.

Believe it or not, buying a car after a recent bankruptcy can be done. But you need to know a couple of things first: this car isn’t going to be the car of your dreams. The car of your dreams is probably too expensive. If the first car you buy after bankruptcy is something cheap with good resale value (like a small car or small SUV) you can trade it in a year and get a car you'll like. Also, you've got to have a down payment saved up.

5. More credit cards.

Now that you’ve bought a car and you have a secured credit card, it’s time to get some unsecured credit cards and to start working with a local credit union. Apply for the Discover card, any Visa or MasterCard (as long as there isn't an annual fee), or any credit card offered by your credit union. Most importantly, if your application for a credit card is denied, call and ask WHY. Because most applications are denied by computer, you can often call and get a denial overturned.

6. Get the car you like.

You've done all the steps, a year or so has passed, and your credit is officially re-established. Trade in that cheap car you bought in step four (unless you like it of course) and get something that you want with the benefit of having good credit.

While re-establishing credit after a bankruptcy is fairly easy, it's also easy to slide back into a bad credit pattern. Make sure that you are always saving money -- if you have savings, you have options. Also, take a look at your life and your spending and compare it to your habits before you filed bankruptcy. Are you doing some of the same things as before? If so, make a change. While re-establishing after your first bankruptcy is simple, re-establishing after a second is very difficult.

Trucks-SUVs Articles: http://www.internetionalmedia.com/Category/Trucks-SUVs/

Author Jason Lancaster has many years of experience in auto finance. He has helped hundreds of people get a car loan after bankruptcy and knows how the credit system works for bankruptcy car loans.

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