About Auto Refinancing
Are you thinking about refinancing your car? Auto refinancing is one of the easiest and best ways to change up your car loan. The process allows you to select a loan from competitive lender offerings with a new interest rate and payoff term. The resulting monthly car payment can actually save you thousands of dollars a month over the life of your refinanced car loan when compared to your current loan.
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Choosing an Auto Refinance Lender
Choosing a lender can be one of the hardest things to do in the auto refinance process. There are many lenders all offering different loan options, interest rates, and terms. Here are a few of the best auto refinance lenders who standout from the rest and what you need to know about their lending platforms.
Caribou
Lender Type
Marketplace
APR Rate
1.99%
Caribou's featured rates are as low as 1.99% APR***. See the Caribou review for details.
Credit Score
690+
Caribou works with people interested in refinancing who have various credit ratings including good ranges of 690 and higher.
When Applying
Pre-qualification available with no SSN required to see offers from multiple lenders.
Auto Approve
Lender Type
Marketplace
Interest Rate
2.25%
Auto Approve's interest rates start at 2.25%***. See the Auto Approve review for details.
Credit Score
580+
Auto Approve can help you refinance your car if you have a credit score of 580 or higher.
When Applying
Pre-approval available. No SSN to see offers. Cash back refinancing opportunities.
RefiJet
Lender Type
Marketplace
Interest Rate
2.49%
RefiJet's interest rates start at 2.49%***. See the RefiJet review for details.
Credit Score
500+
RefiJet provides auto refinancing for people with credit scores of 500 and up in the fair FICO credit ranges.
When Applying
No payments for the first two months. Pre-approval and cash out offered.
RateGenius
Lender Type
Marketplace
Interest Rate
2.99%
RateGenius states their refinance rates start at 2.99%***. See the RateGenius review for details.
Credit Score
500+
RateGenius serves credit scores of 500 and higher. This falls into the fair FICO credit range bracket.
When Applying
Full-service car refinance and re-titling platform with cash out options.
AUTOPAY
Lender Type
Marketplace
Interest Rate
1.99%
AUTOPAY's interest rates start at 1.99%***. See the AUTOPAY review for details.
Credit Score
560+
AUTOPAY's car refinance services are gauged toward applicants with credit scores of 560 and higher.
When Applying
Lease payoff and cash out refinance opportunities. Loan assistant guided process.
Overview of the Car Refinancing Process
Deciding if Refinancing Your Car is Right for You
Check to see if you really want to refinance your car, truck, or SUV. During this step, see how much you can save by using our auto refinance calculator.
Choosing an Auto Refinance Lender
This step involves selecting a lender to start your refinance journey. We can help you with this one. Our top lender picks and what you need to know are provided in the information below.
Submitting Your Information for a Refinance Quote
Once you have selected a lender, start the refinance process by submitting your information for a quote. You can do this easily using their online forms. Many lenders can give you a quote without doing a hard credit pull. These "hard" pulls are the ones which will usually impact your credit score as opposed to the initial "soft" pulls which do not.
Selecting a Refinanced Loan Option
Once your information is submitted, your refinance lender will show you loan options based on your credit score, personal information, and available interest rates. Many lenders have loan officers, agents, or representatives to walk you through this step and answer any related questions you have.
Complete Any Application Details
There may be additional details you need to complete. They may vary based on your vehicle, finances, or credit history. Work with your loan representative to fill in any additional details and information.
Finalizing Your Paperwork
You are only a few things away from your new loan at this point. You just need to finalize the paperwork and sign the documents. Many lenders allow you to e-sign the necessary forms making things quick and easy.
Start Paying on Your Refinanced Auto Loan
Did you make it this far? Great job if you did! Once everything is finalized, you are ready to make payments on your newly refinanced car loan. The lender should have provided the required details to start making your new car payments.
Optional - Adding Additional Products like GAP Coverage
You may want to consider adding additional products to your refinanced loan. This includes things like GAP coverage. GAP stands for "guaranteed asset protection". GAP can be paired with your comprehensive auto insurance coverage to help provide a buffer in catastrophic situations like if your vehicle is totaled, damaged beyond repair (total loss), or stolen. GAP may help to pay off the portion of your auto loan if it is not covered by insurance.
Those are the basic steps you need to complete to refinance your vehicle. You can read more about these steps with our competitive auto refinancing guide. Each lender may have a few platform or process specific things to complete. Make use of the lender’s help desk and agents. Don’t hesitate to ask questions along the way.
Refinance Your Car Loan with the Best
Choosing one of these top-rated auto refinance marketplaces can give you peace of mind. We know auto lending and these top-rated lenders have decades of experience helping people like you. They have helped tens of thousands of customers save money on their car loans. The best auto refinance companies give you results.
Trusted Experience
Better Results
Our Process
Learn how we work to help you find better loan deals, rates, terms, and refinance offers.
Refinance Process
We outline the auto refinance process so you know what you expect.
Research Auto Lenders
We track down the premiere auto lenders and marketplaces.
Outline Origination Fees
We call out any origination fees so you don't have any surprises.
Where to Apply
Apply with the best auto refinance marketplaces which suit your needs.
Answers to Questions
Find answers to common refinance questions and concerns.
Refinancing Results
Get refinancing results from the best marketplaces in the industry.
About Loan Origination Fees
Many auto refinance lenders and marketplaces have origination fees. These are fees which are usually packaged into the refinance process and pay for the loan processing service as well as other administrative details and paperwork. Lending services are businesses and the origination fee is how they get paid. It makes it possible for them to help and better serve you. The result of refinancing often pays back this fee in the form of savings with lower interest rates or other progress towards your refinancing goals.
If you plan on refinancing your vehicle, it is best to look for a lending marketplace which has good customer reviews, a transparent origination or application fee, and a large lender network. This will help you find the best refinance option. If a lender does not have a fee, they are still a business and still getting paid. Only now you don’t know exactly how or what amount they are paid.
Refinance Fee Quick Facts
- When it comes to origination fees, transparency is the best policy.
- The industry average for refinance application fee is around $399.
- When applying, make sure this fee is bundled into your total savings amount and not added on afterward (it usually is bundled with major lenders like Caribou and RateGenius).
- You will still save money when you refinance your car, and the lenders and marketplace will still get paid.
Auto Refinance FAQs
Have questions about the best auto refinance companies and how you can find the right lender to refinance your car?
Check out the information below for answers to frequently asked questions and common concerns.
There are many companies which provide auto refinancing services. The best company for you depends on which one will service your area, accept your credit score, and provide the loan offer you want.
There is normally a loan application fee which is also called a loan origination fee. This fee normally costs around $399 and is charged for your loan handling and processing with lenders.
A loan origination fee is usually a set amount charged for processing and finalizing your loan. It is paid to the lender or lending marketplace which completes the lending process.
Oftentimes yes, paying for a loan origination fee to refinance your car is worth it. This is because the savings you can gain from refinancing your car over the life of your loan is normally many times greater than the fee.
A lending marketplace is a platform which provides different financial services, connects you to a wide lender network, and helps you compare rates and offers between lenders.
A lending marketplace can be a great place to research loan offers. It can save you time and effort by allowing you to apply to many lenders automatically at the same time versus applying to each lender individually.
A soft credit pull is an initial check to verify a borrower's qualifications during the early stages in the refinance process. This pull is performed using a borrower's personal information, including possibly their social security number or SSN, to verify they are eligible for a rate and term offer.
A soft credit pull is usually performed during the pre-qualifying or pre-approval process. Soft credit pulls normally do not impact your credit score.
A hard credit pull is a final check before a lender issues a new line of credit. This pull submits a borrower's information to credit reporting bureaus to double check the risk estimates associated to extending the credit.
A hard credit pull is normally done during the loan offer finalization process. This pull signals that a new line of credit is being issued to the party which will affect their credit score.
Yes, you usually have to provide your SSN or social security number to finalize your refinanced loan.
Lenders can use a borrower's social security number or SSN at several points in the refinancing process. This includes pre-approval, personal information verification, and loan finalization. If an SSN is not available or the borrower does not have one, lenders may be able to substitute other information.
Calculate Refinance Savings
Wondering how much you can save with the best auto refinance companies? Calculate your savings with the car refinance calculator.
*** Interest rates and APRs based on individual marketplace applications using optimal credit scores, recent-year vehicles, and specific terms. Actual rates may differ. Check with individual marketplaces for information on how to access stated rate