Getting a good interest rate is one thing, determining whether or not you can afford it is another. Before shopping for either a used car or a loan, you need to know what used car loan interest rate you can afford. This article offers tips on deciding what used car loan interest rate you can afford:

Doing the Math

Calculating your monthly payment under different interest rates is easy, and you don't even have to do the math yourself. Simply type “loan calculator” into your preferred search engine and several websites will pop up. Choose one that offers free loan calculators and enter in your principal amount, loan term, and interest rate. Play around with different principal amounts, different interest rates, and different numbers of years. When you've found a monthly payment that you can afford, you'll have a good idea of what type of car you can afford and what interest rate you need to obtain.

Consider Car Insurance

If you've been driving around in a car that only has liability insurance, or, worse, a car that is uninsured, the cost of full coverage insurance can be shocking. Whenever a lender loans money to a borrower, they make them keep full coverage insurance on the car for the life of the loan. This protects them in the case that the car is wrecked -- they can get their money back. It also protects you from paying on a car that you can no longer drive. It's easy to find out what your insurance would cost. Simply call your insurance company and tell them the year, make, and model of the car you're considering buying. They should be able to give you a quote immediately.

Consider Other Expenses

You'll also want to make sure that you can afford both your automobile loan and your payments on your other debts. Always consider all of your finances before signing any loan contract. It's never a good idea to forgo one responsibility for another.