Hello! I’m Teph, nice to meet you!
I worked in auto finance for 3.5 years, and during that time I handled everything from payments to refinancing to DMV issues for leases and loans.
When my friend bought a car last month I talked his ear off for HOURS about how things work, what to look out for and what traps to avoid.
I can probably say I’m one of the most knowledgeable people in auto finance who has never leased or financed a car.
No, I don’t make a ton of money and I never got a beautiful, new car handed to me on a silver platter. I drive a 2001 Toyota Camry that was my dad’s. When he needed a new car he gave me a discount on it as a Christmas present.
(This isn’s uncommon for my family. I got half a laptop a couple times growing up as a present, and had to buy the other half myself.)
Anyway, it still drives well and I have other things I’d rather spend my money on at the moment, so I can’t justify getting a new car for the time being.
Cars, in their simplest form, are a way to get from point A to point B…or C or D.
Remember that, it’s super important.
Sure, cars are fun too, but a lot of people get themselves in a big load of trouble because they go for a nicer car than they need or can afford.
Just because you can afford it by financing it doesn’t mean the purchase is a good idea, as I hope to show you in this blog.
So strap in, because it’s going to be a wild, and sometimes rather blunt and tough-love-type, ride. Yes, pun intended. But it will also be entertaining and hopefully informative, so there is always that!
Tips from an Auto Finance Specialist 