Life is expensive, and sometimes it’s hard to pay for it all. Between rent, mortgage payments, student loans, groceries, bills and the other necessities of life, sometimes those last few pennies just aren’t there. When the bills are more than you can pay, bad credit begins.
Whether you’re currently struggling to make ends meet or the ghost of bad credit continues to haunt you years after economic hardship, bad credit can make it hard to qualify for the loan necessary to make a large purchase. This is especially challenging when you need to purchase a new vehicle.
At Washington Auto Credit, Special Finance Director Ryan Garrison and his team work together with I-5 Cars dealerships, to help people with bad credit qualify for the loans needed to get back behind the wheel of new car, truck, jeep or SUV.
With limited public transportation available in and around Thurston County, a personal vehicle is almost always necessary. Whether you need your vehicle to commute to and from work or to haul the kids to soccer practice, Washington Auto Credit works with you, your budget, and your transportation needs to match you, and your family, with a vehicle you can afford — no matter your credit history.
Garrison says bad credit isn’t always a sign of financial delinquency. It’s usually a sign of hardship. “We often help people that have lost their job, had medical issues or went through a divorce,” explains Garrison. “These are people who used to be able to pay their bills on time, but they hit a rough patch and are trying to rebuild.”
Wanting to help people stuck between a rock and a hard place, Washington Auto Credit and I-5 Cars makes it their mission to help those enduring hardship get back on their feet — and the road. “We work on finding a loan based on what the customer can afford,” says Garrison. “We make sure the payment works with the customer’s budget.”
Unlike most dealerships, Washington Auto Credit looks at the customer’s credit first to find out what loans the customer qualifies for before the customer steps on the lot. By doing this, customers don’t end up falling in love with a vehicle they can’t afford. “We try to figure out the numbers before the customer even looks at the car,” says Garrison. This saves the customer money, time and — usually — grief.
Once Washington Auto Credit determines the kind of loan the customer qualifies for, Garrison or another team member will narrow down the customer’s vehicle options based on the monthly payment and their transportation needs. While the final vehicle may not always be the customer’s first choice, it’s a start, and a great step toward establishing good credit.
Rebuilding credit doesn’t happen overnight, but Garrison says after one or two years of on-time car payments, customers re-apply for a better loan, which, could allow them to upgrade their rig or refinance. With this level of service and customer care, Garrison explains that many customers who start out with bad credit continue coming back to Washington Auto Credit even after their credit score improves. “We have lots of previous customers who don’t have to buy from a ‘bad credit car loan’ type of dealership because their credit has improved so much, but they liked working with us, so they come back,” he says.
Washington Auto Credit and I-5 Cars invites Thurston County-area residents of all income levels and credit histories to meet with one of its finance experts. With payment plans that work with a variety of budgets, Washington Auto Credit doesn’t only help customers get behind the wheel, it helps customers on the road to better credit, one payment at a time.
Interested in applying for a car loan? Take the first step toward car ownership by visiting I-5 Cars or Washington Auto Credit online, or by calling Ryan Garrison and his team at 800-652-7115. If you would rather talk to the Washington Auto Credit team face to face, come see them in person at South Sound Trucks Olympia.
