Buying a new car is one of the most exciting and intimidating processes of your adult life. Finding the right car is the easy part, but getting a car loan that’s completely right for you is much more difficult. To help make things a bit easier, here are five ways you can get your dream car loan.

1. Know what your credit looks like first

Very few people in this day and age have a clean credit history. If you’ve ever defaulted on a loan, even if the outstanding amount has been paid off, you’ll carry that information around on your credit file for some time and it can make getting a loan a real headache. Thankfully, there are plenty of companies like Zoom Car Loans that will take on clients with bad credit and offer a loan with a competitive rate of interest to help you get back on the road sooner rather than later.

2. Never apply for more than one loan at a time

A mistake that many people make is thinking that applying for multiple loans at once will increase your chances of successfully landing an approval. The truth is that multiple enquires and applications actually hurt your chances of a successful approval and impact very negatively on your credit rating. Instead of canvassing, you’re far better off researching each lender yourself and then applying to the one that best suits your needs. Your car finance broker may also be able to help with this.

3. Properly collate all your documentation

Like many other application processes, the car loan application process requires a certain amount of documentation from you, so it’s a good idea to make sure you have everything you need and that all of your information is up-to-date and relevant. This includes things like personal ID’s, pay slips that include a YTD (year-to-date) figure, bank statements, mortgage statements and the like. Keeping these things up-to-date ensures a smooth process and less running around in the long run.

4. Wrap up any minor debts now

If you’ve accrued any smaller debts through things like credit cards or small personal loans, you’d be well served to pay them off prior to applying for a loan if you can. Clearing these debts will not only increase your chance of getting a green light but will also increase the amount of uncommitted monthly income you’ll be able to put towards your car loan.

5. Stick with a proper lender, avoid cash loans

Another mistake that many people make is assuming that payday or cash loans will allow them to construct a better credit rating and boost their overall chances of getting an approval. In fact, these sorts of short-term, high-interest lenders are not looked upon well by most car loan companies and some will outright deny your application upon discovery of your history with lenders of this type.

These are just a few ways you can get your dream car loan sooner rather than later. With a small amount of planning and care, you’ll be on the road in a car love and with a debt you can manage in no time.