4 Key Steps for Getting Your Vehicle Refinanced

There are many reasons why refinancing your car loan can be a smart financial move. Maybe you think you can lower your interest rate. Or, your financial situation may have changed, and having lower monthly payments would help you address other financial obligations. Perhaps you want to add or remove a co-borrower. Maybe some unforeseen circumstance means that having more money in your pocket each month would make a big difference. Whatever the reason, it makes sense to investigate the refinancing option to understand your options and understanding the steps for getting your vehicle refinanced.

4 Key steps for getting your vehicle refinanced

 

1. RESEARCH

The first and arguably the most important step in the 4 key steps for getting your vehicle refinanced is research. You probably did some research before you purchased your vehicle. It’s also smart to do some research when you are considering refinancing. Like any financial transaction, it’s important to work with a company that has a strong reputation for top quality customer service, an easy application and contracting process, secure protection of your data, and the ability to offer you multiple options, both for your actual loan and for additional products that can help address potential financial risks associated with your both your vehicle and your loan.

You can do this research by searching major internet sites like Google or Facebook for other customers’ feedback, checking with the Better Business Bureau to make sure that you are dealing with a reputable company, and evaluating reviews and recommendations on third-party refinance websites like Lending Tree. You can also check your credit score (many credit card companies have a free credit score check as part of their service such as Discover and Barclaycard) to see if it has changed since you got your loan, which will give you a good idea if you are likely to qualify for a lower rate or be able to add/subtract a co-borrower.

It’s good to know if the refinance company/lender uses a “hard pull” to check your credit, which shows up on your credit bureau report, or a “soft pull,” which doesn’t. Make sure to research each lender’s fee structure to fully understand if there are any fees associated with the refinancing and, if so, how much. You’ll need to factor those additional fees into your overall financial evaluation of your options.

 

2. GATHER YOUR DOCUMENTS

To process a refinance loan, you need to provide the same type of documentation you provided with your current loan.You are almost always going to need to provide the following documents:

  • Your driver’s license
  • Vehicle registration – The current registration for the vehicle you are planning to refinance
    The vehicle’s VIN (vehicle identification number) is a 17-digit identification number that is unique to your specific vehicle. You can find it by standing outside of your car, on the driver’s side and looking at the corner of the dashboard, where it meets the windshield. The VIN might also be shown on your auto insurance card – just make sure the card is the right one for the specific vehicle you are refinancing.
  • Proof of insurance – You’ll need to provide a copy of your current insurance card
  • Your current loan information – The last bill/statement from your current lender should have the information you’ll need

In addition, you might be asked to provide additional documentation such as:

  • Proof of income – Your last 2 paystubs is a good place to start.
  • Proof of residence – Generally, a mortgage or rent statement in your name will be sufficient.
  • The vehicle title – If you live in Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New York, Oklahoma or Wyoming.

Make sure that you work with a company that gives you a secure way to provide your private information and documents. In some cases, you will be able to securely upload copies of these documents. Some refinance companies/lenders require you to send them in. If a lender asks you to text or email them documents with your personal information, you should request a secure file transfer method like uploading the files directly to a secure website. Text and email may not be secure and therefore could be putting your personal information (and identity) at risk.

 

3. APPLY!

You won’t know exactly the type of refinance loan for which you will qualify unless you actually apply. With RefiJet, for example, you can provide some basic information by phone, then find out within minutes the options for which you qualify while only using a “soft pull”, which doesn’t show up on your credit report.

 

4. EVALUATE YOUR OPTIONS

When comparing your options, it’s optimal to consider how well the refinance loan itself will meet your needs, but also consider other aspects of the transaction:

  • Partner: Reliability and reputation of the refinance company/lender
  • Fees: Does the refinance company/lender add any extra fees that drive up the cost of your refinance?
  • Deal structure: Interest rate, loan term, monthly payment, down payment (if any), etc., prepayment penalties
  • Protection: Is high-quality GAP and/or Extended Service Contract available to help minimize financial risks. A comprehensive GAP protection policy, like the one you can get through RefiJet, covers you up to 150% of your vehicles retail value in the event of a total loss and even pays your deductible up to $1,000 so that you don’t forfeit any coverage. An Extended Service Contract on your engine, transmission, and even your hi-tech electrical components covers you, so you don’t have to pay for these standard maintenance items.
  • Security: If you are giving private data (such as your social security number) on a call or email (don’t do that), make sure that the company educates you about the steps they take to protect your data, such as recording all calls, having you consent to credit bureau pulls, making the appropriate disclosures, providing a secure method to provide you documents, and providing a secure method for your sign and return of your personal documents (like your driver’s license and insurance card) as well as your loan documents.
  • Process: How much work do you need to put in to process the application and provide all the supporting documents vs. how much does the refinance company/lender handle for you?

At RefiJet, we pride ourselves in providing a fast, simple, reliable, safe and customer-focused process to help you find the best refinance loan to meet your needs. We will help you through all the steps for getting your vehicle refinanced. We will explain everything to you as we go and can complete the process within a couple of phone calls. We check your credit through a soft pull, so nothing will show up on your credit bureau report or affect your credit score. We will fill out the forms for you to save your valuable time, and we provide secure methods for the transfer of your data both to and from us as well as to and from the lender.

We would certainly encourage you to explore your refinance options with RefiJet at 1.800.260.5355 or go to www.RefiJet.com, but even if you don’t, please use this checklist of steps for getting your vehicle refinanced to make sure that you are getting the best deal for you and that your personal information stays secure.

Important Disclosures and Requirements

Federal ESIGN Disclosure and Consent 

 Electronic Consent:  Consent to Receive Information Electronically 

The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act requires users of this Site who submit a Contact Form (“you” or “your”) consent to receive certain disclosures electronically. Please read this disclosure and consent carefully and retain a copy of this document for your records. 

ELECTRONIC RECORDS 

Some communications with and disclosures by Yield Solutions Group, LLC dba RefiJet.com (“RefiJet.com” or “us” or “we”) on its behalf and on behalf of participating banks, finance companies, and credit unions (hereinafter called “Lenders”) are conducted electronically. In order to access, receive and retain required notices and your documents, including, any notices and disclosures required by state or federal law, such as our Privacy Noticeloan documents and disclosures that we provide to you on behalf of any Lenderand any other transaction notices and information from us (collectively, “Documents”) electronically, you must satisfy the minimum system requirements outlined below. However, if you wish to obtain a paper copy of any Documents that RefiJet provides you in connection with your credit inquiry and any subsequent application to our Lenders, you may contact Yield Solutions Group, LLC (dba RefiJet.com) in writing at 5775 DTC Blvd Suite 400, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 or by email at Info@RefiJet.com. We currently do not charge a fee to send you a paper copy of any electronic Document, but reserve our ability to do so. Be sure to state which of the Documents you are requesting.  

RefiJet.com reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to stop providing Documents electronically. RefiJet may also send Documents to you in paper form because we are legally required to do so or because we determine in our sole discretion that you should receive the Documents in paper rather than electronic form.  RefiJet.com will provide you with notice of any such termination as required by applicable law. If RefiJet.com chooses to stop providing Documents electronically, RefiJet.com will send any future Documents to you in paper form. Certain disclosures, however, will be made to you verbally if permitted by applicable law (the “Verbal Disclosures”).   

YOUR CONSENT IS REQUIRED 

You must consent to receive Documents electronically in order to complete the credit inquiry process with RefiJet.com and any subsequent loan process with one of our participating Lenders. Your consent will apply to Documents as defined above. You may withdraw your consent for receiving electronic Documents by notifying us in any of the ways described above. Since RefiJet.com is structured to process all or part of your credit inquiry and any subsequent loan  electronically, not consenting, or withdrawing your consent to receive electronic Documents may result in the termination of the credit inquiry and/or loan process. Your withdrawal of this consent is effective only after we have had a reasonable period of time to act upon your withdrawal. Even if you consent, note that the Verbal Disclosures will be made to you telephonically. 

If you wish to withdraw your consent to do business electronically with our participating Lenders, you may do so at no cost to you by contacting the Lender at the mailing address, email address or telephone number they provide to you separately for such purpose.  

CONSENT TO RECEIVE DOCUMENTS ELECTRONICALLY 

In order to use this service, you must consent to receive Documents electronically and you agree that these electronic disclosures will be sufficient as a “writing” under applicable law.  

HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS 

In order to receive, access and retain electronic Documents, you will need the following hardware and software: 

  • a computer, mobile device, tablet or similar device with an internet connection; 
  • a current web browser that supports HTTPS connectivity;  
  • a current version of a software program that can open and display PDF files (such as an Adobe Acrobat reader); 
  • a valid email address with email software to communicate with us electronically; and 
  • an installed printer or sufficient storage space to save, store, print or otherwise retain electronic Documents. 

 These disclosures and the Documents are both provided to you in PDF; therefore, your access to this page from your own system/device verifies that your system/device has the necessary software to permit you to receive and access PDF files. 

If the system requirements for accessing the copy of your Documents on the secure webpage change so as to require different or additional hardware or software, or upgrades, plug-ins or enhancements to the hardware or software used by you (all such changes referred to as a “Systems Enhancement”), we will notify you and you may either withdraw your consent or upgrade your hardware and/or software as required by the Systems Enhancement.  

This consent is valid until revoked by either party. 

It is important that you keep your email address current with us.  Please notify us at 1.800.260.5355 if your contact information changes at any point in the refinance process.  We may treat your failure to provide us with a valid email address, or the malfunction of the email address we have for you, as a withdrawal of your consent to receive Documents electronically. 

System Requirements to Retain Information 

If you have a valid email address, a copy of the loan Documents will be provided to you upon execution in the form of an email link to a secure portal that will contaithe PDF loan documentsYou will log into the secure portal using your access credentials. The PDF document will be available to you in the secure portal for thirty (30) days. To retain a copy of the Documents, you may choose to print them, save them or both. In order to print them, you must have a functioning printer connected to your personal computing device.  If you wish to retain an electronic version of the Documents, you must have a personal computing device with the hardware and software necessary to download and store PDF files. 

By clicking to accept, you: 

  • acknowledge your receipt and review of the foregoing Federal ESIGN Disclosure and Consent; 
  • give your affirmative consent to our providing electronic Documents to you as described above; and 
  • confirm that your computer or access device satisfies the hardware and software requirements needed to access and retain the Documents that will be provided to you in electronic form, including through use of a valid email address to access a link to secure portal to access the Documents. 

If you do not click to accept you are not consenting to our providing electronic Documents to you as described above, and you are terminating your transaction with us