Every 18-year-old who has ever tried to get a loan for a new car will tell you that its hard to get approved for a car loan with no credit. Its even more difficult if you are applying for a used car loan because used car loans represent more of a risk to a lender. However, getting approved for a used car loan with no credit isnt impossible. This article discusses three things to keep in mind when shopping for a used car loan with no credit:

Consider a Co-Signer

The best way to ensure that youll get approved for a used car loan is to have someone with good credit co-sign on the loan. The lender will list their name first, and that is the person whose credit they will consider when they send the loan to a loan officer to approve or decline it. However, youll want to make sure that you pay your payments on time because your loan goes onto both yours and your co-signers credit report.

Have a Parent Add Your Name to Their Credit Card

One of the quickest ways to get credit is to have your parent add your name to their good-credit-reflecting credit cards. This will automatically transfer all of their timely payments to your credit report, therefore giving you good credit. If that parent is not willing to co-sign for you, this may be the next best alternative. This will allow you to appear as though you have some established credit.

Borrow Less Than the Car Is Worth

When you dont have any credit, lenders are going to want to make sure that, even if you dont pay your loan, they can resale the car and get their money back. For this reason, its important that you take out a loan for less than the cars appraised amount. For example, if the car youre buying is worth $10,000, youll want to borrow less than that amount. Usually that means making a significant down payment. Making a down payment makes you less of a risk to a borrower, therefore improving your chances of being approved.