Both businesses and individuals may use a chattel mortgage, provided that the car is being used predominantly for business purposes. 

To apply for a chattel mortgage, you need to first consider your options and choose a suitable lender that meets your requirements. Once you have selected a lender, you can apply for the loan online by filling out a form. If the lender doesn’t offer an online application process, you can either call them or visit their nearest branch. 

After you’ve applied, the lender will ask you to supply documents that confirm your identification, income, job profile, etc. If everything is in order, most lenders will arrange the loan’s settlement, so all you need to do is pick up your car!

Getting approval for a chattel mortgage with bad credit may be possible, given ‘chattel’ (usually a piece of equipment or car) is put up as security for the loan. That means if you fail to repay the loan, the creditor can recover the loaned amount by repossessing and selling the car or piece of equipment. This differs from unsecured car loans, where the asset is not tied to the loan and cannot be taken if you don’t meet the repayments. 

Stamp duty, or motor vehicle duty, is a tax you pay when you transfer a car into your name. Stamp duty applies to both new and used cars. Stamp duty is a state tax, so rates and conditions vary from state to state: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, ACT and Northern Territory.

Vehicle finance, also known as a car loan, is money that a consumer borrows with the express purpose of buying a vehicle, such as a car, motorbike, van, truck or campervan. Vehicle finance can be used for both new and used vehicles.

Before giving you a car loan, lenders will ask for proof of residence – documentary evidence that you live where you claim you live. Lenders will typically want some combination of utility bills, bank statements, mortgage documents or driver’s licence. The reason lenders want proof of residence is to verify your identity and credit history.

Dealer finance is a car loan organised through a car dealer – as opposed to car loans organised by a finance broker or directly by the lender.

Loan repayments are the regular payments you make to pay off your car loan. Loan repayments generally occur on a monthly basis, although many lenders will also give you the option of making fortnightly or weekly loan repayments.

The role of a guarantor on a car loan is to meet repayments if the borrower of the loan were to default for any reason, such as not being able to afford it.

Useful for loan applicants with poor or bad credit, a guarantor makes it possible for these loans to be made secure, because there’s less risk for a lender overall.

Companies will likely give fair warning before they charge a guarantor for the costs of the loan, or before they repossess anything of the guarantor’s that may have been used as security. Still, it is important for a car loan guarantor to fully understand their responsibilities before they commit to the transaction.

Your credit history is a record of the dealings you’ve had with credit providers such as banks, credit card companies, mobile phone companies and internet companies. Your credit history records how successfully you’ve managed your repayments. It also records how many credit applications you’ve made and how many of those were rejected.

Credit providers refer to your credit history when deciding whether or not to extend you credit. Missing repayments is a bad sign; making too many applications or having applications rejected can also be a bad sign.

Credit infringements can remain on your credit history for five years – or seven years for serious infringements.

Bad credit car loans are legit, although not all lenders and products are created equal.

Some car loan lenders refuse to do business with borrowers who have bad credit histories, but there are others that are willing to provide bad credit. There is a catch, though: some bad credit lenders are disreputable, while some bad credit loans have extremely high interest rates and fees.

That’s why it’s important to do your research and compare bad credit car loans before you submit an application.

Yes, there are some lenders who will consider your application if you are on a disability pension. As long as you have an income, usually of over $400 a week, there are lenders that are willing to supply you with a loan.

There are also micro-financing charitable organisations that provide low interest loans for people on low incomes for certain necessary amenities, such as cars, if they match the specified criteria.

Some lenders might provide you with an option to terminate your chattel mortgage early by repaying the full amount before the term is over. This way, your overall loan term decreases, therefore reducing the interest you need to pay.

It’s important to note that some lenders might charge a fee for you to pay off your chattel mortgage early. So, if you’re planning to terminate your chattel mortgage early, make sure you check if your lender allows you to do this. You should also determine if there are any additional fees or charges that you would need to pay to do this.

A chattel mortgage is a loan issued to a person or a corporation for movable property. The movable property could include automobiles, yachts or boats, mobile homes, caravans or trailers. The term chattel in chattel mortgage refers to the movable property  used as collateral or security for the loan.

In a chattel mortgage, the loan is backed by 'chattel,' which the lender retains ownership of until the full loan has been repaid. Usually, the interest rate charged on such mortgages is lower. Repayments can also be fixed, which means you know exactly how much you’re repaying each month.

The most significant benefit for the lender is that the properties held as insurance are movable and can be sold easily if the borrower defaults.

Lenders offer chattel mortgages as a way to finance vehicles used for business purposes. Companies, as well as individuals, are eligible to apply for and receive chattel mortgages. The essential eligibility requirement is that the vehicle is used for business at least 51 per cent of the time. If you’re a tradesman and require a new utility vehicle to move equipment, you can apply for a chattel mortgage to finance the purchase.

A chattel mortgage for individuals is an option if you’re self-employed and have an Australian Business Number (ABN). You’ll also need to be registered for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and have a clear credit history. Like all other loan types, you’ll have to prove your capability to service the loan to qualify for a chattel mortgage.

You’ll retain the ownership while the lender holds the vehicle as security for the loan in a similar way as they would a property with a home loan. You repay the borrowed amount in predetermined monthly instalments. Once you repay the entire loan amount, the lender will remove the mortgage.

Buying a vehicle with a chattel mortgage can help to reduce your tax burden. The tax benefits you can get from a chattel mortgage include:

• Goods and Services Tax (GST): GST is paid when you buy a new vehicle. You can claim the GST credit for vehicles and other goods or services used for commercial use. The GST paid when you buy the car is claimed as an Input Tax Credit if your business is registered for the GST in your Bank Activity Statement (BAS).
• Interest payments: You can claim the interest paid on your chattel mortgage as a deduction in your annual tax returns.
• Depreciation: The longer you own the vehicle, its value will depreciate, and you can claim this depreciation as a tax deduction.

You should consult an experienced tax professional for more information about chattel mortgage tax benefits.

If you’re driving someone else’s car, say your friend’s, and you’re involved in an accident, whose insurance is responsible, yours or your friend’s? Does car insurance cover driving other people’s cars?

The short answer is yes. A few car insurance providers offer insurance cover for people to drive someone else’s car. It’s always better to double-check this before you get behind the wheel.

If you’re not covered, you can opt for non-owner car insurance which lets you drive someone else’s car and be protected against liability. However, you will not benefit from other coverage such as damage to the vehicle, replacement rental or medical expenses.

Getting comprehensive insurance driving other cars can be done with temporary insurance. It’s recommended that you do this if you plan to drive someone else’s car, even for a short duration. You can choose between policies that cover you for a fortnight, a month or even a pay-as-you-drive option with temporary insurance.

Alternatively, you can ask the car’s owner to check with their insurer if you can be added to the policy. This will ensure that you are covered fully with comprehensive car insurance driving other cars. Do note that adding you could increase the annual premium for the owner.

There are multiple lenders who are willing to provide loans secured by guarantors.

If someone is willing to go guarantor for you and they meet the requirements set out by lenders, you can apply for guarantor finance online, over the phone, or in person.

Some banks also provide guarantor car loans, though because they’re larger banks, they may have higher interest rates than smaller lenders.

You may want to compare guarantor car loans at RateCity, and find a guarantor car loan ideal for your purposes.

A bad credit car loan is a car loan for borrowers who have ‘bad credit’ or a bad credit history.

Some lenders refuse to offer bad credit car loans, because they believe there is an excessive risk that bad credit borrowers will not repay their loans. However, other lenders are willing to provide bad credit car loans.

Generally, these lenders charge higher interest rates for bad credit car loans than ‘prime’ car loans, reflecting the higher level of risk. Bad credit car loans may also have higher fees than prime car loans.

However, the big advantage of a bad credit car loan is that it allows borrowers with bad credit to access finance. Another advantage is that it could help bad credit borrowers improve their credit rating, assuming they make all their repayments on time.

A guarantor car loan is a type of loan that features a guarantor on the agreement. The guarantor is a third-party individual, often a friend or relative, who guarantees the loan will be repaid if the borrower defaults on the car loan.

Guarantor car loans are often geared at people who might otherwise struggle being accepted for a secured car loan when purchasing a vehicle. Some of the reasons might include a lack of credit history such as with a student or young person, if there’s bad credit, or age as a factor such as with pensioners.

While a guarantor for a car loan is often a parent or relative, to be accepted as a guarantor, that third party must be someone with very good or excellent credit. They may have to put an asset of theirs against the loan as collateral, such as their car or home equity.

It’s important for both parties to really consider the risks involved before signing the dotted line of a guarantor car loan, including:

• What is your financial situation like?
• How secure is your current income?
• Are you likely to default on the loan?
• How much will the guarantor be required to repay if you default?
• How will this repayment impact the guarantor’s ability to service their existing financial commitments?
• Will your relationship be affected if the situation sours?

Ensuring you can answer these questions will help you and your potential guarantor decide whether a guarantor car loan is right for you.