Common Mistakes
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make when using a payment calculator is not accounting for all the relevant factors. They'll plug in the vehicle price and maybe the interest rate, but forget about things like taxes, fees, and trade-in value. That can lead to a seriously skewed estimate of what their monthly payments will actually be. Another common pitfall is not considering the full term of the loan. Sure, you might be able to swing those low payments on a 72-month or even 84-month loan, but that means you'll be underwater on the vehicle for years.
How to Avoid Them
When you use the Payment Calculator, it's important to think about your long-term budget and whether you really want to be making car payments that far into the future. And let's not forget about that pesky thing called life. What happens if your situation changes - you lose your job, have a medical emergency, or decide to move across the country? A payment calculator can't predict the future, so you've got to build in some flexibility and cushion. Otherwise, those monthly bills could quickly become a major source of stress. Better to err on the side of caution when crunching the numbers.
