Buy or Buy Out: What Should I Do When My Car’s Lease is Up?

By Penny James, Guest Blogger

 

Buy or Buy Out?

In the wake of the pandemic, the national inflation rate is at a 30-year high, and the car market has experienced extreme price surges. Now that the economy is on a path to recovery, the demand for new and used cars has picked back up.

Unfortunately, for car shoppers, the supply chain has not recovered, and the industry is facing a global shortage of microchips, an essential component in new cars.  Kelly Blue Book notes that even a basic new car, requires over a hundred microchips.  In the early days of the pandemic, the demand for new vehicles waned while so many stayed home.  Microchip suppliers repurposed their stock for personal electronics, which boomed as the world adjusted to remote work and virtual learning.

Two years into the pandemic, while demand for car purchases have returned, the microchip shortage continues to plague the industry, causing new lease contracts and traditional car prices to skyrocket.

While microchip suppliers are still focused on catering to other industries, automakers have been forced to slow down on producing new cars. Not only has this reduced the availability of new cars, but it has driven up the prices for used ones in order to accommodate the demand in the market.

If you’re leasing a car and are near the end of your lease, it may actually be better to buy out the vehicle in this current market. It would certainly be prudent to check the current market price of your car. If the buyout price is lower than the current value of your car, you could even earn a profit by selling your vehicle after purchasing it at the end of your lease. Even if you decide to keep the vehicle long-term, it may be more cost-effective than trying to buy an alternative, even a used car could be much more expensive.

Thankfully, most lease contracts have a provision that allows you to buy the car at a set price at the beginning of the lease. The leasing company can’t change the buyout price since the rate of depreciation is pre-calculated. They arrive at a pre-calculated buyout price based on past depreciation experience with your car’s model and brand. Usually, this deal favors the leasing company, but now that the prices for new and used cars are so inflated, the buyout price may translate to more vehicle equity and huge savings, particularly if you sell your car to a third party or list it on an online car retailer such as Shift or Carvana.

Buying out your leased car can seem expensive, especially if it’s only a few years old. Thankfully, there are plenty of financing options that can help you out. Your leasing company can usually arrange financing for you, but you may be better of shopping loan terms and rates. This is especially true if you don’t have excellent credit. AskMoney highlights how credit scores are factored into many of the financial decisions in your life. Because your credit score is the numerical equivalent of your “credit worthiness”, having a low score may signify to your leasing company or lender that you won’t be able to dutifully repay your loan. This could leave you with a high monthly payment that includes lots of interest.

An alternative is to get a loan from a credit union. Community chartered credit unions, like Freedom Federal Credit Union, are not-for-profit organizations that are in the service of members that work, live, or are otherwise connected to a specific locale. These organizations are controlled by their members and have a designated board that’s tasked with overseeing all functions of the credit union. Usually, a low credit score won’t automatically disqualify you from accessing a loan. While a good credit score can help you get great loan terms, credit unions will still look at your whole financial picture before finalizing their decision.

All in all, a lease buyout may make a lot of sense, especially if the value of the car in its current condition is higher than the buyout price. Be sure to weigh your options first before settling on a buyout financing option to make sure that you’re making the right decision for your financial future and lifestyle.


If you’re ready to buy out your lease, or would like to take advantage of our Refi Your Ride special, visit Freedom’s Vehicles Loans page to learn about your options. Call 800-440-4120 or email lending@freedomfcu.org.

About Freedom Federal Credit Union

Freedom Federal Credit Union is proud to be your financial partner. Freedom serves and is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school, volunteers, or has family in Harford or Baltimore County, MD. As a credit union, we are committed to putting you first, not shareholders, and helping you achieve your financial goals.

Learn more at freedomfcu.org/personal/vehicle-loans/ or call us 800-440-4120 to see how we can help. 

Important Information Regarding Freedom Federal Credit Union Lobby Availability

Dear Members,

With the recent decision from state and local government to lift mask and social distancing mandates, Freedom has re-evaluated current branch lobby availability protocols. We are pleased to announce that effective June 1, 2021, lobby access in all Freedom branches will be available on a walk-in basis.  This means that all banking transactions will be available in our lobbies, as well as through our drive-thrus, without the need for an appointment.

Also effective June 1, Branch hours will be as follows:

Park Ave, Fountain Green, and Forest Lakes

Lobby:

Monday-Thursday: 9am-5pm
Friday: 9am-6pm
Saturday: 9am-1pm

Drive-Thru

Monday-Friday. 9am-6pm
Saturday, 9am-1pm

Swan Creek

Lobby:

Monday-Thursday: 9am-5pm
Friday: 9am-6pm
Saturday: 9am-1pm

Edgewood:

Lobby and Drive Thru

Monday-Wednesday: 8am-3pm
Thursday-Friday: 8am-5pm

To reduce the amount of time you are in a branch, we continue to encourage you to use our Appointment Scheduler or call 800-440-4120 to make an appointment for non-teller transactions such as opening a new membership, applying for a loan or credit card and setting up a new share certificate, Money Market, or IRA account.

PLEASE NOTE: For security reasons, as of June 1, you will be required to remove any face coverings such as masks, gaiters, hats and/or sunglasses upon entering any Freedom branch. There will be no exceptions to this rule. If you are uncomfortable with removing your mask, please continue to use the drive-thru, call us at 800-440-4120, or use online or mobile banking.

The health and safety of our employees and members continues to be an absolute priority.  As such, you will still see plexiglass partitions at each teller station and service desk.  Employees may be wearing masks and gloves during your transaction. Hand sanitizer will also be available throughout the branches.

So much has changed over the last year but our commitment to you, our members, has only gotten stronger. We continue to expand opportunities to enhance access for our members with technology, new locations, like the new branch coming soon to Honeygo Village Center, and the expansion of access within our current branches.

As always, we thank you for your ongoing trust and confidence in Freedom.

Sincerely,

CEO Signature

Michael MacPherson
President and CEO
Freedom Federal Credit Union

Payment Protection Program Scams

PPP Scams

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has been one of the most important pieces of legislation signed into effect since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The unsecured loans through the Small Business Association (SBA) have enabled our favorite retail shops, restaurants and small businesses to stay afloat, even as the coronavirus devastates sectors of the economy.

Not surprisingly, scammers have been using the PPP for their own purposes, mainly to con struggling business owners out of money. In these scams, they’ll pose as SBA representatives or legitimate lenders to ask for personal information from the borrower. They may also send bogus emails appearing to be from the SBA to lead the victim into downloading malware.

Scammers are getting smarter all the time, but so are we! Here’s how to avoid PPP scams:

Know how PPP loans are processed

Ready to apply for a PPP loan?  Fill it out the SBA PPP loan application, and submit it to an SBA-approved lender. You’ll also need to provide some documents, such as tax returns for 2019, verifiable payroll expense documents, your most recent mortgage or rent statement, etc.

If you’re applying for a Second Draw PPP Loan, you will also need documentation that shows how you have used, or plan to use, your original PPP funds.

After you’ve submitted your application, just sit back and wait for approval.

How can I protect my business from PPP fraud?

Do:

  • Be wary of any individuals demanding immediate payment or asking that you make immediate contact to be eligible for a PPP loan. These are likely scammers.
  • Only use a lender that is accredited by the SBA. You can find all SBA-approved lenders here.
  • Look for the .gov at the end of each email or website allegedly from the SBA or another government entity.
  • Report any suspected scams to the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Don’t let those crooks walk free!

 Don’t:

  • Pay for a program that promises to process or expedite a PPP loan request if the organization behind the program is not accredited by the SBA.
  • Share any personal information with an unverified caller or email contact. If it’s personal info, make sure to keep it that way!
  • Click on links or download files from an unfamiliar email address.

Stay safe!

Freedom has made the Paycheck Protection Program available to its current members.  Applicants must have established a business or personal membership with Freedom on or before December 27, 2020.  Visit freedomfcu.org/business/ppp/ for more details. 

Your Turn: Are you a small business owner who has applied for a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program? Tell us about it on Facebook, LinkedIn,Twitter, or Instagram @FreedomFedCU.