All guides

Search by topic — PCP, HP, APR, credit, negotiation, running costs and more. Every guide links to our calculator so you can test your own numbers. Key terms: car finance glossary.

Searches titles, excerpts and keywords. Several words narrow results.

UK dealership forecourt with cars — guide to how car finance works

How car finance works in the UK

PCP, hire purchase, and personal loans explained with worked examples so you can map each structure to your goals.

Car keys handover — PCP vs hire purchase guide

PCP vs hire purchase: which costs more?

Balloon payments, ownership, mileage limits, and total interest — how to choose between the two most common showroom products.

Stacked coins — reducing monthly car payments

How to reduce your monthly car payment

Deposit, term, APR, and optional extras — practical levers UK buyers can pull before signing a credit agreement.

Steering wheel — common car finance mistakes

Common car finance mistakes (and how to avoid them)

Why “affordable monthly payment” thinking can hide expensive deals, and what to check in the paperwork.

Fuel pump — cost of running a car in the UK

The real cost of running a car in the UK

Finance is only part of it: tax, insurance, fuel, servicing, and depreciation in a single realistic picture.

GAP insurance and UK car finance — optional protection after a write-off

GAP insurance and UK car finance

Finance GAP, return-to-invoice and replacement cover: what pays after a write-off and how dealer bundles compare to standalone quotes.

Documents on a desk — negotiating car finance

How to negotiate car finance in the UK

Prepare with calculator outputs, compare APRs, and know which fees are fixed — without being adversarial for the sake of it.

Pre-contract credit information SECCI — UK regulated car finance disclosure

SECCI and UK car finance paperwork explained

What pre-contract credit information must show before you sign, how to read APR and total payable, and cooling-off in context.

Reviewing car finance documents — refinancing UK motor finance

Refinancing UK car finance

Settlement quotes, new APRs and fees: when replacing your agreement can cut total interest — and when it only stretches the term.

Electric vehicle charging — financing an EV in the UK

Electric car finance in the UK

Same regulated products as petrol, different price and running-cost trade-offs — model finance plus energy and tax honestly.

Car interior — bad credit car finance UK

Car finance with bad credit in the UK

What changes when your file is impaired: lender types, APR reality, deposits and search discipline.

UK road — sell financed car settlement

Selling a car that still has finance

Settlement figures, passing good title, private buyers vs dealer part-exchange.

Wallet and cards — credit score and car finance

Credit score and car finance: what actually happens

Hard searches, payment history, utilisation, and how responsible use of vehicle finance can help or hinder your file.

UK car finance rates — representative APR graphic

UK car finance rates: what buyers typically see

Representative APR, risk-based pricing, and why your quote may differ from adverts — with sensible benchmarks.

Ending UK car finance early — settlement graphic

Ending car finance early in the UK

Settlement figures, statutory rights and practical steps before you refinance, part-exchange or hand a car back.

Negative equity on UK car finance — trade-in vs settlement graphic

Negative equity on UK car finance

When your car is worth less than the settlement: how dealers clear finance and why rolling shortfall into a new deal costs more.

Bank loan vs dealer car finance — comparison graphic

Bank loan vs dealer car finance

Personal loans versus forecourt PCP/HP: ownership, balloons, promotions and how to compare total amount payable fairly.

Cars parked on a UK street — voluntary termination on UK car finance

Voluntary termination on UK car finance

The 50% rule, fair wear and tear and mileage charges when handing a regulated HP or PCP back under the Consumer Credit Act.

Calculator and notepad with finance figures — self-employed car finance UK

Car finance for self-employed UK drivers

SA302, accountant references and bank statements: how UK lenders assess sole traders, freelancers and limited company directors.

UK motorway traffic — used car finance UK

Used car finance in the UK

APR ranges, age and mileage caps, HP vs PCP on used stock, and how dealer panels compare to bank personal loans.

Car dashboard interior — first-time car buyer finance UK

First-time car buyer finance in the UK

Thin credit files, sensible deposits, guarantors and choosing a realistic first car when insurance can rival the finance payment.

Stacked coins — car finance affordability check UK

Car finance affordability check in the UK

How UK lenders assess sustainable repayment beyond the credit score — income, outgoings, debt-to-income and how to prepare.

Open the calculator · Back to home