About

About AutoLoanTruth

AutoLoanTruth is an independent, data-driven project with one purpose: show people the full cost of a car loan in plain numbers, before they sign for it.

Why this exists

Car financing is one of the largest debts most households take on, and it's negotiated in the least transparent room many of us ever sit in — the dealership finance office, under time pressure, focused on a single number: the monthly payment. That number is designed to feel affordable. It hides the things that actually determine what the car costs you: total interest, how long you'll owe more than the car is worth, and what the whole arrangement does to your monthly budget once insurance and the rest are added in.

We built the Auto Loan Truth Machine to surface those hidden numbers for your own scenario, and we write these guides to explain the mechanics behind them — how negative equity forms, what long terms really cost, how credit tiers set your rate, and what your options are when a loan goes upside-down.

What we are — and what we're not

We are an independent editorial and tools project. We are not a lender, a dealer, a broker, or a licensed financial advisor. We don't sell loans, we don't take referral commissions from lenders, and nothing on this site is a recommendation about your specific situation. Our calculators are educational models built on public data and standard financial formulas; real loan offers will vary.

Everything here is meant to make you a better-informed borrower so that when you do talk to a lender or dealer, you're doing it with the math already in hand. For decisions about your own finances, talk to a qualified professional.

How we work

Our calculations use the same standard amortization math lenders use, and our market figures come from public sources — the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the New York Federal Reserve, and published industry data. We explain exactly how, and link our sources, on the methodology page. When data changes, we update. When we get something wrong, we fix it — tell us.

The point of view

We have one bias, and we'll state it plainly: we think borrowers should see the whole number, not just the comfortable one. Most of what we publish exists to close the gap between what the finance office shows you and what the loan actually does over its full life. That's the “truth” in the name.