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Should I finance or pay cash?
Paying cash avoids interest. Financing keeps your cash invested. Whichever earns more wins — and with car loan rates where they are, that is usually closer than people expect.
The purchase
VEHICLEDealer incentives
These are normally alternatives, not extras — a dealer offers a discount for cash or a rebate for financing, and you take one. Both start at zero, so nothing is assumed until you enter what you were actually offered.
A cash discount lowers what you hand over today. A finance rebate comes off the amount borrowed, so it cuts the payment and the interest. A promotional APR goes in the loan rate above — at 0% against a positive after-tax return, borrowing is free money.
What your cash could earn
ALTERNATIVEA high-yield savings account or money market is the fair comparison — this money needs to stay safe. May be negative.
Enter the vehicle price to compare financing against paying cash.
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