FAQ

1. What is a Car Title Loan?

2. Are car title loans, car equity loans, auto title loans, auto equity loans different kinds of loans?

3. Can I keep driving my car while I have an auto title loan?

4. How much money can I borrow?

5. How much does my car have to be worth to get a car title loan?

6. Does my car need to be paid off?

7. What are the other requirements to get a car title loan?

8. I cannot find the car title, can I still get a car title loan?

9. My car is not currently registered in California, what should I do to get a car title loan?

10. Can I still get a car title loan if someone else’s name is on the title with mine?

11. What documents do I need to get a car title loan?

12. Can I be on disability or retirement?

13. How long does it take to get a car title loan?

14. Can I do anything I want with the money I get?

15. How do I apply for a car title loan?

16. How do I complete a car title loan with BSL if I don’t want to go to one of your offices?

17. How much does it cost to get a loan?

18. Will my loan have prepayment penalties?

19. Will you get a credit report on me?

20. I have bad credit. Can I still get a loan?

21. Can I have a co-signer on my loan?

22. How secure is my information?

23. I'm worried about putting my Social Security Number in your online form. What alternatives are there for me to apply for a loan?

 

What is a Car Title Loan?

A car title loan is a loan that is based on the trade-in value of your car and is secured by your car as collateral. The lender, BSL Financial Services, Inc. in our case, is put on the car’s title as a lien holder. You get to keep driving your car while you have the loan, just like you did if you made payments on your car when you bought it. A car title loan is different than an auto pawn transaction, which requires you to leave your car with the pawn shop.

See About Car Title Loans for more details about how auto title loans work.

Are car title loans, car equity loans, auto title loans, auto equity loans different kinds of loans?

No. The same kind of loan goes by several other names including:

• pink slip loans (because the informal name for a car’s title in California is a pink slip);
• auto title loans (because auto is short for automobile and another name for car);
• automobile title loans (just the longer name for auto);
• car equity loans (because the amount you can borrow is based on the equity you have in your vehicle);
• auto equity loans (the reason should be obvious by now);
• cash for car title loans (because you receive cash for putting the lender on the car’s title as a lien holder);
• title loans (just drops the car or auto in front because they are the most common type of title loan);
• auto collateral loans (because your automobile is put up as collateral for the loan); and
• title loans with bad credit (because a car title loan can be issued if you have bad credit because your car is the collateral for the loan).

Can I keep driving my car while I have an auto title loan?

Yes. We’ll only keep the car title and put BSL on it as the lien holder. It’s pretty much the same as financing a car when you first buy it: you drive the car and make regular payments to the lender.

How much money can I borrow?

You can borrow from $2,525 up to $25,000, depending on the value of your car, how much money you owe on your car, and our assessment of your ability to repay the loan. We do not want you to borrow more money than you can repay. It's bad for you and it's bad for us. Fill out the Qualification Form at the top right on this page to see how much you may be eligible to borrow on your car*.

How much does my car have to be worth to get a car title loan?

Your car must have equity (the value of your car minus what you owe on it) of at least $3,200 to be eligible for a car title loan.

To see if your car is eligible for an auto title loan, please fill out and submit the Qualification Form at the top right on this page. We'll tell you if your car has enough equity to be eligible for an auto title loan and, if so, what the maximum loan we would make on your car is*.

Does my car need to be paid off?

No. Even if you have another car title loan on your vehicle, you may still qualify for a pink slip loan from us. Call to find out if your situation qualifies.

What are the other requirements to get a car title loan?

Other requirements to get a California car title loan include:

• Your car must be registered in California
• Your car must not have a Salvage title
• You must have a valid driver’s license
• Your income must be over $1,000/month
• You cannot have an open bankruptcy (a closed bankruptcy is OK)

BSL Financial Services is an equal opportunity lender, which means that we do not discriminate based on race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or any protected basis. We will make the final decision about approving your loan based on the equity in your car, your ability, as we see it, to repay the loan, and other information you provide. Contact us if you have any questions.

I cannot find the car title, can I still get a car title loan?

Yes. If you’ve lost the title, we will help you complete your loan and obtain a new title. If you don’t have the title because there is already another lien holder on the vehicle, we will work with them to get your title, if we approve your loan.

My car is not currently registered in California, what should I do to get a car title loan?

Call us before you go to the DMV to register your car. If you qualify for a car title loan, we’ll walk you through the process of getting your car registered with BSL as a lien holder at the same time as you register it; this can save you weeks in being able to get a loan using your car as collateral.

Can I still get a car title loan if someone else’s name is on the title with mine?

Yes. For example, if the title is in the names of “John and Mary Smith” or “John/Mary Smith” then either both John and Mary will need to apply for the loan or the person who doesn’t want to be on the loan will need to sign a release to allow the car to be used as collateral. If the title reads "John or Mary Smith" then either John or Mary may apply for the loan without the other being involved at all. Please call us so we can help you apply appropriately and save you time.

What documents do I need to get a car title loan?

You will need the following documents to get a car title loan (call us if you have any questions):

• Your valid driver’s license
• Your California car title (also known as a pink slip) – front and back must be submitted
• Your current California car registration
• Proof of car insurance
• Proof of residence (a utility bill with your name and service address on it from the past 30 days, mortgage statement, rental agreement, or similar)
• Proof of income
  • Most recent pay stub (at least 2 preferred), if you are employed
  • If you are self-employed:
    • Most recent bank statement, and
    • First two pages of your most recend Federal income tax filing
  • If you want other income counted, proof of other sources of income

Can I be on disability or retirement?

Yes. You just need enough regular income so that you can make your monthly payments on the loan and live on the rest. Call us if you have any questions about this.

How long does it take to get a car title loan?

This depends on the time of day you start the process and the completeness of your application and additional documentation. We can issue your loan in one hour or less. If you walk into one of our offices, you can walk out with a check, or we can make an electronic deposit to your bank account, if you want.

Can I do anything I want with the money I get?

Yes. There are no restrictions on what you can do with the money you borrow. You can use it to pay bills, for a medical emergency, to repair your house, to take a vacation, and for other things. We suggest you use it responsibly since you will need to repay it.

How do I apply for a car title loan?

There are three ways you can apply for a car title loan:

• Apply online. Start by filling out and submitting the Qualification Form on the top right on this page.
• Call one of our friendly staff at our toll-free number, 1-888-576-0288.
• Walk into one of our offices and fill out an application. Our friendly staff will answer your questions as you fill out the application. They will process your application quickly so you can walk out with the money from your loan.

How do I complete a car title loan with BSL if I don’t want to go to one of your offices?

That’s simple—we’ll come to you. Yes, we’ll send someone to your home or workplace to complete your loan and give you the money.

How much does it cost to get a loan?

It costs nothing to apply for a loan. If your application is not approved, you pay nothing. If you decide not to take the loan after your application is approved, you still pay nothing. You will be charged a one-time loan administration fee at the time your loan is funded. Also, there will be a DMV fee to get a new title with BSL Financial Services, Inc. as a lien holder on your car. All fees are fully disclosed in the promissory note, please read it before you sign it. We'll be glad to answer any questions you have before you sign your loan documents.

Will my loan have prepayment penalties?

No. We never charge a prepayment penalty. You can prepay any amount you want without a penalty. Look at Early Payments to see how you can take advantage of not having prepayment penalties and save money.

Will you get a credit report on me?

We will run a credit report on you. Even if you have bad credit or a past bankruptcy, you can still get a loan. Our car title loans do not have a credit score cut off. Just ask our current and past customers. We have made loans to people with poor credit history, good credit history, and thin credit files. BSL looks at all of the information you provide to make its own decision about approving a loan for you.

I have bad credit. Can I still get a loan?

Yes, you can still get a loan from BSL even if you have bad credit. We approve loans for people depending on the value of their car, their ability to repay, and the information they provide on their application.

Can I have a co-signer on my loan?

Yes. You may have a co-signer on your loan.

If you have a co-signer on the loan, we'll need an application from him or her as well as a copy of his or her driver's license, proof of residence, and proof of income. By the way, we keep all non-public personal information private and do not let the borrower know the co-signer's information and vice versa.

How secure is my information?

The security of your information is very important to us also. If our customers didn't trust us with their valuable information, we would be out of business. So here's what we do to protect your information:

• We do not store your information on our Web server computers.
• We use state-of-the-art Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption to protect the transmission of your information. Here's how SSL works - when you fill out a form on our Web site in your browser and click the Submit button, the information you entered is first encrypted while it is on your computer and then sent to our Web server computers. Our program on the Web server re-encrypts your information and sends it to another computer in a different location that is protected by a firewall, among other technologies. That's where we look at your information.
• We always shred any paper we have with customer information on it when we no longer need it.
• We comply with all Federal and California laws protecting your privacy.

See our Privacy Policy for more information regarding the privacy of your information.

I'm worried about putting my Social Security Number in your online form. What alternatives are there for me to apply for a loan?

The alternatives to entering your Social Security Number in our online form are:

• Call our toll-free phone number, 1-888-576-0288, and ask to get a blank loan application via email or give your application information to one of our friendly Loan Associates.
• After you receive your blank loan application, print it, fill it out, and fax it to us (see our Contact Us page for the number).
• Come into one of our offices where our friendly Loan Associates will handle your application (of course, you can get an application at one of our offices and fill it in right there).

* BSL reserves the right to make the final determination of the value of your vehicle for the purpose of a loan from us. Loans are subject to credit approval.