Services
Insurance
Loans
Repairs
Advice
About

Can a car title loan affect your credit score?

My credit score has dropped over the last few years and I’ve been working to improve it. A month or two ago, I applied for a personal loan but I was denied. Instead, I took out a car title loan. I’m about to pay off the title loan but I was curious. Does a title loan affect my credit score?

avatar
Jack Walsh · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Recognizing the importance of maintaining a good credit score and working to improve it is a savvy move for your finances!
Any loan you take out has the potential to affect your credit score. However, a title loan will rarely have any impact on your credit score.
Because car title loans use your car as collateral and repossessions only occur if you default on your payment, the lender usually doesn’t report loan progress to the credit bureaus.
Additionally, most car title loan companies repossess the vehicle rather than sell your debt to a collection agency. By not reporting loan progress or offloading the debt, your credit score is left untouched.
To build your credit, use a credit card to pay for your
car insurance
and pay off the balance in full each month. If you use your credit card and make payments on time, you can boost your credit score over time.
Insurance companies use credit as one of many factors when generating your rate. Once your credit has improved, download
Jerry
to compare quotes.
The Jerry app collects quotes from up to 50 top insurance companies like Travelers, Nationwide, and Progressive in seconds! They even help cancel your old policy once you select your preferred policy.
View full answer 
WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.

Join 4M+ members in lowering their car insurance

Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance

√
No long forms
√
No spam or unwanted phone calls
√
Quotes from top insurance companies
Find insurance savings