The lenders behind the Fresh Start Finance Program
Our dealerships work with automaker finance companies, banks, independent lenders and credit unions. Depending on the store, the vehicle and your credit file, your application can go to one or more of them.
Automaker finance companies
The finance companies of the brands our 14 dealerships sell. Which ones you see depends on the store and the vehicle.
Banks, independent lenders and credit unions
Lender names are the trademarks of their owners and are listed to show where an application can be sent. A listing doesn't mean a lender sponsors or endorses Clary Auto Credit or any dealership, or that it will approve any application. The lenders a dealership works with vary by store and change over time.
How one application can reach more than one lender
In the CFPB's words, this is dealer-arranged financing: the dealership arranges the loan and stands between you and whoever lends the money.
You pick a dealership
Answer the Fresh Start questions, choose your town and then the store. Its finance team gets in touch.
The finance team reads it first
Expect a call or an email about anything a lender will want to see, like a recent pay stub, a benefits letter or proof of where you live. List your income as it really is; a lender may ask you to prove it.
It goes out to lenders
Your credit application can go to one or more of the lenders above. When you apply, lenders check your credit.
Each lender makes its own call
A lender can approve the loan, decline it, or offer credit on different terms than you asked for, like a smaller amount. Regulation B calls that last one a counteroffer.
You read the terms before you sign
Truth in Lending disclosures show the APR, the finance charge, the total of payments and the amount financed before you're bound.
If every lender says no
Each lender that turns the application down has to send you a notice with its reasons, or explain how to ask for them (Regulation B).
Why volume matters
Across Longview, Moses Lake, Auburn, Yakima and Washougal, our finance teams send a steady flow of applications to the lenders we work with. That volume is how they learn what each lender looks for: the documents it asks for, what it wants to know about past credit trouble, and how it weighs the vehicle and the amount you borrow.
And where it stops
It means our finance teams can tell you up front what a lender is likely to need. It doesn't change any lender's rules, it doesn't let us decide for a lender, and it can't promise an outcome. Some applications are still declined, and approval is never guaranteed.
About the lenders
Does a lender being listed here mean it has a bad credit program?
No. The list shows where our dealerships can send an application. Each lender sets its own standards, and which lenders see your application depends on the dealership, the vehicle and your credit file.
Can I use my own bank or credit union instead?
Yes. The Washington Attorney General's office suggests getting a quote from a bank or credit union before you shop, and you can compare it with what the dealership arranges.
Does the dealership earn anything on the financing?
It can. The FTC explains that the APR you negotiate with a dealer usually includes an amount that compensates the dealer for handling the financing. You can negotiate the APR, and you can ask whether other lenders made offers.
See where your application can go
Answer a few questions and pick a dealership. Its finance team takes it from there.