You’ve done your research, checked your credit reports to make sure they’re accurate, and you’re ready to get serious about buying a car. You feel more than ready to sign on the dotted line and drive home in your new ride.
It could happen. Or, you could drive home in your old vehicle, kicking yourself for having forgotten one of the documents you need to finalize the purchase. Here’s how to lay the groundwork for getting the deal done on the day you’re ready to buy.
Four Steps to Prepare to Buy a Car
Step 1:
You’ll want to talk to your insurance agent about what it will cost to insure the make and model you are considering buying. You don’t want that figure to be a surprise, and you also want to find out how soon you will need to notify your insurer you have the new vehicle.
Step 2:
Talk to your bank or credit union and get pre-approved for the loan you’ll need—and do this close to your planned purchase date. You may get something resembling a blank check (up to a certain maximum) that must be signed by you and the dealer. By getting pre-approved, you will know the total loan amount and interest rate you qualify for. Even if you plan to finance at the dealer, it can’t hurt to come in with a pre-approval; you are far less likely to agree to a longer term or higher interest rate because you really want to drive that new car home today. It can also help you stay within your budget by serving as a solid reminder of how much you planned to spend and how long you were willing to make payments — before the showroom floor made it so hard to remember.
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Make sure you have your driver’s license and proof of auto insurance with you. You shouldn’t be driving without these documents anyway.
Step 4:
Obvious as this seems, be sure you have a way of funding your down payment. If it’s not cash, make sure the dealer accepts the form of payment you’re planning to use. (If you forget to do this, you would not be the first, but that would be little consolation.)
Expert Tip: Be cautious about having your credit pulled unnecessarily. Each inquiry made for the purpose of extending credit can cause a small, temporary decrease in your credit score. And while inquiries for the purpose of getting a car loan made in a two-week period should count as only one entry, we’ve heard from consumers who have told us their credit scores dropped as the result of multiple auto loan inquiries. Some dealerships now ask customers to fill out a credit application even before a test drive, and there are reports that some have checked credit without customer consent. It can help to keep an eye on your credit through this process for this reason. Hard inquiries into your credit require permission, and it can be illegal for your credit to be pulled without your approval in this manner. You can get a credit report summary and two credit scores, updated monthly for free on Credit.com, to track your standing.
Can You Purchase a Car with a Credit Card?
Speaking of your down payment, you may have wondered if this can be charged to a credit card — or if the entire car can be paid that way. The answer is yes and no. It is possible that the dealership will not accept a credit card payment for the car, as this can come with large merchant fees that lower their profits. However, if your credit is in good standing, then it is still possible.
A better option would be to use your credit card for just the down payment. Not only is this better for your credit, since using all of your available $10,000–$15,000 credit limit can damage your credit score, but it’s more likely to be accepted by the dealer.
Finally, you’ll want to use a credit card that has excellent benefits. An appropriate credit card can earn you big rewards on your car purchase or other auto-related purchases. We have given you a couple examples of worthy rewards cards below.
Planning to Trade In Your Car? Don’t Forget These Items for the Dealership
If you plan to trade in a car, you have a bit more to do.
You will need to bring the following items to the dealership:
Your car’s certificate of title (If it has gone missing, your state department of motor vehicles can tell you how to get it replaced.)
The car’s current registration
Your car keys and the owner’s manual
Your account number or a payment stub if you still have a car loan (We’re going to hope that if this is the case, your car is worth more than you owe.)
A clean car, paying special attention to areas out of sight but convenient for stashing things: under seats, over the visors, in the glovebox and in every corner of the trunk
Besides a new car, expect to come home with a good bit of paperwork. Pay special attention to the purchase and sale agreement. You will need the information there to get or update your insurance — and you might even need it at tax time next year if you bought a car that qualifies for a tax credit.
What Do I Need to Apply for an Auto Loan?
While you won’t need to drive all the way to a dealership to get an auto loan (you can simply apply online), you will still need some important documents in front of you to easily fill out the application.
What do you need?
Proof of identity through an ID or passport
Your credit report, which the lender can pull using your name, address, date of birth and social security number
A valid state-issued driver’s license
Proof of monthly income through pay stubs or social security income receipts
Proof of residence through mortgage statements or utility bills
Contact information for personal references (note: this may not be required)
Vehicle make and model
Proof of car insurance
Payment type (cash, credit, debit, etc.)
Your car’s registration if you are trading in the vehicle
The list is rather long, but having each document will speed up the process and prevent you from going back and forth between your files.
Get Your Auto Loan and Car with the Help of Credit.com
Make sure that you can qualify for an auto loan by checking your free credit score, provided through Experian. From there, you can apply for your auto loan with confidence and compare credit cards that can help you finance your new car.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my credit rating affect my auto insurance rates?
You should choose auto insurance coverage based on your credit rating and overall coverage needs. Check out Credit.com for car insurance quotes and to compare rates.
How can I find a credit card with a low interest rate to charge my car purchase?
We don’t recommend that you put your entire purchase onto your credit card, but there are cards with low APR or no APR for up to 15 months available to compare. If you can pay off the remaining balance during this period, then these credit cards may be for you.
How good should my credit be to get a credit card that is appropriate for a car purchase?
You mentioned that hard inquiries can affect my credit score. What is a hard inquiry?
A hard inquiry is a credit check that indicates you have applied for credit, usually through a loan. Each time a hard inquiry is pulled from a different lender, your credit score can drop by up to 10 points, because it indicates that a lender has reviewed your credit and that you are trying to open up a new line of credit.
Note: At publishing time, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and American Express Green card are offered through Credit.com product pages, and Credit.com is compensated if our users apply and ultimately sign up for this card. This content is not provided by the card issuer(s). Any opinions expressed are those of Credit.com alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuer(s).
Note: It’s important to remember that interest rates, fees and terms for credit cards, loans and other financial products frequently change. As a result, rates, fees and terms for credit cards, loans and other products cited in these articles may have changed since the date of publication. Please be sure to verify current rates, fees and terms with credit card issuers, banks or other financial institutions directly.
According to Kelley Blue Book, the average price for a light vehicle in the United States was almost $38,000 in March 2020. Of course, the sticker price will depend on whether you want a small economy car, a luxury midsize sedan, an SUV or something in between. But the total you pay for a vehicle also depends on a number of other factors if you’re taking out a car loan.
Get the 4-1-1 on financing a car so you can make the best decision for your next vehicle purchase.
Decide Whether to Finance a Car
Whether or not you should finance your next vehicle purchase is a personal decision. Most people finance because they don’t have an extra $20,000 to $50,000 they want to part with. But if you have the cash, paying for the car outright is the most economical way to purchase it.
For most people, deciding whether to finance a car comes down to a few considerations:
Do you need the vehicle enough to warrant making a monthly payment on it for several years?
Is the deal, including the interest rate, appropriate?
Factors to Consider When Financing a Car
Obviously, the first thing to consider is whether you can afford the vehicle. But to understand that, you need to consider a few factors.
Total purchase price. Total purchase price is the biggest impact on how much you’ll pay for the car. It includes the price of the car plus any add-ons that you’re financing. Depending on the state and your own preferences, that might include extra options on the vehicle, taxes and other fees and warranty coverage.
Interest rate, or APR. The interest rate is typically the second biggest factor in how much you’ll pay overall for a car you finance. APR sounds complex, but the most important thing is that the higher it is, the more you pay over time. Consider a $30,000 car loan for five years with an interest rate of 6%—you pay a total of $34,799 for the vehicle. That same loan with a rate of 9% means you pay $37,365 for the car.
The terms. A loan term refers to the length of time you have to pay off the loan. The longer you extend terms, the less your monthly payment is. But the faster you pay off the loan, the less interest you pay overall. Edmunds notes that the current average for car loans is 72 months, or six years, but it recommends no more than five years for those who can make the payments work.
It’s important to consider the practical side of your vehicle purchase. If you take out a car loan for eight years, is your car going to still be in good working order by the time you get to the last few years? If you’re not careful, you could be making a large monthly payment while you’re also paying for car repairs on an older car.
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You can buy a car anytime if you have the cash for the purchase. If you have no credit or bad credit, your options for financing a car might be limited. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get a car loan without credit.
Many banks and lenders are willing to work with people with limited credit histories. Your interest rate will likely be higher than someone with excellent credit can command, though. And you might be limited on how much you can borrow, so you probably shouldn’t start looking at luxury SUVs. One tip for increasing your chances is to put as much cash down as you can when you buy the car.
If you can’t get a car loan on your own, you might consider a cosigner. There are pros and cons to asking someone else to sign on your loan, but it can get you into the credit game when the door is otherwise barred.
Personal Loans v. Car Loans: Which One Is Better?
Many people wonder if they should use a personal loan to buy a car or if there is really any difference between these types of financing. While technically a car loan is a loan you take out personally, it’s not the same thing as a personal loan.
Personal loans are usually unsecured loans offered over relatively short-term periods. The funds you get from a personal loan can typically be used for a variety of purposes and, in some cases, that might include buying a car. There are some great reasons to use a personal loan to buy a car:
If you’re buying a car from a private seller, a personal loan can hasten the process.
Traditional auto loans typically require full coverage insurance for the vehicle. A personal loan and liability insurance may be less expensive.
Lenders typically aren’t interested in financing cars that aren’t in driving shape, so if you’re buying a project car to work on in your garage during your downtime, a personal loan may be the better option.
But personal loans aren’t necessarily tied to the car like an auto loan is. That means the lender doesn’t necessarily have the ability to repossess the car if you stop paying the loan. Since that increases the risk for the lender, they may charge a higher interest rate on the loan than you’d find with a traditional auto loan. Personal loans typically have shorter terms and lower limits than auto loans as well, potentially making it more difficult for you to afford a car using a personal loan.
Steps You Should Follow When Financing a Car
Before you jump in and apply for that car loan, review these six steps you should take first.
1. Check your credit to understand whether you are likely to be approved for a loan. Your credit also plays a huge role in your interest rate. If your credit is too low and your interest rate would be prohibitively high, it might be better to wait until you can build or repair your credit before you get an auto loan. Sign up for ExtraCredit to see 28 of your FICO scores from all three credit bureaus.
2. Research auto loan options to find the ones that are right for you. Avoid applying too many times, as these hard inquiries can drag your credit score down with hard inquiries. The average auto loan interest rate is 27% on 60-month loans (as of April 13, 2020).
3. Get your trade-in appraised. The dealership might give you money toward your trade-in. That reduces the price of the car you purchase, which reduces how much you need to borrow. A few thousand dollars can mean a more affordable loan or even the difference between being approved or not.
4. Get prequalified for a loan online. While most dealers will help you apply for a loan, you’re in a better buying position if you walk into the dealership with funding ready to go. Plus, if you’re prequalified, you have a good idea what you can get approved for, so there are fewer surprises.
5. Buy from a trusted dealer. Unfortunately, there are dealerships and other sellers that prey on people who need a car badly. They may charge high interest or sell you a car that’s not worth the money you pay. No matter your financial situation, always try to work with a dealership that you can trust.
6. Talk to your car insurance company. Different cars will carry different car insurance premiums. Make a call to your insurance company prior to the sale to discuss potential rate changes so you’re not surprised by a higher premium after the fact.
Next to buying a home, buying a car is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll make in your life, and you’ll likely do it more than once. Make sure you understand the ins and outs of financing a car before you start the process.
Identity thieves are almost always opportunistic—but the crimes they commit feel very personal. Unauthorized credit card charges, bogus loan applications, missing money, and other financial violations make fraud a major nightmare. To keep fraud in check, you need to know how to check your credit report for identity theft, and how to deal with problems when they arise.
In this post, we’ll talk about the warning signs of identity theft—and then we’ll show you how to stamp out fraud before it starts.
Warning Signs of Identity Theft
How Do I Check My Credit for Identity Theft?
To avoid falling victim to identity theft, examine your credit report regularly. You can access a free copy of your credit report from all three bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—once a year. (Through April 2022, you can get free weekly copies of your reports.) You can also use a tool like Credit.com’s Credit Report Card or ExtraCredit to monitor your credit.
When you download your credit report with ExtraCredit, you’ll see a list of positive accounts, late accounts, collections, public records, inquiries and account balances. Your credit report contains a lot of information about you and about your financial habits, and if that information changes unexpectedly, it can indicate identity theft. Here are five of the biggest fraud warning signs to watch out for.
Warning Sign 1: Incorrect Personal Information
Sometimes, incorrect personal information is the result of an innocent mistake. Other times, it means something sinister is going on. If you see your name misspelled, a wrong phone number or address, or an incorrect Social Security number on your credit report, investigate immediately.
I just watched a documentary on the dark web, and I will never feel safe using my credit card again!
Luckily I don’t have to worry about that. I have ExtraCredit, so I get $1,000,000 ID protection and dark web scans.
I need that peace of mind in my life. What else do you get with ExtraCredit?
It’s basically everything my credit needs. I get 28 FICO® scores, rent and utility reporting, cash rewards and even a discount to one of the leaders in credit repair.
It’s settled; I’m getting ExtraCredit tonight. Totally unrelated, but any suggestions for my new fear of sharks? I watched that documentary too.
…we live in Oklahoma.
Warning Sign 2: Lender Inquiries You Don’t Recognize
Credit bureaus keep the details of companies who ask for information about you on record for at least two years. Promotional inquiries and account review inquiries are nothing to worry about, because they’re preapproved credit offer inquiries or inquiries by companies you already do business with.
Hard enquiries from companies you don’t recognize are a different matter. Sometimes, fraudsters make a lot of credit card and personal loan applications in a short period of time, so if you see a recent list of unknown inquiries, someone might be trying to steal your identity.
Tip:Sometimes, the name of a financial institution doesn’t precisely match the name of the company checking your credit. Car dealerships, for example, sometimes run a series of credit checks via different finance companies—so it’s worth double checking before filing a fraud complaint.
Warning Sign 3: Accounts You Never Opened
Only your own accounts—including accounts that you’ve cosigned and for which you’re an authorized user—should appear on your credit report. If you find an unknown account on your credit report, one of two things has happened:
Your credit information has been commingled with someone else’s information by mistake
Your credit has been compromised by a fraudster
If you find an unknown account on your credit report, contact the relevant lender right away and tell them what’s going on.
Warning Sign 4: You Credit Utilization Goes Up
If you suddenly owe more than before and you haven’t changed your spending habits, someone else might be splurging on your behalf. Check your credit card statement very carefully and flag any suspicious transactions straight away. Most credit card companies have a maximum 120-day limit for chargebacks, so it’s important to review purchases regularly.
Warning Sign 5: Your Score Goes Up or Down Unexpectedly
Credit scores change over time. When negative information falls off your credit report after a certain period of time, your score increases. On the other hand, if you apply for too many loans or credit cards in a short space of time, your credit score could take a hit. If your credit score changes dramatically—especially if it’s for the worse—dig deeper.
Warning Sign 6: Public Records You Don’t Recognize
Negative public records can substantially impact your creditworthiness. Bankruptcies, for instance, often remain on record for up to a decade. If you see public records you don’t recognize, alert the issuing agency without delay.
Tip:Liens and civil court judgments used to appear on credit reports, but credit bureaus no longer collect information about those types of public records. Bankruptcies are now the only public records included on credit reports.
Can Someone Steal Your Identity with Your Credit Report?
Your credit report contains a lot of personal information, so it’s a goldmine for identity thieves. With a copy of your report in hand, a potential fraudster might be able to see:
Full name
Birth date
Social Security number
Current and past home addresses
Phone number
Accounts held in your name
Payment records
Public records, including bankruptcies
Many other valuable personal and financial details
Credit report content sometimes varies according to the credit bureau.
If thieves need more information after accessing your credit report, they often choose to misrepresent themselves to get it. Phishing and smishing scams are when criminals pretend to be legitimate financial institutions—or government agencies like the IRS—to get personal information from victims via email or text.
What Is the Safest Way to Check My Credit Report?
You can check your credit report quickly and easily with Credit.com’s ExtraCredit monitoring service. ExtraCredit includes five helpful tools, which help you monitor, build, earn, protect, and restore your credit profile. Two tools in particular can help you avoid or combat identity fraud: Track It and Guard It.
Track It
With ExtraCredit’s Track It tool, you get access to all three credit bureau reports. You can also monitor 28 FICO® scores—the real scores lenders see when they consider auto loan, credit card, and mortgage applications. Track It also includes a helpful credit monitoring tool, which gets updated every month. If something suspicious happens, you’ll notice right away.
Guard It
Many hackers sell consumer information on the dark web. Nefarious individuals use software, specific net configurations, or special authorizations to access the dark web. Thankfully, ExtraCredit’s Guard It tool actively monitors the dark web for consumer information and sends out security alerts when data breaches happen. You also get a $1 million ID insurance policy when you sign up with ExtraCredit.
Get Identity Theft Protection
Identity theft is a big problem in the United States. There were 650,572 cases of identity theft in America in 2019—and over 270,000 of those cases involved credit card fraud. If you see an unknown address or notice an unknown credit card on your credit report, flag it up right away. Tools like ExtraCredit from Credit.com make it easier to monitor your report on a monthly basis, so you can rest more easily.
In July 2016, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and VantageScore Solutions reported that most consumers—more than 80%—knew basic facts about their credit scores, including that credit scores are used by lenders to approve or deny mortgages and by credit card issuers to approve or deny credit cards.
While it’s good that most people know the importance of credit scores, the same survey found that many consumers don’t understand credit score details. In other words, about how personal credit works and how credit scores work still confuses people.
How Are Credit Scores Created?
When you borrow money, whether through a revolving account, like credit cards, or an installment account, like an auto loan or student loan, the information is gathered by the credit bureaus. The data the bureaus keep in your credit files is the date used to calculate your credit scores.
When you apply for a loan or card, the bank or issuer may look at just your credit score or at your entire credit file. There are five major areas of information in your credit file that are used to calculate your score:
Payment history
Debt usage, also known as your credit utilization ratio
Age of credit accounts
Types of accounts or account mix
The number of hard inquiries on your credit, not soft inquiries
A good credit score includes a healthy mix of all these factors. Each factor though weighs differently toward a score. Payment history makes up 35% of your score. Debt usage 30%, credit age 15%, and account mix and credit inquiries each make up about 10% of your score.
How Are Credit Scores Used?
You have multiple scores and types of scores and there are different scoring models. The resulting scores and your credit file are used to determine your risk factor for future loans. The three-digit score is a numerical representation that indicates how risky a borrower you are from a lender’s perspective.
Score ranges break down as follows:
Excellent credit: 750+
Good credit: 700-749
Fair credit: 650-699
Poor credit: 600-649
Bad credit: below 600
A higher credit score—roughly 700 or above—can result in your getting approved for better terms and conditions. For example, your credit reports and/or scores impact the deals and interest rate you get when you buy a home, finance a car, rent an apartment, apply for a job, buy insurance, purchase a cell phone or open a new credit card.
The best way to improve your credit score or maintain it is to be responsible with the credit cards and loans you have. Remember those five factors mentioned a minute ago? This is where they come into play—things like making loan and credit card payments on time each month and maintaining a good debt usage or a credit utilization rate—the amount of debt, including credit card debt, you have in relation to your overall credit limit—can help you reach the credit score you’re after.
Using credit irresponsibly by making late payments and maxing out credit limits can have an affect your credit negatively and lower your credit score.
How Does Credit Reporting Work?
The credit reporting system includes three main players:
Consumers
Credit bureaus
Financial companies, such as banks, lenders and credit card issuers
Information about your credit cards, loan accounts and credit inquiries is reported electronically to the three main national credit bureaus—TransUnion, Equifax and Experian—by lenders and creditors roughly every 30 days. The bureaus collect and store your credit information in your credit file for future reference. Meaning, your behaviors can be reviewed in the future by others to determine your risk level.
Businesses, such as auto loan lenders, banks, credit unions, credit card companies and insurance agencies—even employers—use your credit data from the credit bureaus to determine your risk level. Once they have an idea of how risky it is to lend you money, they determine the rates you have to pay or other terms and conditions. Or, they may determine not to loan you money or give you a credit card at all. They may also use this information to send you pre-approved offers in the mail.
The three national credit reporting agencies don’t share information with each other and not all lenders or creditors report to each. As such, your credit reports from TransUnion, Equifax and Experian can contain different information about you. So, it’s important to monitor all three reports because you can never be sure which one will be used when you apply for a new account. You also want to make sure you review them for any errors that are damaging your scores. Learn more about how to dispute an error on your credit reports.
Are Creditors Required to Report to Credit Bureaus?
Not all creditors report your account information to the credit bureaus. And they’re not required to. While businesses are legally required to report accurate information, there’s no law that says they have to report at all. While nearly every major creditor reports to all three bureaus, smaller lenders and banks may not send your monthly account information to all three or any of the credit bureaus.
What’s On Credit Reports?
Along with your credit card and loan account records, basic information about you, like your name, address and recent applications, is recorded in your credit files. Public records such as bankruptcies, tax liens and judgments can also appear on your reports.
Information about your income, race, gender, age, religion or health details isn’t included on credit reports.
Most information expires from your credit reports after 7 to 10 years, but when information expires can vary depending on the circumstance. It’s important to keep the information on your credit reports positive and accurate. And if there’s something inaccurate on your credit reports, you can file a dispute with one or more of the credit reporting bureaus to try and have it removed from your file.
Find Out Where You Stand
Finding out how credit works is important. And now that you’ve done that, you likely want to know where you stand. You can get your free Experian credit score and a free credit report card on Credit.com.
Your report card includes including a grade for each area that makes up your scores. You see how your payment history, debt and other factors affect your scores, and get recommendations for ways to improve each area if needed.
Your report card is updated every two weeks, so you can check your credit regularly and ensure nothing unexpected pops up. An unexpected change in your score can indicate an issue, such as potential identity theft.
Buying a house and getting a mortgage is a big investment– and not only for you.
When you choose a mortgage lender and are approved for your home loan, your lender is agreeing to lend you all funds necessary to cover your home purchase. Because a house is a high-cost purchase, lenders want to guarantee that you’re not a “risky borrower.” Lenders want to know that you’ll be able to make your monthly payments on time and in full.
How do lenders decide whether you’re a risk?
In most cases, mortgage lenders, or their underwriters, to be exact, will take a look at how well you’ve managed debt in the past, and how well you’re managing debt currently.
So, having debt can be a good thing.
This may seem counterintuitive because if you’re buying a house, you’d want to save as much money as you can. And you probably wouldn’t want your money tied up in other debts, right?
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Yes, saving money is always a good idea. But having some debt before buying your house can actually be an important factor in getting approved for a mortgage.
Why Debt Matters
To see how well you manage your debts, mortgage underwriters will take a detailed look at your credit score/credit history and your debt-to-income ratio (DTI).
Generally, you’ll want to have a high credit score and a low DTI. A high credit score indicates that you manage your debts responsibly. A low DTI indicates that you don’t have too much of your income tied up in paying off those debts.
Let’s take a closer look at both factors:
Your Credit Score
Each factor in your credit score is defined by debt. And to create and increase your credit score, you need to take on debt and manage it responsibly.
Your credit score is usually impacted by the following five factors:
Payment history — Your payment track record is the most important factor considered in your credit score. Lenders want to know if you’re a trustworthy borrower. And so, they want to see if you make on-time payments on other debts.
Credit utilization (or amounts owed) — Owing money on your credit cards, in particular, is not a bad thing. But, if you’re using too much at one time, underwriters might take that to mean that you’re overextending yourself financially.
Length of credit history — A longer credit history is favorable. But if your credit history is limited, you won’t necessarily be disqualified from borrowing money.
Credit mix — Underwriters want to see how you manage different types of debt.
New credit — If you’ve opened multiple credit accounts at one time, this is a red flag for underwriters because it can suggest that you’re in financial distress.
For a mortgage, you’ll typically need a credit score of at least 620 for a conventional loan. But, it could be best to shoot for a credit score of 700 or above. A higher credit score increases your chances of approval, and also increases the loan amount that you’ll be approved for. But a high credit score could also help you secure a lower mortgage rate, which could save you a significant amount of money over the life of your home loan.
Your Debt-to-Income Ratio (DTI)
Your DTI is a percentage representing how much of your income is put towards paying down debts. Since a mortgage is such a large investment, and your monthly payments could be fairly substantial, underwriters want to make sure that you’ll be able to make those payments. So, the lower your DTI, the better.
In general, a DTI of 36% or lower is ideal. In fact, a DTI above 50% most likely won’t be approved (although there are exceptions).
To calculate your DTI, simply divide your monthly debts by your monthly gross income. If your resulting percentage is higher than 50%, you’ll want to work on paying off some of your debts.
Debt Management Tips
Whether you’d like to reduce your debt before buying a house or just want to maintain a solid credit score by making consistent credit payments, knowing how to manage your debt could help you qualify for a mortgage. And it can also reduce your own stress levels.
The following tips can help you manage debt before buying a house, and could also be helpful once you’ve purchased your dream home and are in the thick of making mortgage payments:
Look at Your Credit Report
Your credit health is an important qualifying factor for a mortgage. So, it can be a good idea to take a look at your credit report to ensure that everything has been reported correctly and that there aren’t any errors. You wouldn’t want your credit score to be negatively impacted because of mistakes in your credit report.
You can order your credit report from any of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion using annualcreditreport.com. Or you can even get your free credit report card here on Credit.com.
Once you have your credit report it is important to look at the following:
Your personal information
Your credit accounts
Credit inquiries
If you see any errors or inconsistencies anywhere in your credit report, these can be challenged with the credit bureau that created the report.
Consolidate Your Debt
If you find that you’re making payments on various loans and/or credit accounts, it could save you money (and save you from stress) to consolidate your debts into one. This way, you’re only paying interest on one debt instead of multiple. Therefore, you won’t have multiple payments to keep track of.
Related Read: What Is a Debt Consolidation Loan and How Can You Get One?
Don’t Make Drastic Changes to Your Credit
It can be tempting to pay off debts right before applying for a mortgage. However, doing so could actually hurt your credit score. When you pay off a debt, your credit score will actually drop temporarily.
On the flip side, if you’re trying to build credit and try to open multiple credit cards, or take on other debt before applying for a loan, this will also take a hit on your credit score. Not to mention that seeing a lot of change and new debt before applying for a mortgage is a red flag to underwriters. It can indicate you might not be financially prepared to take on a mortgage.
Make a Budget
Whenever a financial discussion is taking place, budgets are bound to come up. While the concept of making a budget might seem obvious and over-shared, it’s a great way to track your expenses and ensure that you’re meeting all your financial expectations and needs. There are a lot of costs involved with buying a house. So, you’ll want to make sure that you can afford them.
In this case, creating a budget can help you map out your current debts and other expenses in relation to your income. This allows you to see what’s happening and adjust as needed. A budget can give you the peace of mind that you’re not overspending, and are still able to meet all your other financial responsibilities.
Build Your Emergency Fund
Building your emergency fund before getting a mortgage may be one of the most important things you can do. You never know what expenses might arise once you purchase your house, and you don’t want all your money tied up in your mortgage payment and other monthly payments if, for example, your roof needs to be repaired or you encounter water damage.
It’s often encouraged to set aside three to six months worth of expenses in an emergency fund.
The Bottom Line
Buying a house is a big purchase, and it can be daunting to think of getting a mortgage if you are trying to pay down student loans, an auto loan, credit cards, etc. To help you save money and save you from stress, work on paying down other debts so you can be confident in your ability to make mortgage payments and enjoy your new home.
However, you don’t need to be debt-free to buy a house. In fact, some well-managed debt can boost your credit score, showing mortgage underwriters that you are a responsible borrower.
That doesn’t mean that you need to dig yourself into a hole of debt that you’ll never crawl out of. By taking the time to create a budget or analyze your credit report, you can see how you’re doing financially and where some changes can be made. Perhaps you could consolidate some of your existing debt, or you could completely pay off some of your debts.
In the end, you just want to make sure that you’re comfortable taking on a mortgage and can afford to do so.
Our experts answer readers’ home-buying questions and write unbiased product reviews (here’s how we assess mortgages). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own.
The Federal Reserve stated after its September meeting that it would not raise the federal funds rate this time. Before inflation and high interest rates, mortgage rates were around 3% and now they can be as high as nearly 7%.
The higher interest rates have made many potential homeowners press pause, but are interest rates the only thing you should be watching when considering a home purchase?
It’s not just the buying of the home that should be the focus, but also the reality of owning it. If your budget isn’t ready for that, maybe buying a home isn’t the right choice.
Here are three signs that you cannot afford a home right now:
1. You don’t have any emergency savings
Saving for a down payment on a home can take a lot of time and resources, but when you do buy your home, it shouldn’t wipe you out financially. While you are saving to buy, you should still be building (or maintaining) your emergency fund.
Having cash on hand for unexpected emergencies and expenses is crucial and even more so when you own a home. Imagine my shock when I woke up one morning and the tree in my yard had fallen and landed on my neighbor’s car. I needed money immediately to take care of that situation.
SoFi Checking and Savings is one of the best checking account options if you want to keep your savings and checking with one bank SoFi offers Money Vaults, a tool that can help you save for individual goals.
2. You’re only expecting a mortgage payment
When thinking about purchasing a home, the amount of the mortgage payment seems to be the only thing anyone considers. You can even use online mortgage calculators to determine what your monthly payment will be based on interest rate and down payment variables.
But there is more to owning a home than the monthly payment. Once you are in the house, there are hidden expenses of homeownership. There are property taxes, homeowners insurance, maintenance, and more.
This is what is called the true cost of ownership. When you add up everything, it can be significantly more than just the mortgage payment. Make sure you run the numbers and determine if you can afford it all.
3. You have significant debt already
In reality, everyone seems to be carrying some form of debt. No, you do not have to be debt-free to purchase a home, but if you are carrying significant credit card debt or student loans, adding a monthly payment to your mortgage lender may not be right for you right now.
This is where the difference between renting and buying will come into play. If you are renting and student loan payments resume or you find yourself in a situation where affordability is an issue, you can move or you can try to negotiate down the rent on your apartment.
But when you own a home, there is much less wiggle room. To move, means you have to sell your home — and it is really hard to change your mortgage payment.
If you have significant debt, maybe wait to purchase a home until that debt is paid off.
Debt consolidation can be a useful tool to help pay down existing debt at a lower interest rate. Many of the best personal loans will allow you to check your personalized loan rates before you apply, allowing you to protect your credit score against unwanted hard inquiries. Get prequalified for loans without impacting your credit score.
Jennifer Streaks
Senior Personal Finance Reporter and Spokesperson
Jennifer is a Senior Personal Finance Reporter and Spokesperson for the Personal Finance vertical at Business Insider. She started her career covering personal finance at Black Enterprise Magazine, went on to CNBC where she covered personal finance, women and money and tech and then Forbes, where she reported on personal finance, business, tech and money matters related to the economy, investing, credit and entrepreneurship. Jennifer is also the author of Thrive!…Affordably: Your Month to Month Guide to living your Best Life without breaking the bank. The book offers advice, tips and financial management lessons geared towards helping the reader highlight strengths, identify missteps and take control of their finances. In addition, she has extensive experience as an on-air financial commentator and has been a featured expert discussing credit and savings, investing and retirement, mortgages and all things money and personal finance. She has an ability to discuss and simplify complex financial issues and make them easier to understand.
Good credit requires responsible financial management over a period of time. However, there are some tactics you can try that help build your credit as fast as possible, if not exactly overnight. Find out more about these tips below.
In This Piece
Add Rent and Utility Payments
Your credit report and score are meant to help demonstrate whether you can manage money responsibly. But not every bill you manage gets reported to the credit bureaus.
Most landlords don’t send payment information to the credit bureaus, for example. And utility providers usually only report when you’ve defaulted on a bill. If you’re looking for how to increase your credit score quickly, getting these timely payments added to your report can be a good idea.
ExtraCredit lets you link rent and utility payments as trade lines to be reported to the credit bureaus. You can access this perk via the service’s Build It function to establish your credit by increasing your history of timely payments.
Pay Down Debt
Paying down debt is potentially one of the best things you can do for your credit. That’s because when you pay down revolving credit, you reduce your credit utilization, which has a big impact on your credit score.
It’s also helpful to pay down debt if you’ve fallen behind or have collection accounts on your credit report. Catching up past-due accounts and keeping up with them reflects positively on your score and can help you boost your credit.
Keep Utilization Low
Revolving credit includes credit cards, lines of credit and home equity lines of credit. Your credit utilization is a ratio of your total revolving credit balance compared to your total revolving credit limit.
For example, imagine you have two revolving credit accounts:
A credit card with a credit limit of $5,000 and a balance of $2,000
A line of credit with a limit of $5,000 and a balance of $1,000
You would have a total credit limit of $10,000 and a total balance of $3,000. That’s a credit utilization of 30%.
Credit utilization accounts for around 30% of your credit score. Keeping your credit utilization as low as possible—ideally below 30%—helps positively impact your scores.
Pay Bills on Time
Always pay all your bills on time. This is less a tip for boosting your credit overnight and more a tip on how not to wreck your credit overnight. One or two slips that lead to you paying bills 30 days or more past due can drastically and negatively impact your credit score.
Get a Secured Credit Card
A secured credit card is a card designed to help those with fair, poor, or bad credit build credit for the future. Getting one can help you boost your score.
Getting a credit card—and using it responsibly—can be a great way to boost your credit without actually going into debt. It might seem like a contradiction, but remember that a credit card doesn’t automatically mean debt. If you pay your balance off each month, you’re never in debt.
But you do still get some of the potential credit-boosting benefits of holding a credit card. The first is that your credit mix may be improved. Creditors like to see that you can manage multiple types of credit, and your credit score benefits when you have both installment and revolving credit.
Having a credit card also lets you address your credit utilization. If you have a credit card and you pay off the balance every month, you’ll have a lower credit utilization with a responsible payment history, which is good for your credit.
Get a Credit Builder Loan
If you already have a credit card, your credit mix might be suffering from the lack of an installment loan. Any type of installment loan—from a car loan to a personal loan—might benefit your credit score if you make your payments regularly and on time.
But for those who don’t have the credit history or score for a traditional installment loan, a savings-secured or credit-builder loan might be a good option. These loans often require deposits or savings accounts that you get back when you’re done paying for the loan, so they’re not loans designed specifically to provide for a financial need. They’re for the purpose of getting an installment loan and positive payment history on your report.
Become an Authorized User
If you don’t feel ready for your own credit card or can’t qualify for one, see if a family member will add you as an authorized user to their credit card account. Many banks and issuers report account activity to both the cardholder’s and authorized user’s credit report.
You do need to make sure you consider this option carefully. First, make sure the person you ask is responsible with their bills. If they pay their credit card bill late, you could end up with negative marks on your report.
Second, make sure the credit card company reports on authorized users. If the information doesn’t get added to your credit report, it can’t have an impact on your credit score.
Dispute Errors on Your Credit Report
Inaccurate items, such as a late payment reported when you never missed a payment, could unfairly bring your score down. Reviewing your reports and challenging errors may help improve your score. You can get a free credit report from each of the three bureaus every year at AnnualCreditReport.com. These are also available weekly for a limited time due to COVID-19.
In addition to rent and utility reporting, ExtraCredit shows you 28 of your FICO® scores and your credit reports from all three credit bureaus. You can check what’s showing up on your reports and what’s affecting your credit scores so you can follow up as necessary.
If you do find an error on your credit report during your investigation, be sure to challenge the accuracy of the error. Under law, you have a right to a credit report that’s fair and free of errors, so if information can’t be proved by the reporter, the credit bureaus may have to remove it.
Set Up Credit Monitoring Account
Invest in credit monitoring to take a proactive approach to protecting your score. By understanding exactly what’s going on with your report, you can address errors quickly and learn how your own actions impact your score. That helps you make potentially score-boosting decisions in the future.
Credit.com’s free Credit Report Card provides a snapshot of your credit report, with information about how you’re doing in the five critical areas for your score. Knowing how you’re doing can help you pinpoint areas that might need some help.
Don’t Close Accounts
This is another tip to keep from dragging down your credit score almost overnight. Keep credit cards and other revolving accounts open if you can, even if you aren’t using them. They can help reduce your credit utilization and increase your credit age, both of which are good for your score.
How Is Credit Score Calculated?
Understanding how your credit score is calculated helps you make good decisions that can boost your score. Credit scores are based on five factors:
Payment history, which is whether you pay your bills on time regularly
Credit utilization, which is how much of your open credit you’ve used
Credit age, which is the average age of your open accounts as well as how long you’ve had credit
Credit mix, which indicates you have a healthy mix of revolving and installment accounts
New credit, i.e., hard inquiries, which refers to whether a lot of lenders are checking your credit to evaluate you for loans
How Often Does Your Credit Score Update?
Credit scores typically update at least monthly, but big changes to your financial situation can boost your score or drive it down more quickly. It really depends on how often your various creditors report this information to the credit bureaus.
Work on Your Credit Now
It’s never a bad time to start working on your credit. Start by signing up for ExtraCredit so you’re in the know about your credit scores and reports and can make educated decisions to build your credit.
When you’re considering starting home shopping, it’s important to put yourself in the best possible position. To do this, you’ll want to shore up your finances and increase your credit score. Follow these simple steps to get you closer to your homebuying dream.
1. Check Your Credit Score
Your credit score will be one of the main considerations in your mortgage application, so check yours to see what needs the most work. A credit score is based on a number of factors: payment history, credit usage, types of credit, age of credit, and recent inquiries. Though you can’t impact all of these in a short period of time, you can take steps to improve in some areas.
Make sure you’re paying all of your bills on time, as on-time payments have a huge impact on your score. Don’t apply for new lines of credit, but you can request a credit limit increase to current credit lines to improve your usage percentage. If you see any errors on your credit report, dispute them so that errors can be removed or corrected, and target credit usage when you make your budget.
2. Assess Your Finances
To know what you have to do to buy the home of your dreams, you need to know where you stand. Write down everything you have coming in and going out each month first. Some of these expenses, such as your car and student loan payments, stay the same over time and will come with you to your new home. Others are variable and change from month to month, including how often you eat out and your entertainment expenses, and these expenditures can most likely be shaved down or eliminated entirely with a budget.
Because homebuying comes with many expenses–a down payment, inspection fees, closing costs–your budget should be tighter in the period before you buy than normal. You’ll also want to budget for a home warranty; see if a home warranty is worth the money. When developing your budget, focus on eliminating your high-interest debt and saving for those homebuying expenses.
Lenders will also look at your debt-to-income ratio or DTI which is the amount of money you have coming in each month versus the expenses you have. Though it varies between lenders, many lenders will not give a mortgage to someone whose DTI is higher than 43%.
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3. Understand Homebuying Costs
For nearly every type of mortgage, a down payment is required. A down payment of no less than 20% is suggested to have better home options and lower monthly costs. Conventional loans allow 20%, however, you can also have a down payment of as little as 3%; for down payments below 20%, PMI (private mortgage insurance) is required. Other types of loans, like an FHA loan, require between a 3.5-10% down payment, depending on your credit score. Make sure you understand how much you’ll be spending on your new home by using a mortgage calculator.
Other homebuying fees can add up quickly and be more variable. You will likely have a loan origination fee, inspection fee, appraisal fees, and other fees. You may be able to control some of these by choosing your own professionals. However, others will be selected by the seller, real estate office, or mortgage company.
A brokerage commission may be paid to real estate agents on closing. Your home warranty, property insurance and taxes, and any points you wished to pay to lower your mortgage rate as well as current interest rates will all go into your final costs. Account for all of these expenses when deciding how much mortgage you can afford.
Take steps to improve your creditworthiness and your DTI, and know what you’re looking for when you begin shopping for a lender to work with so you get the best rate possible. With the right moves, you’ll be closing on your dream home in no time.
Here’s how this social worker has paid off $28,000 of student loan debt in 15 months.
Today, I have a great debt payoff progress story to share from Taylor. Taylor is a social worker who is working on paying off $277,000 of debt and retiring early. She shares tips on how she is cutting her expenses, the ways they’ve increased their income through various side hustles, house hacking advice, and how she qualified for an $88,000 student loan award.Enjoy!
Now, don’t let the title deceive you into thinking we are debt free; we most certainly are not.
As of this writing, we still have $251,195.39 of debt (all student loans).
This is our story about the debt payoff strategies we used in paying off $28,026.02 of debt and our goals for the future!
Who are we?
My name is Taylor, and I am a 29-year-old medical social worker who finished grad school in 2018. I am also a part-time social media coordinator and with both jobs combined, I make $96,000 (gross).
I live with my husband, Bret, who I have been with for 11 years and married for 3. He is a full-time student and has been in grad school since September 2020 (he has about 2 more years left). We love to travel, try new restaurants, hang out with our friends and family, and just have a good time.
I also have a blog at Social Work to Wealth.
Related articles:
How did we get here?
First, I need to give you some background before we get into the nitty gritty of our debt numbers and payoff strategies.
2012: We met when both of us were in college. I was 18 and Bret was 22. Soon after we met, Bret took a few years off from school while I finished my bachelor’s. I relied entirely on student loans, and don’t remember applying to any scholarships. When Bret returned to school to finish his bachelor’s, he did receive some scholarships and worked a summer job to pay forhousing but still needed to rely on student loans to pay the bulk of his tuition.
I will speak for myself when I say I didn’t take the time to calculate how much loan money I actually needed and blindly accepted the total amount. Looking back, maybe I would have needed it all or maybe not, but I wish I would have at least done the exercise.
We have always been open with talking about our debt and money in general, but I remember us both expressing the thought that we would probably always have our student loans. We would just live our life, pay our minimum payments, and that would be that. There was never any talk about debt payoff strategies, or any money management strategies, really.
We went through many life transitions. Living apart for two years while I went to grad school, him returning to school to finish his bachelor’s, various jobs, and a post-bach program.
2019: Bret was finishing up his post-bach program and got accepted into grad school. We were newly engaged and began planning and saving for our wedding scheduled for July 11th, 2020. Such exciting stuff!
March 2020: We got the news our wedding venue was closing for the foreseeable future due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we decide to cancel our wedding. We switched gears and used the money we saved for a down payment on a new home. Then, we had a small intimate wedding featuring a hot-air balloon with 18 of our closest family members! We personally saved a ton and also had tremendous help from our family.
September 2020: I start a new job and Bret starts grad school. We are newlyweds and settling into our new home in a new city.
I wish I could talk more about 2020 because it was a HUGE year for us with buying a home, moving, getting married, Bret starting grad school and me starting a new job, but that’s a conversation for another day!
From frugal to spenders
When we were saving for our wedding, we were very frugal. Any extra money we had, we put toward our wedding savings (which again, ended up being used for the down payment on our house and a smaller wedding ceremony).
We went from frugal to swiping our cards left and right to prepare for our wedding and furnish our house. It was sooo nice to finally be able to spend the money we had been saving for so long! But this continued into 2020… and 2021…
We were mostly spending on eating out and experiences. We do like to buy “things” but we definitely value food and experiences a lot more. We even decided to put a trip to Hawaii on our credit card costing us around $5,000, along with other expenses, because why not? We deserved it!
We didn’t have much of a budget, our bills were getting paid, but the credit card bill kept increasing. Since I was the only one bringing in income, we took out some student loans to help with a portion of our living expenses. And the credit card bill continued to increase.
The “wake-up call”
The “wake-up call” is such a theme throughout many debt payoff stories. So, here’s mine.
I went to breakfast with two friends in December 2021, and one of them brought up high-yield savings accounts (HYSA). I had never heard of this type of account before and was shocked to learn that these savings accounts had a way better interest rate than a regular savings account.
How was I just hearing about this at 28 years old? My mind was blown!
I thought, what else don’t I know? So of course, that led me to deep dive into the world of personal finance. I consumed any book, video, blog, or podcast I could get my hands on. I read stories after stories of people paying off thousands of dollars’ worth of debt, leveraging credit card points for free travel, investing, and so much more!
It was so motivating. I was hooked! (And still am.)
Bret was open and willing for me to share with him what I was learning. We started realizing that for the last year and a half, we hadn’t been telling ourselves “No”. We had just been buying whatever we wanted, and we had the credit card bill and no savings to show for it.
We learned that we could pay off all our debt and it didn’t have to stay with us forever. We learned there was a way to use a credit card responsibly (we thought we were). We learned that we could even retire early. That one sounded real nice! We dreamed of having more time doing our hobbies, traveling and being with our friends and family. And if we ever had kids, we dreamed of being able to work part-time so we could be home more with them and available for school activities.
Knowing this, we started reining in our spending, trying to just be more “mindful”, but no major change was made.
We take on more debt
April 2022: People in our neighborhood were getting new fences. We started thinking, “Hey, we need a new fence, too…” In some areas it was broken, it hadn’t been stained so was rotting, and was 15 years old. We were also going to get an updated appraisal to see if we could get our primary mortgage insurance (PMI) removed after just two years of owning our home and thought a new fence might help.
A coworker told me she was using a home equity loan to buy a fence and to do some other home renovations. We investigated options and ended up opening a $20,000 home equity line of credit (HELOC) instead with about a 4% interest rate. We buy our fence which ends up being about ~10,000 and we were set on it…
The second “wake-up call”
When it was all said and done, we loved our fence. We still love our fence, it’s beautiful! (And it better be at that price!) We stained it and we believe it will last us for many years.
But we start talking again about our debt and how we probably didn’t need this fence right now. We know we didn’t need this fence right now. Our PMI was removed, and it could have maybe happened even without the fence. Who knows.
We began thinking we need to make some serious changes in the way we manage our money. We need to do more than just be “mindful” about our spending. We make a real plan. We plan to make an actual budget, stop taking on unnecessary debt, and take a break from using our credit cards for the foreseeable future.
May 2022: Beginning of our debt payoff journey
Since we were serious about our new money management changes, I documented how much debt we had so we could track our progress.
$277,721.41
Here was the breakdown:
$260,390.25 in student loans, Bret & I’s combined – various interest rates
$10,676.24 HELOC – 4% interest rate
$5,430.76 is from credit card spending – 4% interest rate*
$449 for furniture – 0% interest rate
$775.16 for Peloton bike – 0% interest rate
*We moved our credit card debt to our HELOC since our credit card was around a 25% interest rate.
July 2023: Current debt numbers
Our current debt balance is $251,195.39, * which are all student loans.
We have paid off a total of $28,026.02 of debt!
*Our current balance will increase to ~$255,000 once Bret gets his final student loan disbursement (more on that later).
I want to also mention that we do have our mortgage, but we aren’t trying to pay that down as quickly as possible for a few reasons: we have a 3% interest rate, we don’t plan on this being our forever home, and one day we might rent it out or sell it.
Actions that helped us pay off $28,026.02 of debt in 15 months
We found a budgeting method that worked for us
We realized we could live off my income alone and not take on anymore debt, but we would have to have a somewhat rigid budget.
Finding a budgeting method that worked for us took some time. I don’t know how many times over the years I have tried to track my expenses in a budget app or an excel sheet, only to find out it was too overwhelming and that I was still overspending!
I am a visual person and learned about the envelope budgeting method, so we decided to give that a try, but use a digital variation.
So, for our entire money management system we have 4 checking accounts and 2 savings accounts (short-term and emergency fund). Our checking accounts include bills, food and miscellaneous, and two personal spending accounts.
This may seem like a lot of accounts to some, but it has worked tremendously for us. I love having a separate account for each major category in our budget so I can easily see how much money we have left in a certain category without having to add every expense into an app or Excel spreadsheet. We are joint owners on all of these accounts.
We then use the zero-based budget method to determine how much goes into each account.
We do have multiple cards to manage, but the pros VERY MUCH outweigh the cons here.
And with our own spending accounts, we have a certain amount of money allotted to us each month, so we individually have some spending freedom. We don’t have to feel guilty and know this money is set aside specifically for our personal spending.
Cut expenses and increased our income
I know some people are tired of hearing about this recommendation, but it’s something that really did help us! We reined in our spending a bit but mostly we had to increase our income. At a certain point, there wasn’t much more to cut.
We didn’t have many streaming services, started to limit our eating out, we didn’t have car payments, and we meal planned and prepped. We did (and still do) aaalll the things. We had to increase our income somehow.
Ways we increased our income
My income increase
I continued with my second job as a social media manager and then started dog sitting.
I have been dog sitting for about 5 years and have primarily used the Rover platform to list myself as a dog sitter. I like this app because it’s easy to use and I can specify various services to offer (e.g., house sitting, boarding, drop in visits, day care, or dog walking).
It also allows me to mark which days I am available and then people reach out to me if I seem like a good fit and my availability matches with their needs! Setting up my profile took some time, but now that it’s done, everything else is fairly low maintenance.
I now just have to respond to inquiries in a timely manner and set up a meet and greet if it seems like a good fit.
I currently only offer house sitting and on Rover and I charge $65/night. Rover takes a cut, so I end up pocketing $52. I also have private clients who pay me directly, and I have gotten those by referrals from past Rover clients. I charge my private clients $40/night.
I recently increased my rates on Rover and have been slow to increase my price with my private clients because they’re loyal.
I don’t make a ton of money dog sitting, but I am able to make a couple hundred dollars a month. My schedule is very limited, but there are people with better availability who make significantly more than I do!
I love animals and we don’t have any due to our sporadic work schedules, so it’s a great way for me to spend time with pets and get paid, too!
Bret’s income increase
Last year, Bret decided to take a break from grad school and soon after, he was offered a summer job in Alaska.
When we first started dating, he used to spend almost every summer there working for a family who owned a set-netting fishery. His uncle had spent many summers in Alaska working for this family and one summer brought Bret to work with him. They would catch salmon and sell it to a buying station in their area.
He went up there for about 6 summers in a row, until he got too busy with school and couldn’t go anymore.
He hadn’t been to Alaska in over 5 years, but someone who worked for the buying station remembered Bret, called him, and asked if he’d be interested in working at the buying station! Since he was already on a break from school, he said yes and worked up there for 8 weeks.
We were able to put every paycheck he earned towards our debt because we could manage all our expenses on my income alone. It was also a great way for Bret to spend part of his summer and I was finally able to visit as I never gotten the chance in previous years.
House hacking
We also started house hacking! We had a spare bedroom and bathroom I would use for my office and occasionally, for guests. A friend of mine and her husband are really into the real estate space and gave us the idea to rent it out.
We weren’t comfortable with the idea of having a long-term roommate, and with both of us working in healthcare, we knew there was a need for short-term and furnished housing for travelling healthcare professionals.
For us, short-term meant renting for 1-6 months, but we were open to individuals staying longer if it worked well for everyone involved!
Some questions we had to address before renting:
Did we need a permit?
How much should we charge for the deposit, rent and pets?
What furniture and amenities are important for travelers?
Where should we list the room?
How to create a lease agreement?
In our county, we did not need a permit to rent out the room if we were renting for at least 30+ days at a time.
After researching rental prices in our area, I found rooms that were of similar caliber listed for $1,100 per month or more. We wanted to be competitive and so we initially settled on $900 per month and have steadily increased it. We have now landed on $995 per month which includes all utilities and internet.
We set the deposit at $995, with an additional $300 for a pet deposit, and no ongoing pet rent.
We wanted to upgrade the furniture in the room and IKEA was a great place for us to find affordable, durable, and aesthetically pleasing furniture. We made sure the room had a bed, large dresser, bedside table, and we kept my desk in there too.
I read it’s important for travelers to have their own TV available so they can unwind in their room. We were able to find a decently priced smart TV off Facebook Marketplace.
Furnished Finder is where we decided to list our room, which started out as a platform for traveling nurses to find furnished housing. It is now used heavily by many healthcare professionals, students, and professionals in other fields.
Travelers reach out to us through the Furnished Finder website and if the dates work out, we move forward with scheduling a video interview. It’s important for us to be able to talk to the person, even if it’s just over video, and we want them to see our faces and home in real time as well.
For the lease agreement, we used ez Landlord Forms, because they have leases for each state with specific information on what’s required to include.
We don’t ask for anything major from tenants. The most important things to us are that they are respectful of our space, don’t smoke in the house, and pay their rent on time. We also added a page at the end for tenants to add two emergency contacts in case we need to call someone on their behalf.
We have had 4 renters so far with the room being occupied for 13 out of the last 14 months. It has really helped us with our debt payoff goals and we have also met some awesome people through the process! We plan to continue renting it out for the foreseeable future.
Applied for in-state student loan help
My state offered a program called the Oregon Behavioral Health Loan Repayment Program where they help minorities in the behavioral health field, or those who serve them, pay back their student loans.
This program is funded by The Behavioral Health Workforce Initiative which has the goal of recruiting and retaining behavioral health providers who, “Are people of color, tribal members, or residents of rural areas of Oregon, and can provide culturally responsive care for diverse communities.”
To apply, I had to show I was employed and actively providing behavioral health services and give them detailed documentation about my student loans. I also had to answer two essay questions related to being a part of and/or working with communities who are underserved and how my training has equipped me with supporting these communities.
I applied last year and was a recipient of an award!
As a recipient, there is a two-year service commitment which means I have to continue providing some sort of behavioral health service during that time frame (which I planned to). Over the next two years, I will be getting ~$88,000 in quarterly disbursements to put towards my student loans. So far this year, I have received ~$11,000, and it’s been life changing to say the least!
Alongside this support, I am also pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) for additional student loan relief.
Managing our mental health while paying off debt
Since I am a social worker, I often think about how money and debt affect individuals’ mental health. It’s one of the reasons why I started my blog in the first place.
I realized managing money is a universal task and many of us don’t know what we are doing because talking about money is taboo. And when you have financial stress, it can really take a toll on your mental health. So, I wanted to share our journey in hopes of helping others.
Bret and I aren’t those individuals who want to avoid eating out and fun experiences until we are debt free. And, we are also privileged to not have to take those extreme measures either. It has been important for us to make this journey sustainable and not deprive ourselves of experiences while we are going through it.
Here’s how we are making our journey sustainable:
Still going out to eat
Budgeting for personal spending money, aka fun
Setting realistic debt payoff goals
Putting aside money for travel
Not comparing and thinking other people are better than us because they’re able to pay off their debt quicker
Tracking our debt payoff progress (we use Excel). With so much debt left to pay off, being able to see our progress is really motivating
Openly talking about our debt. Avoidance is a coping mechanism for many, for us, acknowledging and addressing it has been so freeing (but it wasn’t always this way).
Talking about our dreams and reminding ourselves why we want to do this in the first place
We know that if we eliminated going out to eat, budgeting for fun, or both, we could be paying off our debt much quicker. However, that sounds miserable to us. It’s worth it to still go out to dinner, travel, or buy plants (in my case) than to deprive ourselves of the joy these things bring.
We are making great progress and we know in time, we will be debt free.
Our debt payoff journey is not linear
A few months ago, we decided to take out $6,000 of student loans. Bret currently has a full tuition scholarship, so we are tremendously lucky in that regard, but he just learned about some conferences that would be really helpful to his professional growth. We have gotten $1,500 of this loan money already which is included in our current debt balance, but we haven’t received all of it yet.
We could have pinched and saved to avoid taking on any of this debt, but that would have caused me to work more than I currently am. Again, not in line with our current goal of making this journey sustainable!
We were very intentional about how much to take out. We estimated how much he would need for a few conferences and declined the rest. We even opened a separate savings account for the money to make sure it didn’t get accidentally spent on anything.
I’m SO proud of us for that!
The goal here is progress not perfection. So cliche, I know. But we are learning how to think critically about our money, spend thoughtfully, use our money as a tool to reach our goals, and enjoy our life along the way. And right now, that meant taking on a little more debt.
We are moving in the right direction, and we know when he starts working, that will really accelerate our debt payoff journey since we have proven to ourselves we can live on my income alone.
Our plan going forward
Bret is still in school which means his loans are on deferment, so we currently have his on the back burner.
With the loan payment assistance I am receiving, it’s allowing us to put any extra money we have each month towards our savings. Our priority right now is building up a good emergency fund of about $16,000 (~4 months’ worth of expenses).
This has been difficult because of inflation and just little emergencies that keep popping up, but we are slowly making progress.
I am also prioritizing investing in my employer retirement plan, but only up to the amount that gets me my employer match which is 6% of my income.
Bret will be graduating in 2025, so at that time, we will pivot to incorporating his loans into our budget. Our goal is to be debt free by 2028.
It will take a lot of discipline and persistence, but I think we can do it. I am manifesting it!
We want to continue to learn, implement, and grow. We want to keep having transparent discussions about money and building our money foundations. And I personally want to continue sharing our journey with hopes of inspiring, encouraging and educating others. Here’s to sharing the wealth.
Do you have debt? What are you doing to pay it off?
Taylor is a social worker and personal finance blogger at Social Work to Wealth where she shares tips, resources, and lessons learned on her family’s journey to paying off $277,000 of debt and retiring early. She hopes to inspire and empower social workers with financial education so they can have a better relationship with their money. When she’s not working or blogging, you can find her traveling, gardening, trying a new restaurant, or buying too many plants.
Collecting and trading Pokémon cards has been a popular hobby since the 1990s for both children and adults. In fact, as a kid, I was obsessed with Pokémon cards. I enjoyed opening new packs, collecting cards, and trading with my friends. And, I know I’m not alone. So many people have enjoyed Pokémon cards over…
Collecting and trading Pokémon cards has been a popular hobby since the 1990s for both children and adults.
In fact, as a kid, I was obsessed with Pokémon cards. I enjoyed opening new packs, collecting cards, and trading with my friends. And, I know I’m not alone. So many people have enjoyed Pokémon cards over the years as well.
As the value of certain cards continues to rise, finding the best places to sell your collection of Pokémon cards is more important than ever.
Whether you’re looking to make some extra cash, simply downsize your Pokémon card collection, or if you are decluttering everything you own and find a long lost box of childhood mementos, knowing where and how to sell your Pokémon cards can be important to make the most money.
In this article, I’ll discuss some of the best places to sell Pokémon cards online and locally and provide tips on how to price and present your cards in the best way.
Quick Summary
Identify and evaluate the value of your Pokémon cards before selling. Some cards are worth way more than others. For example, one card may be worth $0.10, and another may be worth over $100,000.
Look at your different selling options to see how you can get the most money.
Learn effective selling tips and strategies for presenting your cards to potential buyers.
How To Sell Pokemon Cards
Selling your Pokémon cards can be an exciting and profitable way to make money, especially if you have rare, holographic, or near-mint-condition cards in your collection.
To help you make the most profit, follow these tips to find the best places to sell your Pokémon cards. Before starting your Pokémon cards selling journey, it’s important to know your cards’ condition, rarity, and type.
Related: How I Made $40,000 In One Year Selling Items
Near-mint cards with no creases, scuffs, or whitening edges tend to have a higher value. Also, rare and holographic cards, like the famous Charizard, are highly wanted by fans, collectors, and trading card game enthusiasts, making them valuable in the Pokémon card market.
To figure out how rare your Pokémon card is, look for the symbols in the bottom right corner of your card and if you have a lot of cards, then you should become familiar with the Pokémon card rarity indicators, as well as the different sets and booster packs in which your cards were released.
For more accurate valuations, you may even look for professional grading services, such as Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA). They evaluate and grade cards based on their condition, ensuring buyers of their authenticity and quality.
If you’re selling Pokémon cards online, make sure to take clear, high-quality pictures that showcase your cards’ condition, as this will give potential buyers a better idea of what they’re purchasing.
By following these tips and tricks, you’ll be prepared to sell your Pokémon cards and get the most amount of money.
Best Places To Sell Pokemon Cards Online
There are many ways to sell Pokémon cards online. Here are some Pokémon selling sites to start with:
1. eBay
eBay is one of the most popular marketplaces for selling Pokémon cards due to its large reach of customers around the world.
I did a quick search on eBay and there are currently over 160,000 Pokémon cards for sale – so they definitely have a huge market!
You can choose to sell your cards through auctions or fixed price listings. When selling on eBay, be mindful of the seller fees and PayPal fees that will be deducted from your earnings. Shipping will also be another cost.
eBay is especially good for selling valuable cards, such as holographic cards or rare Charizard cards. To reach a wider audience and increase the chances of a successful sale, make sure you write detailed descriptions and add high-quality photos of your cards so that people are more likely to click on your listing.
2. Troll and Toad
Troll and Toad is an online store that specializes in collectible card games, such as selling Pokémon cards and they have been around for over 25 years.
They offer a buy list where you can sell your cards for cash or store credit. To sell on Troll and Toad, simply use their search bar to find the cards you want to sell, add them to your cart, checkout, and then ship your cards to them.
This is a great feature of Troll and Toad – the fact that you can see the exact cards they will accept and the exact amount that they will pay you for each Pokémon card. As you will learn below, many of the Pokémon card selling websites have this same feature, which is so helpful!
After you complete the list of cards that you plan on selling to them, you will print out an invoice that they give you, and then choose a payment method. Then, you will ship your box of Pokémon cards to them. Once they receive the package, they will verify the cards that you have sent to make sure they are in the correct condition as you stated. After that, they will pay you.
Troll and Toad also accepts Pokémon cards in bulk.
Keep in mind that they may be selective about the cards they accept, so it’s important to research and determine the value of your cards beforehand.
3. Mercari
Mercari is a site where you can quickly set up an account and start selling your used items, such as Pokémon cards. This site is not dedicated to just Pokémon cards, but they do have many listed and it is an easy option for Pokémon collectors.
There are well over 1,000 Pokémon cards listed on Mercari.
It’s important to create persuasive listings with photos and a relevant, detailed description, and include relevant keywords related to Pokémon cards. (Remember, they don’t just sell Pokémon cards, they also sell clothes and other items, so keywords are important!). Also, Mercari takes a minimum 10% fee from each sale you make on their platform.
4. TCGplayer
TCGplayer is a popular site with card game collectors in the U.S. and Europe.
People love selling on this site because they say it’s easy to use and they have great customer service.
To sell Pokémon cards on TCGplayer, simply list your cards on the TCGplayer marketplace, set your prices, and wait for potential buyers to purchase them. The marketplace handles the transactions, making the selling process easy.
Note: You will have to pay a commission fee of around 12–13% for each sale you make on TCGplayer, and you might also have shipping costs.
Here’s a quick guide on how to sell Pokémon cards on TCGplayer:
Create a seller account – You will need an account to get started selling Pokémon cards.
Set up your inventory – Once your seller account is created, you can start listing your Pokémon cards for sale. Enter details like the card’s name, set, condition, and quantity available.
Pricing your cards – Decide on the prices for your Pokémon cards. You can either manually set the prices or use TCGplayer’s automated pricing tool to match the market rates. TCGplayer has a pricing algorithm to help sellers be competitive and adjust prices based on the market demand.
Shipping options – Decide on the shipping options you will have for buyers.
Receiving payments – TCGplayer usually collects payments from buyers, processes the orders, and then deposits the money into your seller account. From there, you can withdraw your funds.
Maintain your inventory – Keep your inventory up to date. Remove sold items and add new ones to reflect the current availability of your Pokémon cards.
5. Card Cavern
Card Cavern is an online store that specializes in buying and selling Pokémon cards.
They have a straightforward buylist system where you can quickly find the cards they’re interested in and the prices they’re willing to pay.
Then, you ship your cards to them (they recommend purchasing tracking and insurance).
If you choose to sell your cards to Card Cavern, you’ll receive payment through PayPal or receive store credit, depending on your preference.
Their buy rates only apply to near-mint, English, tournament legal cards. You can send as many or as little Pokémon cards as you want to Card Cavern.
6. Dave & Adam’s
Dave & Adam’s is an online store for trading cards, including Pokémon cards, and it has been around for over 30 years.
They offer a buy list where you can see which cards they’re currently interested in purchasing. If your cards match their buy list, you can submit a sell request, ship your cards to them, and receive payment via check, PayPal, or store credit.
If you have a big collection, they will even travel to you.
7. Pokémon Facebook Groups
Pokémon Facebook Groups are communities of Pokémon card collectors and enthusiasts who use the platform to buy, sell, and trade cards. Pokémon Facebook Groups are exactly what you think – Facebook groups for Pokémon card collectors.
This can be a great place to sell your Pokémon cards because these groups are filled with people who are very interested in buying Pokémon cards.
These groups allow you to talk directly with fellow collectors and cater to various interests, such as specific regions, sets, or rarity levels.
To sell your Pokémon cards in these groups, make sure you follow group rules, post clear photos, and respond quickly to potential buyers’ inquiries.
8. CCG Castle
CCG Castle is a website that specializes in games since 2007.
They buy Pokémon cards that you no longer need and have a buy list on their site that will tell you exactly what they are accepting and how much they will pay you for it. They pay in either PayPal cash or store credit.
Best Places To Sell Pokemon Cards Near Me
If you’re looking to sell your collection or particular Pokémon cards, there are several options near you to consider. This section will cover the best local places where you can sell your cards, such as Facebook Marketplace, comic book stores, pawn shops, and Craigslist.
9. Facebook Marketplace
A popular and easy way to sell your Pokémon cards is through Facebook Marketplace. Nearly everyone has a Facebook account, so it can be easy for you to get started, and it allows you to connect with local buyers who might be interested in your cards.
Posting on Facebook Marketplace is simple, and you can include photos, descriptions, and set your price. Also, you can communicate with potential buyers through Facebook Messenger, making it easy to negotiate and set up a meeting location.
There are no listing fees when selling on Facebook Marketplace, which means that you get to keep everything you earn. But, you do have to handle everything yourself.
10. Local comic book stores
Comic book stores, particularly those that specialize in trading cards, card games, and board games, can be a great place to sell your collection.
Many local comic shops are interested in buying Pokémon cards to stock their inventory for other gamers and collectors.
You can visit stores in your local area, ask if they purchase Pokémon cards, and provide the store owner with a list or photos of your cards. They may make an offer on the spot or ask you to come back later. Remember, each comic store is different, so it’s a good idea to try a few stores near you to compare offers and don’t stop at just one.
11. Pawn shops
Another option to consider is pawn shops.
Pawn stores are known for buying various items, including sports cards and collectibles like Pokémon cards. Take your cards to a few pawn shops near you and see if they’re interested in buying your collection.
Keep in mind that pawn shops usually offer lower prices than other options (this is because selling Pokémon cards is not their sole business), but they can be a quick and convenient way to sell more popular cards.
12. Craigslist
Craigslist is a site for buying and selling various items locally – I’m sure you’ve heard of it. You can create a detailed listing for your Pokémon cards, including pictures, descriptions, and asking prices.
Interested buyers in your area can contact you, allowing you to arrange a meetup in a safe and convenient location.
Craigslist is usually a little more difficult to sell Pokémon cards on and that is because this site does not specialize solely in Pokémon cards and is very localized.
Where to Sell Pokemon Cards in Bulk
Selling your Pokémon cards in bulk may be something that you are interested in if you simply don’t have the time to look each one up.
When selling your Pokémon cards in bulk, it’s important to find the right platform. In this section, we’ll focus on three popular options: Full Grip Games, Safari Zone, and Sell2BBNovelties. With their unique offerings and easy-to-sell process, these companies can help you get the most value for your collection if you simply don’t have the time or have too many cards to sort through.
13. Full Grip Games
Full Grip Games is a local game shop in Ohio that buys bulk Pokémon cards online and in person.
At Full Grip Games, they make it easy for you to sell your bulk cards in increments of 100 or 1,000. Also, they accept rares and other card types as well. To make things simpler for you, their website has a bulk buy list that breaks down all the packs and cards they accept along with individual prices.
To get started, follow these easy steps:
Click on the “Buylist Instructions” link on their website.
Choose their full singles buylist or their bulk buylist.
Select the cards in your collection according to the buylist.
Review the pricing and total value of the cards submitted.
Once done, send the cards following their shipping instructions.
Once they receive your bulk cards, it will take them around one week to go through them. For the cards they accept, you can get paid via PayPal, store credit (you will get a 30% bonus if you choose the store credit option), or check via USPS mail.
14. Safari Zone
Safari Zone is another great option to consider for selling your Pokémon cards in bulk. They accept a wide range of cards, but they do need to be in near-mint condition.
Here’s what you should do to sell your cards on Safari Zone:
Create an account on the Safari Zone website.
Review the cards they purchase on their buy list.
Enter the card details.
After submitting the card information, you’ll receive a quote for your collection.
Ship your cards to Safari Zone, and they will process your payment after validating the cards.
Safari Zone only pays via store credit.
15. Sell2BBNovelties
Sell2BBNovelties is a website that has been around since 1999 that specializes in toys and collectibles, such as Pokémon cards.
They have an easy platform to sell your Pokémon cards in bulk and accept various card types, including rares, holographic, and common/uncommon cards.
To sell your Pokémon cards on Sell2BBNovelties, simply:
Go to their website and click on the “Buying Prices” tab.
Select the cards you’re selling according to their buying list.
When you’re ready, submit the form. You’ll receive a confirmation email with the total value of the cards and further instructions.
Ship your cards to Sell2BBNovelties, and they will process your payment upon receiving and verifying your cards.
You can receive payment for the cards they accept in either PayPal cash or store credit.
How to Make a Website to Sell Pokemon Cards
If you have the time and a lot of cards, you may even be interested in starting a website to sell your Pokémon cards.
Creating a website to sell your Pokémon cards is a great idea to reach a wider audience and have lower fees. Of course, there will be more work in this because you will be managing everything yourself.
Choose a platform and create your design – Look for an easy-to-use platform to build your website – my favorite is WordPress. You will want to pick a clean looking design that customers can look at on both computer and phone. Most platforms have a variety of premade themes that you can use. You can also personalize your website by adding your logo, choosing colors that represent your brand, and adding images.
Organize your products – Categorize your Pokémon cards by sets, rarity, or other criteria that make sense for your target audience. Clear product descriptions and high-quality images of each card will help potential buyers too.
Set up payment and shipping – Choose a payment gateway to securely process transactions. Options like PayPal, Stripe, or Square are widely used and reliable. Choose shipping options and rates based on your preferred carriers and shipping destinations.
Create valuable content – In addition to listing your Pokémon cards, consider creating helpful content such as blog posts or videos that add value to your website and attract more readers and buyers. Providing informative content will establish you as an expert in the field and help drive traffic to your site.
Promote your website – Use social media, search engine optimization (SEO), or even paid advertising to increase page views to your website.
Related: How To Start A Website Free Course
Pokemon Card Selling Tips and Strategies
Selling your Pokémon cards can be an exciting way to make extra money, but it’s important to have a little strategy so that you can make the most money and find the most buyers.
Here are some tips for selling your Pokémon cards successfully.
Determine the value of your cards. You should research how rare the card is, the origin, and the condition of your cards, as these factors will affect their worth. Keep an eye out for rare and valuable cards (such as first edition cards and illustrations), as these will attract more interest from collectors. Grading your cards can help with this process – professional grading services can rate the condition of your cards and encapsulate them in a case, increasing their value.
Consider where to sell your cards.There are numerous platforms for selling Pokémon cards online, such as eBay, where you can list your cards as single items or in an auction format. There are also more specialized Pokémon selling websites which are dedicated to trading cards. These sites often have dedicated communities of potential buyers who are very interested in Pokémon cards.
Write clear and accurate descriptions of your cards.You should always be clear and honest about your card’s condition. For example, are there any scratches or bends? Is there a tear or water damage?
Ship your cards carefully.Carefully package your Pokémon cards to protect your cards from damage during transit. You will want to keep your cards waterproof and not use rubber bands (rubber bands can damage the cards). Also, consider offering a tracking number and insurance to your buyer as an additional layer of security. Many of the Pokémon selling sites above have a very exact way they want you to ship the cards to them to prevent any damage, so be sure to see what their rules are.
By following these Pokémon card selling tips and tricks, you can increase the chances of finding the best places to sell your Pokémon cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to common questions about selling Pokémon cards.
How do I know if my Pokemon cards are worth money?
So, how do you know if the Pokémon cards that you have are worth anything? Many people have Pokémon cards, probably stuffed in a box somewhere, or maybe you came across some.
Whatever your reason is, yes, your Pokémon cards may be worth something.
Knowing the value of your Pokémon cards is important before selling, and there are a few key things to think about.
First, look at the rarity symbols on your cards: a circle indicates a common card, a square represents an uncommon card, and a star denotes a rare card. These symbols help you determine the rarity of your cards and their potential worth.
The condition of your cards also plays a big role in their value. Cards in mint condition, meaning they have no visible wear or damage, are worth more than cards with minor imperfections. Holographic cards, especially in mint condition, can be more valuable.
To take it a step further, you could even get your Pokémon cards professionally valued and graded by a reputable company like PSA. Grading involves a professional inspection of your card’s condition, assigning a numerical grade based on factors such as centering, corners, edges, and surface. The higher the graded number, the better the condition and, often, the higher the value.
Keep in mind that while Pokémon cards typically have higher values, other trading card games like Yu-Gi-Oh can also be valuable. Make sure to research the prices of similar cards sold recently, and compare the condition of your cards to decide if they’re worth selling.
How do I sell Pokemon cards for cash?
To sell your Pokémon cards for cash, first organize your cards by set and look for rare ones to see what you have. Once you’ve prepared your collection, follow the selling instructions on your chosen platform.
You can sell your Pokémon cards online, locally near you, and even in bulk.
Where can I find buyers for my Pokemon cards?
You can find buyers for your Pokémon cards on online marketplaces, local card shops, and social media groups. Websites like eBay and TCGplayer are popular places for selling Pokémon cards, as well as community forums and local collector’s events.
What are some reputable websites to sell Pokemon cards?
There are many reputable sites to sell Pokémon cards as we discussed above, such as:
eBay
Troll and Toad
Mercari
TCGplayer
Card Cavern
Dave & Adam’s
Pokémon Facebook Groups
Full Grip Games
Safari Zone
Sell2BBNovelties
Where is the best place to sell Pokemon cards?
The best place to sell your Pokémon cards depends on your preferences. eBay gives you a worldwide market and you are probably already familiar with their platform.
TCGplayer and Troll and Toad specialize in trading card sales and have a lot of Pokémon cards for sale.
Pokémon Facebook Groups are a great way to connect with those interested in Pokémon cards, and there are no listing fees – but you would be dealing with people on your own and handling everything yourself.
Are there any local stores that buy Pokemon cards?
Some local stores, like comic book shops, game stores, and pawn shops, may buy Pokémon cards. You can call local stores to see if they buy cards before bringing your collection in person.
Can you sell Pokemon cards on Etsy?
Etsy is generally geared towards handmade and vintage items, so it’s not an ideal platform for selling Pokémon cards. It’s best to stick with platforms like eBay, TCGplayer, or Troll and Toad for selling trading cards.
I did a search for Pokémon cards on Etsy and it said there were 43,326 results, but I think many of these are for custom art, in that they would be turning a picture of you or your pet into a Pokémon card. So, not the same thing.
Can I sell Pokemon cards on eBay?
Yes, you can sell Pokémon cards on eBay. It is one of the most popular sites for selling Pokémon cards and it gives you control over pricing and listing options.
Can you sell Pokemon cards at GameStop?
GameStop typically does not buy or sell individual Pokémon cards.
Do pawn shops buy Pokemon cards?
Some pawn shops may buy Pokémon cards, especially if they are valuable or rare. Call your local pawn shops or visit them in person to inquire about their interest in buying Pokémon cards. Remember, they do not specialize in Pokémon cards and have a smaller market, so you may not get as much for your Pokémon cards at a pawn store.
What does TCG and CCG mean?
As you’re going through the sites above looking for one of the best places to sell your Pokémon cards, you may come across these two terms. CCG means collectible card game and TCG means trading card game.
How can I determine the value of my Pokemon cards?
Figuring out the value of your Pokémon cards involves considering factors like:
rarity
condition
age
Websites like TCGplayer and Troll and Toad provide price guides and historical sales information to help you estimate the value of your cards.
How do I check the value of my Pokemon cards?
Check the value of your Pokémon cards by researching on websites like TCGplayer, eBay, and Pokémon Price. These platforms can give you a good idea of the current market value for individual cards.
Do you need a license to sell Pokemon cards?
You generally do not need a license to sell Pokémon cards, unless you’re planning to sell them by opening an in-person store. Check your local regulations to make sure you’re following any required guidelines.
How much is Charizard Pokemon card worth?
Charizard cards vary widely in value and can be worth anywhere from $25 to over $50,000. The Charizard Pokémon card that is worth the most is typically a mint condition 1st Edition from the base set.
What Pokemon cards are worth more than $100?
Some Pokémon cards worth more than $100 include rare Pokémon cards, such as first edition holographic cards from the original sets, high-grade cards, misprints, and promotional cards like the Pokémon Illustrator card.
What is the most expensive Pokemon card?
The most expensive Pokémon card varies over time; some examples include the Pokémon Illustrator card, the 1st Edition Charizard, or unique, one-of-a-kind promo cards handed out during official Pokémon events. The rarest Pokémon cards obviously cost more money and sell for more.
According to TCGplayer, the most expensive Pokémon cards include:
Pokémon World Championships No. 2 Trainer Promo
No. 2 Trainer Toshiyuki Yamaguchi (2000)
Neo Genesis 1st Edition Lugia (2000)
Super Secret Battle No. 1 Trainer (1999)
Family Event Trophy Kangaskhan (1998)
Test Print Blastoise Gold Border (1998)
Tsunekazu Ishihara Signed Promo (2017)
Trophy Pikachu No. 3 Trainer Bronze (1997)
Commissioned Presentation Blastoise Galaxy Star Holo (1998)
First Edition Shadowless Holographic Charizard #4 (1999)
Illustrator Pikachu (1998)
These were all sold for over $100,000 each.
Best Places To Sell Pokemon Cards – Summary
I hope you enjoyed this article on the best places to sell Pokémon cards and how to sell Pokémon cards for cash.
If you have Pokémon cards that you no longer want, there are many ways you can sell them. And, they may be worth a lot of money!
To figure out the value of the Pokémon cards that you want to sell, you’ll want to look at their rarity symbols, Pokémon card condition, grading (if applicable), and market comparisons. Understanding these factors will help you decide if your cards are worth selling and where to find the best prices.
Once your cards are sorted and evaluated, it’s now time to choose the best places to sell your Pokémon cards. Here are some popular options:
eBay – This site has millions of Pokémon cards sold every year. It’s a great place to find a worldwide audience, but remember to factor in shipping costs and eBay fees.
Facebook Marketplace and Pokémon Facebook Groups – Connect with local collectors or fans without worrying about shipping fees. This option may mean that you will meet the buyer in person.
Local comic shops – These stores can be an easy place to sell your cards, especially if they specialize in Pokémon cards or trading card games.
TCGplayer – Catering specifically to trading card game fans, this site has a dedicated space for buying and selling Pokémon cards.
Other options include Troll and Toad, Card Cavern, Dave & Adam’s, Sell2BBNovelties, pawn shops, and more.
Good luck selling your Pokémon cards!
What do you think is the best place to sell Pokemon cards for cash?