INSURANCE
LendingTree | Car insurance is a must-have for drivers, but it’s become one of the hardest bills to afford for many households. This LendingTree survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers shows how far the strain reaches — leading drivers to cut spending, trim coverage, skip claims and, in some cases, go without insurance.
AUTO
LendingTree | Getting more than one auto loan offer is good practice and could save you thousands of dollars. This LendingTree analysis finds that the gap between the lowest and highest APRs offered is wide enough to meaningfully change the total cost of an auto loan. Borrowers who choose the lowest APR offered could save an average of $3,064 over the average offered loan. For some credit tiers, the savings are even higher.
AUTO
LendingTree | Shoppers financing a used car are largely paying more than the vehicle is worth on the wholesale market, according to this LendingTree analysis of used-car purchase inquiries. Nationally, buyers are seeking auto loans for vehicles priced at a median of $1,350 (6.8%) above wholesale value. And for certain states, vehicle ages, makes and models, that premium climbs even higher.
AUTO
LendingTree | Rising gas prices, car insurance premiums and maintenance costs have made vehicle ownership more expensive than ever — and it’s changing how Americans get around. According to a LendingTree survey of 2,001 U.S. consumers, the vast majority say they’ve altered their habits over the past year in response to transportation costs, from combining errands into fewer trips to carpooling with people outside their household.
INSURANCE
LendingTree | Poor credit can cost you in more ways than higher borrowing costs. It can also make your car insurance significantly more expensive. A LendingTree analysis found that drivers with poor credit pay an average of 68.2% more for full coverage auto insurance than drivers with good credit. That difference adds up to an extra $1,553.49 per year, or $4,660.46 over three years.
AUTO
LendingTree | A four-figure monthly car payment may sound like a nightmare to some borrowers, but it’s an increasingly common reality for many across the U.S. According to LendingTree research, nearly 1 in 10 (9.6%) Americans with active auto loans in the fourth quarter of 2025 had at least one monthly payment of $1,000 or more — equivalent to 14.0% of the median household income of $7,147 a month.
AUTO
LendingTree | Americans continue to face high vehicle prices, putting increasing pressure on household budgets. As a result, many car buyers appear to be scaling back their purchases and focusing on affordability when financing a vehicle. According to a LendingTree analysis of active auto loans, more than a third (36.1%) of borrowers nationwide originally financed amounts of less than $25,000. Here’s a closer look at where smaller auto loans are most common, which borrowers are most likely to take them out and what consumers should know before committing to long-term auto financing.
AUTO
LendingTree | As vehicle prices and insurance premiums climb, the cost of car ownership is consuming a growing share of household budgets, pushing many to a financial breaking point. A separate LendingTree survey found that owning a car is a luxury 39% of Americans can’t afford.
AUTO
LendingTree | Today, more than a third of U.S. borrowers with active auto loans are financing their vehicles for longer than six years — which can significantly increase the amount of interest they pay over the life of the loan. This LendingTree study explores auto loan terms by state, monthly payment totals and more.
AUTO
LendingTree | The average new car payment reached a record $767 a month in the fourth quarter of 2025, up 2.8% from Q4 2024. Average used and leased car payments increased by a similar 1.7% and 1.5% over the same period. LendingTree looked at payments, originations, term lengths, delinquencies and more to get a full picture of U.S. auto loan debt and trends. Here’s our 2026 roundup of auto loan statistics.