CAR LEASE
Car lease is a general although not specific phrase which means that a car is financed. The vehicle is not owned by the driver or the company using the vehicle but instead is owned by a finance leasing company and is leased to the driver or company over an agreed period for an agreed amount.
There are many types of finance which all share the heading lease however the lease will normally fall into one of the following categories. Contract Hire or Personal Contract Hire (PCH), Finance Lease, Contract Purchase or Personal Contract Purcase (PCP) and Hire Purchase (HP).
Contract Hire and Personal Contract Hire (PCH) are both long term hire agreements where there is no guaranteed future value (balloon), and at the end of the lease period the user generally has the option to renew or replace the lease vehicle, however normally also has the option to purchase the lease vehicle and the price calculated dependant on current market values. With Contract Hire additional facilities such as Full Maintenance can be bolted on.
Finance Lease is a method of financing a vehicle where the vehicle remains the property of the finance company, with the vehicle effectively hired out to a business. The business can then use this asset while paying an effective rental rather than a repayment. The leasor has full use of the vehicle during the finance lease period. At the end of the finance lease agreement the vehicle is sold to a third party by the finance company, if the sold price is above the predetermined balloon payment then the finance company will refund a percentage of the proceeds back to the hirer, if the sale price is below the balloon payment then the hirer will be liable to make a further payment to the finance company.
Contract Purchase and Personal Contract Purchase are broadly the same as Contract Hire and Personal Contract Hire with one key difference. At the start of the lease the finance company will set a guaranteed future value (GFV) otherwise known as a Balloon Payment, which if chosen will be the price to purchase the vehicle at the end of the lease period to take ownership of the vehicle. With Hire Purchase you are funding the total vehicle cost rather than the difference of the vehicle cost and the residual value.
Lease Purchase is very similar to a Contract Purchase arrangement however with no return policy. At the end of the lease period the leasor must pay the balloon payment and take owner ship of the vehicle. Lease Purchase is fairly uncommon these days.
The large majority of the leases we sell tend to be Contract Hire and Personal Contract Hire. This is because these finance methods tend to offer the cheapest monthly payment. For those opting out of the company car scheme both Personal Contract Hire and Personal Contract Purchase are most popular.
Short Term Leasing is leasing over a shorter than normal period. The short term lease that we offer is based on a 12 month lease agreement with the option to terminate the lease with no penalty from 3 months. So you can lease for any period 3/6/9/12 months.
For those who are starting a new venture or have a poor credit score then Non Status Car Leasing is a great solution. Non Status Car Leasing is a good credit score builder and whilst the rentals are not as competitive as prime leasing it is a very cost effective way of driving a reliable vehicle and changing/upgrading on a frequent basis.
Leasing:
Car and Vehicle leasing is the leasing of the use of a motor vehicle for a fixed or indefinite period of time. It is commonly offered by dealers as an alternative to car or vehicle purchase. The key difference in a lease is that after the lease expires, the lessee must return the car or vehicle to the dealer or buy it.
Rationale:
Car Leasing offers advantages to both buyers and sellers. For the buyer, lease payments will usually be lower than payments on a car loan would be and qualification is usually easier. Some consumers may prefer leasing as it allows them to simply return a car and select a new model when the lease expires, allowing a consumer to drive a new vehicle every few years without the responsibility of selling the old vehicles. A lessee does not have to worry about the future value of the car or vehicle, while a vehicle owner does. For the leasor, leasing generates income from a vehicle the leasor still owns and will be able to sell or lease again once the original lease has expired. As consumers will typically use a leased vehicle for a shorter period of time than one they buy outright, leasing may generate repeat customers more quickly, which may fit into various aspects of a dealer's business model.
Lease agreement:
Lease agreements typically stipulate an early termination fee and limit the number of miles a lessee can drive (for passenger cars, a common number is 10,000 to 15,000 miles per year of the lease). If the mileage allowance is exceeded, fees may apply. Dealers will typically allow a lessee to negotiate a higher mileage allowance, for a higher lease payment. Car Lease agreements usually specify how much wear on the vehicle is allowable, and the lessee may face a fee if that amount of wear has been exceeded.
The actual car lease payments are calculated very similarly to the way loan payments are, but instead of an APR, the company uses something called the money factor.
At the end of a lease term, the leasee must either return the car or vehicle to the owner or purchase it. The end of lease price is usually agreed upon when the lease is signed.
