Most car loan calculators give you a monthly payment estimate and stop there. That is not actually useful information. What you need to know is whether the total interest you pay goes down, by how much, and whether that number justifies the fees and the hassle.
That is what this site is built to answer.
Who Runs This Site
This site is run by Marcus J. Holloway, a Senior Auto Finance Analyst with 14 years of experience in consumer auto lending.
Marcus spent eight years underwriting auto loan applications at a regional credit union in Central Texas. He later ran his own consultancy, working one-on-one with borrowers, reviewing loan documents, and modeling refinance scenarios. He knows what the math looks like from the lender’s side, and that is what this site is built around.
Marcus holds a B.S. in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin (Class of 2008) and maintained an active Certified Financial Services Auditor (CFSA) credential from 2013 to 2022. He reviews all content on this site before it goes live and updates calculator outputs when market rates change.
Our Editorial Standards
This is a financial site. The math has to be right. Here is how we keep it that way:
- All calculator formulas are tested against standard loan contract outputs before publication
- Sample APR rates and vehicle values are updated when market data moves by more than 0.5%
- Every article includes a Last Reviewed date
- We do not accept affiliate commissions, lender referral fees, or sponsored placements that could bias our calculations
- If a formula error is identified, we correct it within 48 hours and note the correction at the bottom of the affected page
What Our Tools Do
Our primary tool is the Auto Loan Refinance Calculator, an amortization engine that models your current loan and a proposed replacement side by side. Unlike basic monthly payment calculators, ours outputs:
- Total interest paid over the life of both loans
- Monthly savings, adjusted for refinance fees
- Breakeven month: the exact point at which savings exceed transaction costs
- Daily-accrual interest modeling for loans that calculate interest on a per-day basis
- A downloadable amortization table showing principal and interest split for every payment
Our Methodology
We use the standard fixed-rate amortization formula used in consumer loan contracts:
M = P × [r(1+r)^n] / [(1+r)^n – 1]
Where M is the monthly payment, P is the principal balance, r is the monthly interest rate (APR divided by 12), and n is the number of remaining payments.
For loans that accrue interest on a daily basis, we apply a simple daily interest model: daily rate = APR / 365, applied to the outstanding balance each day. This is the method most banks use for calculating payoff balances and is why your lender’s payoff quote is always slightly different from your remaining balance on the statement.
What We Do Not Do
We are not a lender, broker, or financial advisor. We do not:
- Originate loans or take applications
- Provide personalized financial advice
- Guarantee that any rate shown is available to you from a lender
- Accept referral fees from lenders or dealerships
All outputs from our calculator are mathematical estimates. Your actual rate, term, and savings will depend on your creditworthiness, vehicle value, lender policies, and state regulations.
Data and Privacy
All calculator inputs are processed locally in your browser. We do not transmit loan details, balances, or personal financial information to our servers. No account is required to use any tool on this site.
For full details on data handling, see our Privacy Policy.
Contact
If you find a calculation error, have a question about a tool, or want to suggest a scenario we have not covered, use the contact form. Marcus reviews all submissions personally.
Identity Profile Card
| Full Name | Marcus J. Holloway |
| Display Name | Marcus Holloway |
| Title | Senior Auto Finance Analyst |
| Location | Austin, Texas |
| Experience | 14 years in consumer auto lending |
| Former Employers | Regional credit union (8 yrs), independent finance consultancy (6 yrs) |
| Education | B.S. Finance, University of Texas at Austin, 2008 |
| Certifications | Certified Financial Services Auditor (CFSA), retired active status |
| Specialty | Auto loan structuring, amortization modeling, consumer refinance strategy |
Marcus J. Holloway is a Senior Auto Finance Analyst based in Austin, Texas. He has 14 years of experience in consumer auto lending, loan structuring, and refinance analysis.
He spent the first eight years of his career at a regional credit union in Central Texas, where he underwrote auto loan applications, built amortization models, and worked directly with members trying to understand whether refinancing made sense for their situation. He left in 2016 to start a small consultancy, where he reviewed loan documents and ran refinance scenarios for individual borrowers rather than institutions.
Today, Marcus is the lead analyst for AutoLoanRefinanceCalculator.com. He reviews all calculator tools and educational content before publication, verifies that amortization outputs match standard loan contract math, and updates rate examples when market benchmarks move.
His specific areas of expertise include:
- Fixed-rate amortization modeling and daily-accrual interest calculations
- Loan-to-Value (LTV) and Debt-to-Income (DTI) underwriting standards
- Breakeven analysis: calculating the precise month when refinance savings cover transaction fees
- Negative equity scenarios and cash-in refinance strategy
- Credit profile analysis for prime, near-prime, and subprime borrowers
Education & Credentials
- B.S. Finance, University of Texas at Austin, Class of 2008
- Certified Financial Services Auditor (CFSA), retired active status, credential held 2013 to 2022
- Continuing education: CFPB consumer lending guidelines, NADA vehicle valuation standards
Editorial Commitment
Marcus reviews content on this site before it goes live. Each tool and article is checked against current amortization formulas and published lender benchmarks. Review dates are shown on each page. If you find a calculation that does not match your loan contract, the contact form goes directly to him.