Sell, trade in, surrender, repo, or keep — see cash needed today and what debt may remain (including “deficiency” after a repo sale).
Your car is sold. If the sale doesn’t cover payoff + fees, the leftover balance can follow you. Learn why.
Built from real repo/surrender scenarios; designed to surface the numbers that usually surprise people.
Your payoff, rough value, and how far behind you are.
Get: cash needed today + likely balance after each option. Repo is a range — we show a conservative estimate.
Print/save the comparison and call your lender with a plan.
This is an estimate, not legal advice. Rules and fees vary by lender and state.
Enter a few numbers to see cash needed today and what you may still owe after sale or repo.
No account. No personal data. Inputs stay in your browser.
What would flip your decision? Verify your payoff quote and realistic sale price first.
If you’re considering surrender/repo, call the lender about fees, redemption or reinstatement options (may be available), and timeline.
| Option | Cash available today (input) | Cash after option (±) | Estimated remaining debt | Credit impact |
|---|
Negotiation-ready tools
Export a concise PDF with the exact words to say and the questions to confirm payoff and sale price.
For “I need exact words and a 72-hour plan” situations.
Protection Plan from $9
Most outcomes flip on 1–2 numbers: your real payoff quote and your realistic sale price.
No account. No personal data. Inputs stay in your browser.
Protection Plan (PDF) — $9
Leave with a clear script and next step, not just a comparison.
Lender Negotiation Scripts & 72-Hour Action Plan — $19
For “I need to know exactly what to say” in the next 72 hours.
Usually no. The car is typically sold. If it sells for less than what you owe plus fees, the remaining balance is often called a deficiency.
It may reduce stress and sometimes fees, but you can still end up owing a deficiency. Credit impact can still be serious.
Because auction prices and fees vary widely. This tool uses simple defaults so you can compare scenarios quickly.
Private sales often bring a higher price, but they take time and effort. Trade-in is faster but usually lower.
Often yes. Lenders may offer options like payment plans, extensions, or reinstatement terms (varies).
A full numbers-first framework to compare sale, trade-in, surrender, repo, and refinance without guessing.
Read articleA step-by-step walkthrough to enter better inputs, read deficiency risk, and choose by dollars.
Read articleA practical decision map for negative equity: keep, refi, sell, trade, surrender, or repo with fewer expensive surprises.
Read articleAn urgent 30-day plan: lender scripts, fast-sale fallback, and how to keep damage controlled.
Read articleCredit-first exit playbook: refinance, private sale, trade-in, and damage control if you are already behind.
Read articleA numbers-first map for bad-credit borrowers: sell, trade-in, hardship, surrender, and how to avoid a worse second loan.
Read articleTiming windows that matter: break-even points, delinquency pressure, maintenance cliffs, and the 3-number decision test.
Read article72-hour triage for income shock: hardship scripts, sell-versus-surrender decisions, and immediate damage control steps.
Read articleWhat payoff quotes include, which charges are normal, and how to catch hidden early-exit costs.
Read articleWhy people get surprised, how the gap forms, and the simplest way to estimate the shortfall.
Read articleA numbers-first checklist to compare options when time, cash, and condition are tight.
Read articleHow credit hits actually happen, how long they last, and a checklist to reduce the fallout.
Read articlePayoff math, cash needed today, and timing issues before you accept an offer.
Read articleOptions when you are underwater, lender constraints, and safer steps to trade.
Read articleProtection Plan
Most outcomes flip on 1–2 numbers: your real payoff quote and your realistic sale price. Protection Plan turns your calculator result into a short plan: what to verify, what to ask, and the key break-even cutoffs.