<prompt> Human: Hello! I got rear ended by a teenager who wasnt paying attention at the wheel quick reminder: dont text and drive!!! His insurance company set me up with a rental and I was told yesterday I have until Monday to give it back. Once I do, luckily, I have a car to borrow from a friend for a few days but after that I dont. The settlement on my total loss of car covers a down payment on a car, I just have a 510 credit score. What are my best and quick options? I literally have 1 week to figure this out. :Any non judge-mental help will be greatly appreciated.  <response>: Your smartest move is to simply find something you can buy outright with the settlement money. With a 510 credit score, Im guessing you cant really handle any more debt than what you currently have. A bike or public transportation would be your next best option. Youre definitely not going to get a standard car loan with your current score. You might qualify for a sub-prime loan with a dealer like CarMax, but the interest is going to eat you alive, and theyll require a down payment of at least 2500, if not more. But even that is dependent on your income and whatever on your credit report is hurting your score. If its a bunch of old debts and collections that have since been paid off, you stand a chance. If its a bunch of debt thats still owed, I doubt youll find anyone reputable to give you a loan. Whatever you do, stay away from those little independent dealerships that only sell used cars and advertise directly to people with bad credit. Theyll still want a sizeable down payment, but youll end up getting a car with a shit ton of miles on it, something that probably wont last very long without needing expensive repairs, and with an interest rate that borders on criminal. 