The impact of COVID-19 will be felt long after life returns to normal.
That normal for some may be a matter of getting back to work and catching up on overdue bills resulting from financial challenges suffered through no fault of their own.
During the initial stages of the health crisis, Chrysler Capital (CCAP) helped customers who needed assistance, deferring payments – moving a payment to the end of a loan – waiving late charges and providing lease extensions for customers unable to return their leased vehicles. Ultimately, CCAP approved COVID-related extensions for thousands of customers.
And the way in which CCAP treats its customers didn’t go unnoticed by those who needed help.
“Chrysler Capital thinks of me first,” said customer Bridgette W. “During these uncertain times, I was laid off from my job due to COVID-19, and Chrysler Capital worked with me so I could put food on my table and care for my family. I was moved by the concern and consideration that I was shown.”
“During this difficult time, my husband’s job hours have dropped due to the pandemic,” said customer Valerissa P. “Chrysler Capital has worked with us on payment and payment arrangements.”
Now, many of those customers face the challenge of catching up on their payments.
“We always want to be understanding and respectful to our customers, especially as they work through the impact of COVID-19,” said Lori Millard, senior director of Servicing at Santander Consumer USA, Chrysler Capital’s parent company. “That includes providing them information that will be helpful in getting back on track financially as the impact of the virus hopefully passes.”
And that begins with taking time to improve your knowledge or taking other actions that put you in a better position to manage all your finances, not just your car payment.
For helpful information on money management, visit Santander Bank’s Prosper and Thrive website, which, like Santander Consumer USA and Chrysler Capital, is part of Santander US.
Creating a household budget
can help you get back on track
Usually this action involves creating a household budget to help you get and stay on track financially.
The budget is nothing more than a spending and savings plan based on your take-home income. Simple arithmetic should give you a pretty good idea where your finances stand.
Setting up a monthly budget is a good idea even in the best of times, but trying to get back on track after taking a financial hit from something unexpected like a worldwide pandemic makes it critical to your financial well-being and sets you up better to handle any future setbacks.
Our video How to set up a monthly budget to finance a new vehicle provides basic information on tracking your expenses, the importance of paying off credit card debt and setting financial goals. Then you may want to get started on your own spending plan using our budget calculator that will guide you through the process of identifying your monthly income and expenses.
A detailed budget would include expenses such as housing costs (rent or mortgage), utilities, food/groceries, transportation, student loan payments, medical expenses, clothing, entertainment, home maintenance, cable/satellite television, internet service, telephone and insurance.
Once you’ve done a thorough job of comparing your take-home income to your expenses, you are in a better position to identify where you can save money to apply to deferred car payments or any other bill payments that took a hit this year because of the health crisis – or simply to save money for any future financial emergencies.
How to stay on track
with Chrysler Capital
Manage your account online
Manage your account online 24/7 from any connected device by signing up for MyAccount following simple step-by-step instructions on our website, ChryslerCapital.com.
Your account access enables you to:
- Log in from any device
- Make a payment
- Get your payment history and due dates
- Sign up for paperless, electronic statements
- Obtain payoff information
- Update your account
Make a payment
Please be aware that Chrysler Capital customer service agents are not able to accept payments over the phone at this time, so please use one of our self-service options:
- Make an ACH or debit card payment on our website, MyAccount.ChryslerCapital.com/Home/SignIn or by phone through our interactive voice system. Additional fees may apply.*
- Enroll in our Auto Pay program in which your monthly payment will be electronically drafted directly from your checking/savings account. Complete enrollment by logging in at MyAccount.ChryslerCapital.com/Home/SignIn.
- For retail customers, mail your payment to Chrysler Capital, P.O. Box 660335, Dallas, TX 75266-0335 or, for leases, Chrysler Capital P.O. Box 660647, Dallas, TX 75266-0647.
- For additional payment options, visit ChryslerCapital.com/customers/make-a-payment. Additional fees may apply.*
* A third-party payment processing company may charge a fee to process your payment
Other self-service options are available through MyAccount, where you can manage your account using online tools – live chat, make a payment, get your payment history and due dates, obtain payoff information or update your account information.
For other questions, please look for answers in the FAQ section of our website.
Chrysler Capital is not a credit counseling service and makes no representations about the responsible use of or restoration of consumer credit.
Credit scores and FICO scores are not the sole factor in lending decisions by Chrysler Capital.
Mark Macesich is an experienced writer and editor whose background includes six years in marketing communications with national auto lender Santander Consumer USA, where he works on several consumer/customer and business-to-business blogs and other customer- and dealer-facing content. He has written extensively about customer auto finance, car research and shopping, car-purchasing decisions, consumer news and…
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