You’ve heard about how useful car title loans can be, but there’s always the looming spectre of repossession to consider. Getting money fast sounds great, but the last thing you want is for your car to be taken away by the loan company because you couldn’t pay it back in time. That being the case, we’ve put together a few handy facts for you to keep in mind when it comes to taking out a car title loan. If you don’t forget these, you should be well prepared to take out your next title loan and repay it in time to get your vehicle title back safely.

First things first: always read the fine print in your contract. This information will tell you about interest rates and repayment options, both of which are utterly critical pieces of information to have before you go through with something like this. You don’t want to find out that you owe more than you thought you did because of high-interest rates, or that you’re required to pay it all back at once in a lump sum instead of installments. Both of those scenarios are possible, and they can seriously complicate your ability to pay the loan back in time, which might mean the loss of your auto. So just make sure you’re reading absolutely every piece of paper they hand you when you go to take a title loan out.

Choose your loan company carefully, too. You want to go with somebody trustworthy, even if there are other companies out there who claim to offer you better deals or put the money in your hands faster. If those companies are small and you haven’t heard of them, the prudent thing to do is to avoid them, unless you’re willing to do some serious research. Otherwise, it’s best to trust an established loan company. A car title loan allows you to get the money quickly no matter what (a big company like Embassy Loans only takes a few days for approval of your loan), so you can afford to take a little time at the outset to make sure you’re making the right choice.

Finally, make sure you know how you’ll pay the loan back before you take it out. Don’t trust fate. Don’t rely on luck. Be sure to know where the money is going to come from so that you aren’t blindsided. Follow all this advice, and your next title loan should be a painless experience that helps you to get the money you need quickly.