If you’re like most people, you don’t have a lot of time to futz around when getting a car loan. Luckily, there are quite a few things you can do to decrease the amount of time you’ll spend getting the loan you need.

Regardless of your credit score or credit history, here are some tips you can use to save time:

1) Organize your paperwork. You’ll need to prove your income with your most recent paystub, and residence with a recent phone, electric or cable bill. If you have credit problems from collections, bankruptcies or a messy divorce, make sure you have the paperwork documenting that as well. Bring everything with you when you visit your lender, so you don’t have to make any extra trips for forgotten documents.

2) Get references. You’ll probably need to give your lender the names, addresses and phone numbers of at least three friends or family members not in your household. Finding this information ahead of time will save you time when you’re completing your application, and you won’t have to stress to figure it all out on the spot.

3) Tell your boss, office manager, or human resources department at your work that you’re applying for an auto loan. They may receive a call from your lender to verify your employment, and if they’re aware of this in advance, they’ll be able to provide the information your bank needs more quickly and accurately.

4) Find out the exact pay-off of your trade-in, if you have one. Estimating your trade-in payoff on your loan application could slow down the process and cost you money. The bank might take your estimated figure for the exact one, and if your payoff ends up being higher than what you estimated, you’ll lose time as your loan is re-approved for a higher amount. If your payoff is lower, you could wind up paying a higher interest rate than you should be. Finding out your exact payoff before you fill out your loan application will save time and money in the end.

5) Make sure you’re as truthful and accurate as possible. When you complete your credit application, you may need to list former residences, former employers, etc. If you list all this information accurately, your application will be processed quickly. Also, if you lie about some aspect of your credit, there’s a good chance the auto lender will find out. At best, this will slow down your application considerably as the lender checks every aspect of your credit. At worst, your application will be turned down.