New car buyers are lenghtening their loans at record levels, an analysis from Edmunds finds. During 2Q, 36.5% of new car buyers took a loan of 73 months or longer, compared with 27.3% a decade earlier. For loans of 84 months or longer, it was 23.9%, another record. This dynamic lowers monthly payments, but can hook buyers into much higher interest payments over the course of their loans, Edmunds Director of Insights Ivan Drury says: "Stretching out the term to be able to swallow a higher-priced vehicle guarantees you'll be building equity at a snail's pace, leaving you highly vulnerable to falling underwater when it's time to trade in." (elias.schisgall@wsj.com)