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Advice on buying a first car is hard to come by. Well, no, I take that back; good advice on buying your first car is hard to come by. Bad advice is plentiful, but most of it, by dent of being bad advice, won’t help you get the right car at the right price.
If this is your first auto you probably do need advice on buying a first car. Buying a car is a pretty involved process and doing it for the first time, just adds an additional layer of nervousness. Getting the right advice will put you on the right track to getting the right car.
Your first thing you need to think about when buying your first car is whether to get a new car or a used car. Don’t immediately discard the notion of buying a used car because you automatically think of old beat up cars. Cars don’t immediately fall apart after two or three years, but they do cost substantially less. You can often find a "like new car", at a huge discount, if you look around. This is often an easier purchase for the newbie car buyer, so you need to give it some thought.
The best piece of advice on buying a first car, that anyone can give you, is to do your research. You should always take the time to cruise the car lots to find out exactly what cars are being offered and find a few you like.
Once you’ve done that, you need to go online and find out as much as you can about the cars you like. This actually serves two purposes, both of which are important. The first is that it will help you narrow down your choices and find out if the cars you like, are cars that will fit your lifestyle.
The second reason to do your research is to give you leverage when it comes time to actually buy. If you don’t have the information at your fingertips, you’re going to have to rely on what the car dealer tells you. However, this will almost certainly mean that you will pay more than you need to.
Another neglected piece of advice on buying a first car is to look at your financing options before you start shopping. This will give you a good picture of what you can afford to buy, which will help you find the right car. It will also give you another piece of leverage to use when you’re buying the car. Many dealerships also provide financing and you can use the finance information you already have to help negotiate a good deal.
This last, but certainly not the least valuable piece of advice, on buying a first car, which I can give you, is to be prepared when it comes time to negotiate. This means that you need to go in rested, ready and prepared to get the best price you can. Don’t let the dealer intimidate you and remember that they need you, you don’t need them. Just follow the advice here and you will be on right track for buying your first car.
By: Shane Smith. If you are looking for landscape or backyard lights then check out: http://makevoltz.com
There are five basic steps in buying a used car. There should be five steps, anyway, but a lot of people manage to skip most of them and end up with one step; go to a car dealership and pay too much.
But if you follow the right steps in purchasing a previously owned auto, you can get a great car at a great price. If you don’t, you’re going to spend more money than you need to and you may well end up with a crappy car in the process. There are great used cars out there waiting to be bought, but you have to follow the steps to get them.
Step One – Know Your Financial Status
This is one of the steps in buying a used car that people often don’t give the attention it deserves. Before you even start looking for a car, you need to know how much cash you have for a down payment, how much you can afford each month and what your credit is like. Once you do, you’ll have a realistic base to begin looking for a car. This can save you a great deal of time looking at cars you can’t afford.
Step Two – Shop Around
Once you’ve followed the first of steps in buying a used car, it’s time to move on to actually looking for a car. You need to go to multiple locations to get a good picture of the car prices ranges in your area. You also need to look on the Internet to make sure there aren’t great deals within driving distance but out of your normal driving range.
Step Three – Do Your Research
Once you’ve found a range of cars you like, you need to get online and do some research. There are two things that you want to look at here, the reputation of the car and the average prices. You want to make sure the cars you think you might like to purchase and see if they are holding up over the years. Then, you need to see what they usually cost at dealerships in your area, which is something you need to know when it comes time to deal.
Step Four – Find the Right Dealership
Finding the right dealership is crucial. Generally speaking, you’re going to want to go to the larger car lots, especially those associated with new car lots. The reason you should do this is because these lots have higher standards for the cars they sell, and they don’t need to make as much on each sale, so you’re going to find the best combination of value and price.
Step Five – Bargain Hard
Once you’ve done all that and found the right car for the right price, then it’s time to bargain. If you’ve followed the steps in buying a used car that this article has recommended, you’re going to have a fairly easy time of it. Just stick to your guns and demand a fair price. Remember that there are other dealerships and other cars out there, and don’t stop until you get the car you want.
By: Shane Smith. If you are looking for landscape or backyard lights then check out: http://makevoltz.com
A good checklist for buying a new car is essential to getting a good car and a good deal. You can skip it of course and just simply buy a car willy nilly or you can hope that you’ll just remember all the right stuff. Which might work, but the odds are you’ll be leaving money on the table and probably not getting the best car for your cash to boot.
Basically, a checklist for buying a new car should include everything you need to know to make a good decision. This isn’t just limited to checking out the actual car itself for damage, which is usually as far as people take it, but a comprehensive list of all the things you need to check before you decide to buy.
Your Essential Checklist for purchasing your new car:
Financing – Before you even go to look for new cars, sit down and figure out how much money you have to put down and how much you can pay each month. After that, you need to check with a bank to see if you qualify for a car loan. While most dealership will arrange financing, checking off this step will allow you to find the best deal and let you know where you should be looking for your car.
Research – You need to go online and check out any cars you’re thinking of buying. This is rarely on anybody’s checklist for buying a new car, but the more you know, the better you’ll be able to make the right choices. At the very least, you need to know the manufacturer’s suggested retail price and any special deals being offered in your area.
Dealership – You should checkout the various dealerships in your area and comparison shop. Not every dealership will be able to offer you the same deal and they will not all offer the same kind of deals. In general, the larger the dealership, the better the deal you will be able to make, but you should still check to make sure.
Car – Now you’re getting to the relatively fun part of your car buying experience: the car. A new car should be flawless and in perfect working condition, but they aren’t always. You need to check underneath the car for fluid leaks, as well as checking the tires and the engine.
Everything should be perfect. Do not take a car on a test drive unless you are dead serious about getting the car; you’ll want to buy it if you drive it, a psychological fact the dealers rely on.
Deal – This is probably the most important thing on the checklist for buying a new car. The maximum you should really pay for a car is the factory invoice. You would think that this would mean that the dealership would make nothing, but the invoice price already has profit built in. If you can’t get this price, you should consider walking away.
You also need to be on the look out for vague or hidden fees. You need to make sure to have every one explained to you, and bargain hard on anything that seems unnecessary.
By: Shane Smith. If you are looking for landscape or backyard lights then check out: http://makevoltz.com
A tax credit for a new car purchase is one of the best ways to save money in 2009. Oddly, for all the discussion of the government stimulus package in the news, the tax credit for buying a new auto has been kept pretty quiet. This is kind of odd, since it’s one of the pieces of the legislation that can directly benefit a lot of people this year.
Basically, if you buy a new car in 2009 or at least the right chunk of 2009, then you can deduct the amount you pay in taxes on the car from your federal taxes for the year of 2009. This can be a pretty sizable amount of money, depending on where you live and what kind of car you buy.
As you know the auto industry is a major source of jobs for Americans, but it’s in dire straights right now. Most of the major American car companies are on the verge of going under, so the government is using the tax credit for new auto purchases to help buoy them up. This being the government, though, there are a few catches.
First off, you need to complete or have completed your new car purchase between February 17, 2009 and December 31, 2009. The deal has to be completed between those times, not just started. If you’re before or after those dates, you’re out of luck, unless they do it again next year.
Your credit for a new car purchase covers the first $49,500 of any car, light truck, motor cycle or RV you buy. If your purchase price exceeds that amount, the credit will only apply to the first $49,500 of the cost; after that, you’re on your own. It also has to be a new car, fresh from the dealership, not just new to you.
Unsurprisingly, the tax credit is only available to people who make money below a certain threshold. Fortunately, the threshold is set high enough that the vast majority of us will qualify. Basically, if you make more than $125,000 as a single person or more than $260,000 for a couple, then you’re going to miss out on the credit.
Your tax credit is applied to your 2010 tax return, allowing you to deduct the amount of tax you spent on the car from your income. This is an above the line deduction, so you can still use it even if you don’t itemize.
While getting a tax break for a new car is a nice perk, it’s not really a big enough benefit to justifying buying a new car just for that reason. You may well be able to find a low mileage used vehicle that doesn’t qualify for the tax benefit, that is still a better deal, so you need to consider that when deciding to make a purchase. That said, if you were definitely planning on buying a brand new car anyway, it’s a nice bonus.
The amount that the tax credit for new car purchase will benefit you will vary from state to state, with people living in states having the highest sales taxes benefiting the most. But if you buy a new car in 2009, make sure to take advantage of this opportunity to save a little, or even a lot of, money.
By: Shane Smith. If you are looking for landscape or backyard lights then check out: http://makevoltz.com
There are tips for women buying new cars that can really help make the car buying process a lot less unpleasant. Sadly, the idea that knowing about cars is a guy thing hasn’t entirely left us yet. Which means that women will not get the kind of respect, they deserve, when they go to buy a new car. This can lead to overaggressive selling and bullying behavior from the sales staff of the dealership.
The end result of this is that the car buying experience for women ends up being even more unpleasant than it is for men. Fortunately, these tips can help you get the respect you deserve and even better, the car that you want.
Be Financially Ready – One of the best things you can do when buying a new car is to go to your bank or credit union and get pre approved. You can often get better rates arranging financing yourself and at the very least it will allow you to negotiate a better deal at the car dealership.
Comparison Shop – When buying a new car, you should always shop around, and you should never impulse buy. This is the one of the best tips for for everyone, not just women, that anyone can give you. You need to have a good idea of what you want to buy and where the best place to buy it is before you sit down with a dealer.
Do the Research – One of the keys to getting a good deal and having an at least halfway decent car buying experience, is to make sure that you’re as well informed as possible. You need to look online to make sure you have a good understanding of the value, performance and prices of any cars you might like to buy. Aside from making your decision easier, it will also allow you to negotiate more effectively.
Consider Hidden Costs – One of the lesser-known tips for women buying new cars, but an important one. You need to think about the maintenance and expense of driving the car. If a fancy sports car needs 4 new tires, costing $500 each, replaced every other year, this will add up quickly over the lifetime ownership of the car. Another example of this would be driving an SUV; if you have an hour-long commute each day. All these incidentals need to be considered when buying a car.
Be Prepared to Bargain – The salesperson is there to make the sale. Period. They’re not there to make friends, or even to help you out. It’s good if they can, but their first goal is always to get the maximum price out of you. Your job is to make sure they don’t get it. You need to keep this in mind during the entire bargaining process. Be polite, but be stubborn. Walk away if you can’t get what you want.
If you use these tips for women buying new cars, you will find that getting your new car will go much smoother than you ever imagined possible. Just make sure you take your time and don’t allow anyone to push you into a deal you’re not comfortable with.
By: Shane Smith. If you are looking for landscape or backyard lights then check out: http://makevoltz.com
Learning the risks of leasing a car is important even if you don’t have any intention of leasing a car. That’s because when you know the risks and the rewards of leasing a car, then you can realistically weigh the pros and cons. By doing so you might just find out that leasing a car makes solid financial sense for your situation.
It is true there are risk involved in leasing a vehicle. But the truth is there are risks involved in buying a car, too. The trick is knowing which risks will apply to you and how to manage the risks.
Probably one of the biggest dangers, when leasing an automobile, is going over the allowed mileage. When you are leasing a vehicle, the company makes money by essentially charging you for the depreciation. Basically this means that to make money, they need to get the car back in good condition, because they need to be able to sell it after you’re done using it.
Because of this, all leases have clauses that limit the amount of miles you can put on them. If you go over this limit, you’re going to have to pay, typically quite a lot, up to a quarter or more per mile. This can get expensive fast, so if you have a commute that will put you close to the limit; you really need to consider that aspect.
Another of the larger risk is that if you are unable to make the lease payments, you’ve got no equity in the car. Whereas, if you make four years of payments on your own car and are then unable to keep paying, you can at least sell the car and hopefully cover the rest of the cost.
But with a lease, you don’t have equity, so if you find yourself in a bad financial situation, then you’re going to be left with nothing. The sad thing you’ll still be on the hook for the payments, even if you give the car back. You will either have to pay the rest of the lease, pay a huge termination fee or arrange a lease transfer.
This is a particular problem if you’re using a lease to allow you to drive more car than you can reasonably afford. This is an all too common reason for getting a lease, and should probably qualify as one of the risks of leasing a car in its own right. Dealers will often try to sell you on the idea of driving a car you wouldn’t able to own as a reason to lease.
This is an argument that you should never pay attention to. Leasing is a good idea for people who changes cars every year, or are planning a change in lifestyle a couple of years down the road. But using them to try and impress your friends or even yourself is a bad decision. The economy is far too unstable to do that, and it’s not wise even when the economy is stable.
If you know the risks of leasing a car, it can be a good choice, but you need to go into the process clear eyed and with a level head. If you do that, you will be able to make the choice that gets you the best car.
By: Shane Smith. If you are looking for landscape or backyard lights then check out: http://makevoltz.com
There are several used car purchase terms that you absolutely need to know if you want to buy a used car. Like any industry, the used car business has its own jargon and ways of doing things. Knowing the ins and out will allow you to get the best deal possible, without getting the run around; from a possibly slimy used car dealership.
These used automobile term are generally designed and used specifically to put everything in the best possible light. which is how we ended up with terms like ‘previously owned’ and other euphemisms. What this will do is allow you to navigate those dangerous waters of vague and misleading terms with confidence.
Used Car Purchase Terms
Buy Here, Pay Here – A used car lot that offers their own financing. More specifically, they cater to people that have damaged credit and tend to specialize in lower priced cars. They can be a good choice, but they can also be pretty shady.
As Is – This term basically means you will be buying the car As Is or "What you see is What you get." The car dealer will not be responsible for any problems the auto may have, once you have made the purchase.
Salvage or Rebuilt – This is a car that has been destroyed, more or less and rebuilt with other parts. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is something you should be wary of. Most of these cars have been repaired just enough to be sellable. If you’re going to buy one of these, insist on a warranty.
Chopper – This is very much like a salvage or rebuilt vehicles, only more so. What happens is they take two cars that are destroyed, and assemble them into a functional vehicle. Or at least a semi functional car. This certainly can work, but a car like this is not a wise purchase.
Gun Decking – This is one of the used car purchase terms you’ll rarely hear, but it is something you can do. Basically, you need to go to both ends of the car and sight down each side of the car, looking for ripples. This will show you if the car has been in an accident.
Vehicle History Report – This is a comprehensive report on the car. The reason it’s being mentioned in this article is that they will used this term to justify charging you a bunch for a report that costs about twenty bucks. This is a Car fax report, and you shouldn’t have to pay for it. These reports will tell you everything you need to know about the car, and you should always get one.
Hopefully, knowing these used car purchase terms will put you in a better position to get a good used car at a great price. If you can get that, then the only term you need to know is ‘Goodbye’.
By: Shane Smith. If you are looking for landscape or backyard lights then check out: http://makevoltz.com
Knowing negotiating tips in used car purchase can save you a lot of time and hassle. I know that you don’t like to go car shopping. Nobody likes to go car shopping, especially when it comes to used cars.
At least with new cars, you have some idea that the car will be of high quality. With used cars, that’s a crap shoot and then you have to deal with the salesmen. Not all used car salesman are stereotypes, but there certainly are enough out there that are. This is why you really must be prepared when you go used car shopping.
So without further ado, the top five negotiating tips in used car purchase:
Shop Around – It’s tempting, if you see a car you like, to just buy it. What you need to do is shop around. You may see a car that you like even more, but the real benefit is that it will give you an idea of what the car is going to cost. This will allow you to bargain the salesman down when you do go to buy.
Know Your Car – Once you have a car or type of car in mind, do a little bit of research. At the bare minimum, you should know how much the car is worth for the model year you’re looking for and the life expectancy of the model year, with proper maintenance. But the more you know the better you will be able to negotiate. Having information is one of the best negotiating tips in used car purchase that anyone can give you.
Make Them Work for It – Do not give the car dealer anything. If you go in and for example, tell them you you’re not prepared to spend more than $5,000 what you’ll actually do is tell them you’re willing to pay $5,000. Bad move. The first person to name a number is the person who won’t get the better end of the deal.
Remember that the Dealer is Not Your Friend – Car dealers are friendly, pleasant people. They are easy to like. They have to be, it’s essential to selling cars. Because of this, it’s important to remember that they are not your friend. They are there to extract the maximum amount of money possible from you. Always remember what you are there to do and that is to pay the least amount of money, for the car you want .
Walk Away – This isn’t just one of the best negotiating tips in used car purchase, it is the best tip. The ability to walk away is always your best weapon. In fact, you should probably walk away no matter what. You need to take your time and think about the purchase when the dealer isn’t breathing down your neck and going home to sleep on it is maybe the best way to do it.
But walking away is your ace in the hole, because no matter how the dealer makes you feel, you are the one in charge of the negotiations. If you don’t forget that, you won’t have any problems closing the deal.
By: Shane Smith. If you are looking for landscape or backyard lights then check out: http://makevoltz.com
If you’re buying a car, then it is vital that you know what not to pay for when buying a new car. You need to know that there are absolutely things that you should never pay for when you go to purchase a new automobile. The car dealership will always try to get you to spend as much money as they can and this will often come in the shape of things that you don’t need to pay for.
There are five basic things that you need to look at. These range from useless, but expensive, to useful but should be included in the deal at no extra cost.
The Paint Sealant
Pain sealant is usually just a fancy word for wax. That’s right, just a simple wax job. Now if you do decide to pay for this, you definitely shouldn’t spend more than forty dollars or so, but I recommend not spending it at all. Car dealerships will usually let this one go, which can save you hundreds.
Rustproofing
This is definitely a big one on the what not to pay for when buying a new car list. Actually, you should probably include fabric proofing in with rustproofing, because both of them are things that you will get charged big bucks for that either don’t work or could be done far more cheaply on your own.
The Extended Warranty
This actually isn’t a waste of money, unlike the previous two items, on your "what not to pay for when buying a new car" list. A warranty is always a good thing, but all most all dealerships will massively overcharge you for it. Instead, look at third party warranties that you get for a fraction of the cost of what the dealership will milk you for.
Prep Fees
There are a bunch of different fees that they will try to stick you with. If the name of the fee is something vague, then chances are, these are made up fees to allow them to extract just a little more of your hard earned money. The keywords to look for here are dealer prep fees, valuation fee or import tariff. All of these are just there to get you to spend more and don’t represent legitimate expenses on the part of the dealership.
Extra Interest
This is probably the least known of all the things on the "don't pay for" when purchasing a new auto. Car dealerships will usually arrange financing for you, which is convenient for you and a source of lots of extra money for them.
Basically, they have an agreement with the bank to provide loans at a set interest rate and then they add a percentage point or two to the interest they charge you. It always pays for you to check with your local bank and see if you can’t get a better rate there. It’ll save you hundreds or even thousands over the course of the loan.
You knowing, what not to pay for when buying a new car, can save you hundreds, if not thousands, over the life of your ownership of the car.
By: Shane Smith. If you are looking for landscape or backyard lights then check out: http://makevoltz.com
