Buying a Car

With falling interest rates many people are looking for ways to refinance their loans to save money each month. At Bankrate.com you can check auto loan rates both for purchase and refinance, and get...

With falling interest rates many people are looking for ways to refinance their loans to save money each month. At Bankrate.com you can check auto loan rates both for purchase and refinance, and get quotes. Ask the prospective lender what their fees are and weigh that against the potential monthly savings you can calculate here to see if you will come out ahead.

Dealers are regularly making room for new vehicles. Once you know what car you want, find out when the next year's model will be released (often late summer or early fall, but varies by manufacturer...

Dealers are regularly making room for new vehicles. Once you know what car you want, find out when the next year's model will be released (often late summer or early fall, but varies by manufacturer and by specific model) and purchase just before that time. This can save you thousands of dollars on a brand-new car, just because dealers are preparing to start selling the next year's vehicles. Check manufacturers’ websites for release dates.

While it is always smart to shop for a good deal on the price of a car, don't forget the savings that can add up from getting better fuel mileage as well. And the higher gas prices get, the more this...

While it is always smart to shop for a good deal on the price of a car, don't forget the savings that can add up from getting better fuel mileage as well. And the higher gas prices get, the more this impacts your wallet. The cost of operating your car each year (gas, insurance, maintenance & repairs) can eventually add up to more than the price you pay to buy it!

If you drive the average of 12,000 miles/year, and pay $2.65 per gallon of gas, you'll save $104 per year just by getting 18MPG instead of 17MPG! Look for more efficient cars with better MPG ratings, and read more LOZO tips on how to save money on gasoline and how to maximize the mileage of any car.

Some cars offer different models at different fuel efficiencies (e.g., with higher performance engines that can better optimize gas mileage in highway driving). Keep the potential fuel cost savings in mind when evaluating whether to pay for the upgrade, using the $1 MPG = $100/year rule as a guide.

Car salespeople have monthly quotas & goals, which means they are even more eager to make sales at the end of each month. Just by showing up at this time could mean a few extra thousand dollars...

Car salespeople have monthly quotas & goals, which means they are even more eager to make sales at the end of each month. Just by showing up at this time could mean a few extra thousand dollars off the price of your car purchase. As always, shop ahead of time so you know exactly what you want and what you are willing to pay, and then take advantage of the timing to negotiate more effectively.

MoneyAisle.com offers a reverse bidding service for getting the best rates on a car refinance, auto loan, CDs & savings accounts. You provide the details of the loan or account that you want...

MoneyAisle.com offers a reverse bidding service for getting the best rates on a car refinance, auto loan, CDs & savings accounts. You provide the details of the loan or account that you want to open or refinance, and they run a "live auction" to select the best rate from among their partner providers.

Be sure to compare the rates to what you can get on your own since they can only show you rates from their partners. The site "holds" the best offer for you for 30 minutes, but in our testing we were able to replicate the same offer at different times so you might not need to act immediately.

The nice part is that you can see the rates immediately and without having to provide any personal information, so it is a useful research tool as part of your financial planning.

See Edmunds.com for a free report of the latest incentives and rebates for buying a new car. They organize the deals by make of car so you can see what is offered for your vehicle of choice. Be sure...

See Edmunds.com for a free report of the latest incentives and rebates for buying a new car. They organize the deals by make of car so you can see what is offered for your vehicle of choice. Be sure to change the zip code at Edmunds.com to find the deals nearest you.