When people are in need of a car, the focus is on the car itself to such a degree that it can seem as if the purchase is happening in a vacuum. After all, there’s always a dealer somewhere who will show us how we can afford something we’re not really sure we can. Often, that magical way to affo… Continue Reading

In an earlier post we covered the importance of having your down payment ready before you buy a new car and now we’ll take a look at the mechanics of how to sell your car yourself to help raise that down payment. By selling your car yourself, you can maximize the amount of money you’ll get fr… Continue Reading

If knowledge is power then the lack of it is weakness! Don’t think this message is lost on your friendly neighborhood car dealer! Car salesmen can sniff the knowledge weaklings before they even get into the showroom, and will make them pay more before they walk out. The best counter strategy is … Continue Reading

Last week we talked about the importance of having your financing ready before going to a car dealer. Today I want to cover another form of advanced preparation that’s equally important: have your down payment ready before you buy a new car. When ever we go into a car dealership—or any busine… Continue Reading

A friend of mine spent several years working for a prominent local car dealership in the area, and though I’m not a “car guy”, I got a chance to learn about some of the inner workings of the business from a guy who was living it. And that’s what they do in the car business, by the way—the… Continue Reading

Question: is a car an asset or a liability? That was a theory question in a sophomore level accounting course I took in college way back when. After some debate among the class, the professor confirmed what we all knew, that the technically correct classification is “asset”, but felt compelle… Continue Reading

If you’re not a car expert—and let’s face it, most of aren’t—there’s an excellent chance that you’re the exact opposite: a car victim! Does that sound a bit cold? Maybe so, but it’s a fact that the less we know about cars the more we pay for everything—parts, repairs and buying th… Continue Reading

Buying a new car has never been one of my favorite things to do. It’s not that I don’t absolutely love the idea of having a new car, I sure do! But the flaming hoops you have to jump through at the dealership to buy a car takes some of the fun out of what should be one of the most exciting event… Continue Reading

Comedian Jeff Dunham says people who buy new cars for their kids have it all wrong. 16 or 17 year old kids, he emphasizes, don’t need a new car--they need a bumper car. And he was talking about his own daughter! I totally agree! A kid does not need a new car! It's mostly a want, either by the ki… Continue Reading

We need to re-think car loans in a world where job losses and extended periods of unemployment have become the new normal. Continue Reading