Things to think about before heading to a dealership.
Time to buy a car? Short of buying a house, this is one
If you think about it, you can probably imagine other things that you might want to prioritize, ranging from saving for retirement, buying a home, or even some lifestyle purchases, like travel. Not to mention that having more money on hand will likely be handy if you have
Buying a new car? It may not be the best value; a brand-new car loses roughly 20% of value over the first year and about 10% of
A trade-in might not always favor you. A dealership has to make a profit on the vehicle you are trading in, so you will often receive far less than the Blue Book value. A better value may be to try to sell your vehicle, yourself, directly to another person. If you do attempt a trade-in, avoid any major expenditures on the old car beforehand, like major repairs or even a detailing. Focus on getting the best price for the new car and leave the trade-in for the end of your negotiation
Leasing vs. buying. Leasing a car may only be advantageous if you are a business owner and able to leverage the payments as a tax deduction. While you can get a brand-new car every few years, there are many hoops to jump through; you need excellent credit, and there are many potential fees and penalties to consider when leasing, which you don’t face when buying. In many ways, it’s akin to renting a car for a longer period of time, with all of the disadvantages and responsibilities
Shop around for interest rates, but consider credit unions. Credit unions tend to have more favorable rates as they are member owned. At the average American bank, the interest rates are 4.5%, according to Bankrate.com. Meanwhile, you can often get rates in the neighborhood of 2.97% through the typical credit union. There are a number of other benefits to credit unions, including being based locally as well as user-friendly practices, such as options to apply to a credit union at the dealership. There are many financing options, though, so make credit unions only part of your research
An automobile is a big-ticket purchase. It’s worth taking your time and making sure that you’ve covered your bases in terms of making the most responsible purchase.
This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. All information is believed to be from reliable sources;
Citations.
1 - marketwatch.com/story/8-things-youre-better-off-buying-used-2018-08-02 [8/2/18]