If you think about it, the most grueling part of the car-buying process, after agreeing on a price, is acquiring the right kind of loan for your new or used car. Most consumers enter the car dealership completely unprepared for the loan application process, and that lack of knowledge and planning is costing them millions of dollars every year.

If you want to create a win-win situation for you and the car dealership you purchase your car from, there are five steps to take before you sit down at the negotiation table: get your credit report, surf before buying, go local, speak the language and be prepared to negotiate.

1.) Get Your Credit Report
You can’t pick up a personal finance article, magazine or book that does not refer to the importance of knowing what is on your credit report. Despite the fact that modern media has been beating us over the head with this advice for the past couple of decades, most people do not know their credit score or check their credit report on a regular basis. You can get a copy of your report by directly contacting the three credit bureaus: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian (formerly TRW).

Not knowing your credit score and the details of your credit report before applying for a car loan is a monumental mistake. You want to have any blemishes on your report resolved before you apply for a car loan, because the results of your lender’s credit inquiry directly impact your interest rate.

Your credit report includes: basic information about you – name, address, social security number, etc.; your late payments, any outstanding debts you have, the amount of credit available to you; any public records on you such as judgments and bankruptcies; and inquiries into your credit from potential employers or lenders.

And just because you have caught up late payments, cleared outstanding debts or cleared up any judgments does not mean these blemishes are automatically removed from your credit report. Sometimes, you need to follow up with the creditors to make sure they report your reconciliation of debt to all three credit bureaus.

In addition, identity theft and/or fraud can result in false, unfavorable records on your credit report. In January 2006, the Federal Trade Commission reported that more than 686,000 people reported identity theft and fraud complaints in 2005. Stolen identity and fraud can result in major credit report issues.

2.) Surf Before Buying
You’ll be far less tempted to impulse buy, driving away from the car dealership with a car you can’t afford if you have established boundaries in your mind before you begin.
You can save big money on your car loan if you have a budget and type of car in mind before you go shopping. One easy way to accomplish this is to go online and check out different car dealership websites.
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Discussions of mortgages often focus on interest rates, but there is a much more basic decision to make. Should you go with a 30 year mortgage term or a 15 year mortgage term?

30 Year vs. 15 Year Mortgages

Any discussion of mortgages tends to turn on two points. How can you qualify for the most money with the lowest payment? How can you get the lowest interest rate for the mortgage? While these are two important issues, there is an addition one that people fail to consider, resulting in significant wasted money.

The term of a mortgage is extremely critical for a couple of reason. First, it sets the length of the obligation you are undertaking. Second, it defines the amount of interest you are going to pay over the life of the loan. These are huge issues when it comes to building equity.

The longer the loan, the more total interest you are going to pay. The trade off, of course, is you are going to have smaller monthly payments the farther you stretch out the obligation. While this may sound like a good goal when you first get the mortgage, it can backfire on you in the long run.

Most people focus on interest rates as a way to save money on mortgages. This is a valid approach, but playing with the length of the loan is a better way to save money. If you can cut the payments in half by going with a shorter loan, you can save huge amounts on the total interest repaid to a lender.
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Debt is a way of life for many Americans. We owe money on our homes, our cars, our possessions (from furniture to clothes), and our education. Many Americans are so mired in debt they aren’t even sure just how much they owe and to whom — even worse they sometimes don’t even remember just what caused their debt.

Some debt is good for you. For example, what you owe on your home can provide a nice way to balance out your income tax. A little debt is not a bad thing either as making regular payments to various creditors helps build your credit rating which makes it easier for you to obtain loans at good rates. However the truth is that most Americans have more than a little debt — and many owe far too much money and are already, or soon will be, in financial trouble as a result.

Finding yourself owing a lot of money is not the end of the road and you can stop your cycle of debt by taking four positive steps to break the cycle.

First, attack your high-cost debts. This likely includes credit cards where you may be paying high minimum payments and high interest rates. Pay off the balances on credit cards carrying the highest interest rates first. Continue making your minimum payments for lower-interest cards but concentrate on paying off the highest interest. When the high-cost cards are paid off then work to eliminate the balances on your other cards.

Second, reach out to your creditors. If you are going to be late or have difficulty paying your minimum payments then contact the credit card company. Even if you can make all your payments in a timely fashion there are two benefits you can reap from contacting the card issuer. First, you may be able to negotiate lower rates or more favorable terms. Second, they might be able to recommend alternatives that can minimize damage to your credit rating.
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When shopping around for a loan, whether it be auto, home or consolidation, most individuals turn toward banks for the money that they need. There are a number of factors that can determine how much, or how little, money you can save.

Are you familiar with your credit report and FICO score? If not, you should be. Visit annualcreditreport.com to receive a free copy of your credit report, from each of the three credit reporting agencies, once every 12 months. Typically, these reports are $9.00 each but many consumers do not realize that they are entitled to a free copy every year. There are no catches, no gimmicks and no trial period in any type of paid service in order to gain access through this website. The information contained in your credit file is one of the top factors in determining your loan amount, interest rate and ultimately a decision as to approval or denying the loan request. Everyone should be familiar with their credit report, verify the accuracy of their contents and correct any mistakes that are present. The FICO score is a number that is calculated based on previous payment history, debt to balance ratio and length of credit history. The higher your FICO score, the lower your interest rates.
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