Dealsoncars

Car loans are certainly less costly than home mortgages, student loans, or other kinds of loans. So why do so many people end up defaulting and losing their cars? Find out these hidden dangers:
Biggest Hidden Car Loan Danger: The Inherent Money Pit

Unlike home mortgages, student loans or other big-ticket loans, car loans are inherently money pits. A house can build equity; higher education can increase earning potential; even jewelry can sometimes be re-sold for as much as was paid for it. If you borrow to buy one of those things, you may eventually get a return on investment. But every single car loses significant value and keeps losing it as time goes by.

Solution: spend as little on your car as possible.

Of course, in order to spend as little as possible over the life of the vehicle, you need to get a well-made, fuel-efficient car, rather than the one with the lowest price on the windshield.

But a pickup truck, SUV, sports car, or “luxury” model is a guaranteed money-loser. Dont worry about what other people will think. Think about it: when was the last time you saw an expensive automobile and thought, “I really like and respect whoever owns that!”

The best buy? Many economists actually recommend buying a used car that’s a year or two old. That way you can actually benefit from the fact that cars only drop in value. Even a car thats just six months old may offer you a substantial savings. Just have it inspected thoroughly so you don’t lose what you’ve saved on maintenance payments.
Hidden Car Loans Danger: Dangerously High Monthly Payments

Unfortunately, most people never figure out the total cost before signing on the dotted line. They end up staying up late at night trying to figure out how to make ends meet. They live in smaller houses. They skip going out at night. They dont go on vacation.

All that sacrifice to have a brand-new SUV in the driveway!

Take a hard look at your finances, and figure out how much you can pay total each month for your car. Be sure to take into account insurance, tax, maintenance, and fuel. Usually, when people actually do calculate the total monthly cost of the car theyre considering buying, theyre amazed by how high it is.
How Much Car Debt Can You Afford?

1) Make a list of your average monthly non-car expenses, and subtract them from your earnings.

your monthly after-income-tax income

any other taxes

housing (including any fees and property taxes, and utilities)

food

health insurance or HMO

life insurance

debt payments

401 (k), IRA, or other long-term savings

short-term savings

telephone, cellular phone, cable, internet, etc.

entertainment and fun stuff (be honest!)

cost of yearly vacation(s) divided by 12

other expenses

what you can spend on a car

2) Subtract your monthly car-related expenses from the amount you have left over from your other expenses.

What you can spend on a car (from above)

Amount youre spending per month on gas (raise or lower this figure depending on whether you are getting a car with higher or lower gas mileage).
Monthly maintenance (remember: your new car wont stay new long, so maintenance will be an issue).

Monthly insurance (remember that for a new car, your insurance premiums may go up).

Tax.

Maximum monthly loan payment.

Now plug the number above into a vehicle loan rate calculator to figure out big of a car loan, and how much interest you can afford.
Final Hidden Auto Loan Danger: Unnecessarily High Rates

If you simply take the first loan the dealer offers you, you are probably paying too much. Do some comparison shopping on the internet, and bring a list of the best loans with you when you negotiate loan terms with the dealer.

Dont let the dealer cheat you by shifting the cost from the car loan to the car price to the deal on your trade-in. Make sure you get a good deal overall.

Congratulations! You now are far better prepared to stay out of an auto loan money pit than the vast majority of car buyers.

You recall your first car? Was it a hunk of junk or a nice one? You may have resorted to the local newspaper for your car information in order to find that inexpensive, little jalopy. Or perhaps you were lucky enough to receive one is the gift or be able to afford one yourself. No matter where you searched, one thing was for sure; you wanted a good deal. In the past, this could often prove a difficult task. If it was bought from a dealer, he could make up any outrageous price that he wanted to, and if you went to an individual that had a car for sale you could end up with a junker and not know it until a month later and then you would be totally out of luck. This is really that big of a deal now a days. A deluge of car information is at your fingertips online.

I still remember my first car like it was yesterday. It was a 1978 Fiat Spider convertible. I got it from a college kid for 1100. It was a pretty decent first car. I mean I wasn’t expecting a Porsche for 1100. It was one of those cars that you couldn’t just let sit around not using it. You had to start everyday so it would turn over when you took it out for a spin. I recall one instance where I had not started it for three consecutive days. Big mistake, but fortunately I could always pop the clutch. While this wasn’t the greatest car in the the universe, I definitely knew one thing, the seller provided all necessary car information upon my test drive so there wasn’t any confusion. He has all the paperwork in order including service and maintenance records. It would be nice if everyone was as prepared.

If you’re heading out to a dealership to find that new family van, or sports car, it’s always a good idea to do your homework online first. The Internet is a vast reservoir of knowledge and information. It truly is a priceless resource. The car information online will save you plenty of like work. You know that you want a safe vehicle, and you know you want to avoid getting ripped off. Well, with the car information found on the World Wide Web, your worries should be subsided. The dealers no longer have the upper hand, that now belongs to us, the consumer. But the advantage is only hours if we choose to use it.

When you step into that dealership, you know what the vehicle sells for. The Internet will prevent you from being ripped off by exorbitant pricing. With your PC you can check out the numerous car sites in your area to see who’s offering what. There are even online sales that can be found on auctions such as Ebay and other state and federal auction sites run by government agencies. The buyer is now the one in charge when purchasing that new car. With car information so accessible, finding that ride of your dreams is a synch.