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Financial Calculators

GettingAhead Association Home » Affordable Financial Services » Loans

 

NEW OR USED AUTOMOBILE LOANS
Many financial institutions will finance your new or used car up to 100% -- including money for taxes, licensing, and approved warranty contracts. Lenders offer a variety of flexible payment options, with terms typically up to 72 months.

NEW/USED BOAT OR RV LOAN
Many financial institutions will help you to afford your favorite outdoor recreational activities with financing for your new or used motor home, travel trailer, boat, motorcycle, snowmobile or personal water craft. Most of these type loans offer flexible terms and fixed rates. Many financial institutions will even help you to refinance your existing boat loan.

It’s always a good idea to get pre-approved for a loan prior to negotiating or buying your vehicle. This way you’ll know how much you can spend before you get your heart set on something you might not be able to afford.

Here are a few steps to an easy and smart vehicle buying process:

Step 1 - Pick out the vehicle you want to buy – Do your homework by reading online reviews, taking different cars out for test drives, obtaining a copy of the window sticker price, list of associated fees and exact sales tax rate for your purchase.

Step 2 - Find out how much the car should cost – Continue your homework by researching online at Edmunds.com or kbb.com (Kelly Blue Book) to understand exactly how much the car should cost and what you should pay. You can use the aforementioned items you gathered to complete the necessary online questionnaire at these sites. Then you can review the following;
  • MSRP - Should be very close to the suggested retail price on the sticker. If it is, then you know you've put in all of the right information.
  • Invoice price - The price the dealer paid for the car.
  • Average transaction price - Edmunds calls this "What Others Are Paying." Kelley refers to it as "The New Car Blue Book Value." It will usually be somewhere between the retail price and invoice price.
Step 3 - Secure the loan – You can perform online research at websites such as bankrate.com to understand the average car loan rates. Then work with your financial institution to initiate the vehicle loan application process and discover what you can afford, your loan term and your monthly payments.

Step 4 - Research the discounts – Be sure to research any associated discount offers such as rebates vs. low cost financing and analyze which option saves you the most money.

Step 5 - Know what price you are willing to pay for the car - Your goal should be to pay somewhere between the invoice price and the average transaction price. Being a smart consumer should allow you to pay less than the average consumer.

Step 6 - Make an offer – Negotiate the deal understanding you have the complete control of the situation. Let the salesperson offer the first bid, then you can counter with the price and negotiate until you feel as though you have a fair deal.