Articles

What Are the 10 Most Misunderstood Things About New-Car Buying and Leasing? Over the years, we’ve seen and heard practically all of the things that are most often misunderstood about car buying and leasing. Let’s identify them and address them here. Car companies such as Ford or Honda own and operate their own dealerships Not true. All new-car dealers are independent businesses, authorized and franchised, but not owned or operated by big car manufacturers. In fact, … Read More

What Happens If You Wreck a Leased Car? There are some very specific things that need to be done if a leased car is involved in an accident First, call 911 and report the accident to the police, even if relatively minor — and even if you are at fault. A police report is important in resolving disputes and establishing facts and fault in an accident situation. Insurance companies want to see police reports. Second, call your insurance … Read More

Car manufacturers’ lease deals can be worth considering, but it depends on your specific needs, financial situation, and the details of the deal itself. Here’s a breakdown of the factors to consider: Advantages of Manufacturer Lease Deals: Lower Monthly Payments: Manufacturers often offer promotional lease deals with lower monthly payments to attract customers to certain models, especially overstocked or outgoing models. Low (or No) Down Payment: Some deals come with low or even no down … Read More

What are car lease fees? Many of the fees associated with car leasing are the same as when buying. There are taxes, tag and title fees, dealer “doc” fees, and other official fees that are charged regardless of whether a car is leased or purchased. However … there are some fees that are specifically associated with leasing. Fees at beginning of lease First, there will be an “acquisition fee” that is essentially an administrative fee … Read More

Car Insurance for 16 Year Old Male Drivers — Finding Best Rates Finding affordable insurance for high-risk teen drivers Since 16 year old teens cannot legally sign contracts, including car insurance agreements, they typically get insurance coverage by being added to their parents’ existing auto insurance policy. Until they are 18 years old, teens cannot buy their own insurance. If a teen is added as a occasional driver for an existing family car that is … Read More

Car Insurance for Older Drivers How to get cheapest car insurance rates if you are a senior citizen Many older drivers or senior drivers have an opportunity to save significant money on their car insurance, especially if they’ve been with the same auto insurance company for years. Update your information One of the easiest ways to save money is to simply update your information with your auto insurance company. If your lifestyle has changed, if … Read More

Teens and Car Insurance – How It Works and How to Get the Best Rates When teenagers first begin to drive, they quickly discover that auto insurance is and will continue to be a major factor — and cost — in their driving lives. First, they discover that it is required by state laws. In most states you cannot buy a car, get tags, or drive a car without at least a minimum level of … Read More

Where are the best lease deals this year? As you might already know, the very best car lease deals for 2024 are special promotional leases that are frequently offered by car manufacturers and their dealers to attract new leasing customers. These deals are typically only offered for one month on selected models and are genuinely excellent deals — much better deals than customers could negotiate on their own. With the popularity of leasing growing so … Read More

How to Get Best Car Prices in 2024 Whether you buy new or used, lease or buy, you should try to get the best possible deals on your car. Car prices are not like hamburger prices at McDonalds where the same burger costs exactly the same every day in every location. Car prices can vary day to day, dealer to dealer,  location to location — and can be negotiated. So how do you get the best … Read More

Which car is best as a first car? What brand, model, style? When choosing a good first car, the many choices can be confusing and bewildering. Which brand is best? Which model? Which car is least expensive? Which costs less for insurance? Which car gets the best gas mileage? Which is the most popular with other drivers buying their first car? Our Recommendations Although we realize that there is no single “best first car” that … Read More

Is There a Best Time to Buy or Lease a Car? The short answer to the question of when is it best to buy or lease is … when everybody else is NOT buying. A car dealership is like any other business in that they are eager to keep sales flowing. When sales are slow, good car deals are more likely to be available. Notice in the above paragraph that we used the word “available” and … Read More

Is it better to buy a new car — or a used car? This question of new-vs-used may get you a quick answer from many people — always buy used. But not so fast. There’s more than one answer. And it depends on your personal preferences and finances.  With a record 18 millions brand new vehicles projected to be sold this year, it’s obvious that some people thing buying new is the answer. Those people … Read More

What’s Special About BMW Lease Deals? BMW stands apart from other car companies in offering more and better car leases For the last few years, BMW has been offering the best lease deals on more of it’s vehicles than any other car company. It does it every month. And this month, at the time of this writing, they have over 75 special leases across their entire product line from coupes, sedans, convertibles, X-Series SUVs, Z4 … Read More

Is it possible to cancel a car lease deal after signing? There is no clear answer to that question because it depends on when you want to cancel and under what circumstances. Let’s look at some of the possible scenarios under which you might want to get out of your car lease deal: 1. You just signed but have not taken possession of your car. In most states, if you have not taken possession of … Read More

Yes, it is possible to change from a lease to a finance loan for the car you are currently leasing. This process is often referred to as a lease buyout or lease-to-own conversion. There are typically two types of lease buyouts: a “purchase option” buyout and a “finance buyout.” Here’s an overview of both options: **1. Purchase Option Buyout (Residual Value Buyout):** In many lease agreements, there is a predetermined purchase option price, also known … Read More

Is it possible to buy a car with no credit or bad credit? Yes, in most cases it’s possible. There are several options that may be available to you. Buy with cash Although this is the most obvious answer to the question of buying a car without credit, it’s one that is often overlooked. Many people who might otherwise not be able to qualify for a car loan might have sources of cash that they … Read More

Can’t Afford Your Car Loan or Lease? Behind on Payments? What are Your Options? Missed car payments or danger of repossession? What you can do when you can no longer afford your car loan or lease? In a tough economy, it is often a struggle to make car payments. Many people find themselves in a situation in which they are behind on car payments and can no longer afford their car — or can’t afford … Read More

Car accidents are always traumatic, even minor ones. However, if you are involved in an accident and don’t have insurance, it can be a disaster. All states in the U.S. have financial responsibility laws that, in most states, requires a minimum level of liability insurance that helps pay for damages and injuries in at-fault accidents and can protect car owners from legal suits. Note that we emphasize the word “helps.” Most state car insurance laws are … Read More

Car Auctions for Cheap Cars Where are the car auctions? There are a number of different types of auto auctions, conducted by a variety of types of auction companies. Each auction is different: different rules, different type of vehicles, different restrictions on who can participate, and different payment methods. Some auction companies restrict all or some of their auctions to licensed car dealers. Others may conduct completely open auctions, open to anyone, including dealers. Let’s … Read More

Buyer’s Remorse — How It Affects Car Buyers We’ve all experienced it. We buy something and almost immediately regret having done it — sometimes for good reasons, sometimes for no reason at all. It’s called buyer’s remorse. If your purchase was for a pair of shoes at Walmart, no problem. Simply return them and get your money back. However it’s much different if buying a car. It’s not unusual for a car buyer to feel … Read More