Tips To Save Big On Your Next Car Loan

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.