A Word of Caution about Credit Unions
When getting a car loan through a credit union, always make sure to setup the loan directly with them. Recently, some credit unions have started working with dealers to offer indirect lending. This is when the dealer will take care of all the paperwork and arrange the financing through a credit union.
The problem is the credit union usually pays a commission to the dealer for processing the loan - sometimes up to $1,000.
It's always worth calling the credit union directly to see what their direct lending rate is. It can save you a lot of money. Other than that, there really are no other drawbacks to using a credit union for your car financing needs.
Always contact one or two credit unions when comparison shopping your auto loan. It's one of the smartest things you can do to save money on a car loan.
3 Steps Every Car Buyer Needs to Take to Save Maximum Money
The key to getting the best deal is to gather price or lease bids from as many local dealers as possible. Then shop that best price around until no one can beat it. Here are the steps:Step 1 Get Prices From My Trusted Network
Select the vehicle you're interested in to see if there are local dealers in my network who will provide you with their best upfront price. You will get direct access to an internet sales manager who you can further negotiate with online (no need to visit dealership).Step 2 Get Prices From TrueCar / CarsDirect
TrueCar, and CarsDirect are my top 2 online price quote recommendations. These services show you pre-negotiated prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually pretty decent. But remember, you can still negotiate further.Step 3 Complete my Checklist
Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.- Gregg Fidan
Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author
Gregg Fidan is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate
the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
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