Auto Novices

Buying a car is rarely a straightforward process. From choosing a specific car model to negotiating the final price, the whole ordeal is often fraught with anxiety. Even getting financing can be overwhelming. And this is all even truer if you go to a dealership unprepared.

But with a little effort you can walk out with the car of your dreams at a great deal.

Otherwise you could be paying a lot more than you need to. The key to getting the rates you want on an auto loan for your next vehicle in Washington is knowing how to negotiate. You could save a lot more money in the long run.

But most individuals fail to do so and even fall for some of the most common financing scams. This doesn’t mean that all dealerships are sneaky. It just means that being prepared goes a long way.

Auto loan interest rates for Washington currently stand at 3.24% for Bank of America and 2.49% for U.S. Bank for 48 month terms. The rates vary on a number of factors including your credit history and employment.

The following are five tips to help you get the lowest rates on your next auto loan in Washington.

Know what your credit score is

Lenders always look at your credit to determine if you are financially able to repay the loan. Before getting financing it is strongly recommend to first review your credit report. Any errors should be immediately addressed otherwise it could hurt your ability to obtain financing.

In some cases it might make more sense to hold off on buying a car until your score improves. Focus on improving your credit by ensuring all payments are sent in on time and reducing the amount of debt as much as possible.

Consider other financing options

Even before you visit your dealership, you should always seek other financing options. Start by applying for auto loans with your bank to determine what rates you can qualify for. This gives you much more leverage as it means you can compare these rates with what the dealership offers.

And if the dealership offers a higher rate you have two options: You can either negotiate for them to match the rate or haggle them to go lower.

Negotiate for lower rates

Dealership financing could very well be your only option. But even if it is you can still negotiate for a lower rate. You just have to be willing to ask. There could also even be financing incentives available depending on the vehicle. Qualifying for these deals may not be possible depending on your credit but it doesn’t hurt to ask either. Washington state has a diverse range of credit types, so they have experience helping people from many different situations.

Make a higher down payment

Putting down at least 20 percent of the total purchase price is ideal. The more you can put down onWashington State auto loans, the better rates you will be able to qualify for. Lenders will be more comfortable with offering financing and doing so gives you even more negotiating power.

Keep the loan term short

In Seattle and its surrounding areas loan lengths are typically between 24 and 84 months. The longer your loan terms are, the more in interest you will pay. Shorter loan terms means not only paying your loans at a faster rate but it also means paying less in overall interest. Be sure to thoroughly examine your financing options before committing to anything.

Sean Carter has written about economics and finance for many influential blogs all over the web. When he is not hard at work he enjoys traveling and automobiles

When it comes to driving a trailer successfully, there is no substitute for real life experience on the road. Provided that your truck has a towing hitch and you know how to safely hitch a trailer without losing a finger, the question is; how do you get that experience without crashing? Whether you are transporting a bike, or moving house, renting a trailer stands to save you a lot of money over getting a professional towing service. If you don’t know what you’re doing though, accidents will wipe out your potential savings and leave you wishing you’d called the pros!

Make Yourself A Course!

Find yourself a vacant parking lot and grab some markers. Fluorescent cones are great if you have them but you could easily make some flag markers by tying socks onto garden canes and sticking them into flower pots. Start by making two parallel lines.

Reversing

It’s almost impossible to back up in a straight line so don’t even try, just practice reversing back between your parallel markings a bunch of times. Get a feel for how your trailer moves as you reverse.

Watch Your Hands

A good tip is to keep one hand at the 6o’clock position on the steering wheel when reversing. This helps some people relate to how every slight turn of the wheel is magnified into a much greater movement by the rear of the trailer. If you try this, the trailer moves in the opposite direction your hand does when you reverse and it makes the movement easier to visualize.

Mirrors Will Save Your Life

Extended or over-size mirrors are a must-have when you are driving with a trailer. You can rent a trailer but you can’t rent these! Driving with just your vehicle’s standard wing mirrors is very hard as they can’t let you see the whole of your trailer. Use your parking lot course to make adjustments on your mirrors and ensure that you can see the entire length of your trailer easily. As only your stock truck wing mirrors will be electrically adjustable it really helps to have a mate who can angle the extended mirrors for you while you remain seated in the correct driving position.

Allow Yourself Extra Space

When you are ready, move you parallel markings into a curve and get a feel for how much extra space you need to leave yourself when you turn. Complete several turns in the parking lot and observe how wide you have to stay without hitting your markers. When you get onto the road, this means that when there are multiple turn lanes, you should stay wide.

Practice Stopping!

The final step of your practice is to see how your trailer handles when you stop. Even if your trailer has brakes, you will always need extra stopping distance. Out on the road this translates to leaving extra space between you and the car in front.

Putting It All Together On The Road

Now you’re ready to try driving on the motorway for the first time, good luck! However, your practice course will not have prepared you for the unnerving feeling of buffeting when a truck passes you at speed. A good tip is to remain vigilant and see other vehicles approaching in your mirrors, then ease off the accelerator pedal just before they pass, it will help prevent swaying. Always remember if your trailer is swaying continually you need to stop and make adjustments. If it is all too much hassle and worry then consider finding a local towing firm; you might be surprised how quick and affordable their services can be.