4 Secrets To Getting The Best Terms On Your Next Auto Loan

Many car buyers are heavily focused on getting the best sales price on their next vehicle. While the sales price you pay for your new car can play a major role in your monthly auto expense for the next few years, the loan that you use to finance the vehicle is also an important consideration to focus your attention on. 

After all, the interest rate and loan fees as well as the term you select can all affect your monthly payment as well as how quickly your loan balance is paid. These tips can help you to get the best deal possible on your next car loan.

Know Your Credit Rating

You may have seen ads for very low interest rate car loans, but these offers are only available to buyers who have excellent credit scores. The lower your credit rating is, the higher your interest rate likely will be. 

It is important to know your credit rating before you apply for a loan so that you can determine what a competitive interest rate is. In some cases, it may be beneficial to repair your credit before buying your next car. You can pull a free copy of your credit report online once per year. 

When you shop for rates on your own, always ask for the rate available based on your credit score before you apply. This will prevent unnecessary dings on your credit report from too many credit reviews.

Shop for Auto Loans on Your Own

Your impulse may be to make the car buying process as easy as possible, and your plan may be to walk into the dealership and apply for your vehicle loan onsite. However, you may get a better deal when you shop for an auto loan on your own. 

This way, can determine what the best deal possible on a car loan is through your own efforts. Search the website to compare interest rates before you apply to save time and energy. 

Once you have been prequalified for an auto loan through the lender you found, you can compare your best loan terms found to the offer the dealership gives you.

Check Out Dealerships Before You Buy

Some dealerships are unfortunately well known for providing bad loan terms to their customers. You can use google to find dealerships by searching something like “st george car dealership” to find local businesses, read online reviews, and select the best local dealership to visit based on the experiences other buyers have had with them. 

While you still want to compare the dealer’s loan offer against the offer you found, heading to a reputable, honest dealership may provide you with the best overall results.

Negotiate Terms

You may not realize it, but you can negotiate many aspects of your auto loan terms in the same manner that you negotiate the vehicle’s sales price. For example, many dealers charge a higher rate on auto loans they set up because they get a kickback from the lender. 

Therefore, you can negotiate the interest rate as well as the loan fees. Present the prequalification letter that you already have in hand to the dealership, and ask them to beat the offer. 

It never hurts to ask, and the worst that could happen is that the dealership says no. You always have the loan offer you found on your own to rely on if this happens.

The car loan you set up can affect your budget for several years as well as your net trade-in value until the loan is paid off. 

The last thing you want is to accept loan terms that are more expensive than what they could have been. If you plan to purchase a car soon, put these tips into action to start looking for the best deal available.

How Can Retirees Manage Their Finances and Prep for the Future?

Living a comfortable retirement means something different to every person. Regardless of your chosen lifestyle, any retirement requires financial management both before and during your golden years. It's time to take a hard look at your finances so that you can manage and prepare for the retirement road ahead.

Pay Off as Many Debts as Possible

During retirement, you only want to pay for the bare essentials. Carrying a lot of debt will only force you to pull more out from your retirement accounts. 

Prepare for the future by trying to pay off most of your debts, such as the mortgage, student loans and other liabilities. It may take some careful planning, but maintaining a small budget in retirement leaves room for more vacations and fun-spending habits.

Take Advantage of 401(k) Matching

Managing your finances can be incredibly simple when you know if an employer matches the funds added to your 401(k) account. 

Before retirement, add as much money to the 401(k) that can be matched. This perk is often a benefit of a long-term employment situation. Don't take out any funds until your official retirement age. You don't want to pay exorbitant taxes on money that you worked so hard to earn.

Manage Cash Advances with Professional Ease

It's understandable that funds might reach a low point during a life emergency. Consider a cash advance, like those available from American Cash Advance and Title Loan, until your check or direct deposit comes in. 

Use that money to keep up with another commitment while you pay it off in record time. When you pay back the advance, very little interest may be charged to your account. Don't put off any paybacks because the interest will accrue, and it must be paid along with the balance.

Look Out for Scams

Retirees are often the targets of scams because they have their life savings within reach. If you see or hear about any financial opportunities, thoroughly research them before moving forward. 

Scams can look incredibly real, such as offers from banks and official entities. Be proactive about visiting the business's office or calling the facility. Scams can be pinpointed when the perpetrator is only available as they call you and not when you call them.

Create a budget and stick to it. This simple strategy is how you can stay on track with your finances. 

Outlandish spending sprees and other wasteful activities will only drain your accounts when you need them the most. Be responsible with the funds so that you can enjoy life without financial stress.

A Secure Investment: 4 Ways you should be Protecting Your Home

Your home is likely your biggest investment. That is why you should do everything that you can to protect it. There are several ways that you can keep your home secure.

Get a Security System

You will not only be protecting your home by installing a security system, but you will also feel safer when you are at home. 

Studies have shown that homes without security systems are 300 percent more likely to be broken into. If a break-in occurs, then the police will immediately be notified. 

A security system not only protects your home from break-ins, but you can also get one with fire monitoring.

Eliminate Hiding Spots

If you have bushes and shrubbery around your home, then these areas can easily be a hiding spot for burglars. That is why you will need to trim bushes and shrubbery. 

You will also need to need to put lights around your home. Even though most break-ins occur during the day when people are at work, you will still need to secure your house at night.

Secure the Front Door

The front door is the main entry point that burglars use to get into your home. In fact, it is estimated that 33 percent of burglars break in through the front door. 

That is why you will need to secure your front door. If your door does not have a deadbolt or peephole, then you will need to install them. 

Additionally, if your door has a mail slot, then you will need to make sure that no one can reach through it and unlock the door.

Get Homeowners Insurance

Many mortgage companies require that people get homeowners insurance through a business like Northeast Insurance Agency or a similar agency. 

However, even if homeowners insurance is not required by your lender, you will definitely need to consider getting it. Homeowners insurance will cover your home if it is damaged by a storm or fire. 

It can also cover your home if someone breaks into it. Additionally, homeowners insurance includes liability coverage. If someone is hurt at your home, then they can sue you. However, you can be protected from a lawsuit if you have homeowners insurance.

Being a homeowner comes with a lot of responsibility. Protecting it is one of the biggest responsibilities that you have. Y

ou can protect it by installing a security system, eliminating hiding spots in your yard and securing the front door. Furthermore, it is important to get homeowners insurance.

How to Invent a Product in Your 50’s

There are certain stages of life that lend themselves to certain behaviors and trends. For example, most people aren’t thinking about creating an invention or product in their 50’s. 

It does happen occasionally, like in the case of the toothbrush, which was created by a man nearly 50 years old. In most cases though, it is something done in your 20’s or 30’s. 

This article is to let you know that it’s not weird, you can do it, and the only thing holding you back is you. The fact that you have extensive life experience can help you identify certain opportunities that a younger person might overlook. 

Invent a Product

The easiest way to come up with a product idea is to solve a problem that you currently have or one that you see is common in the world. 

I’m not talking about solving world peace here, but if you take note of daily struggles that you face, you’re already halfway to the prize. When you have a frustration with a product that you use all the time, think about if there might be a better way to do that thing.

Once you have a product idea, or an improvement to an existing product, it’s time to test the market. The best way to do this is by either setting up a focus group with strangers or just doing it virtually through crowdfunding sites like Indiegogo or Kickstarter. 

These mammoth opportunities raised more than a billion dollars last year alone. This illustrates the power that can be potentially harnessed with these sites. If you go down this road, don’t skimp. 

Promote the Invention

Produce the highest quality description and videos that you possibly can. Create a quality, but simple presentation about how your product works and how it will solve the problem you once had. Not only will this force you to think critically about your product, but it will tell you in no uncertain terms whether or not people will buy it. 

Salesmanship is a must, especially with the competition for eyeballs on these types of platforms. Fill out your profile completely, and create buzz about your invention, even if it’s not the newest tech gadget. People want practical as well, not just exciting and colorful.

Build a Prototype

If your product is validated, it’s time for a working prototype. Remember: a prototype doesn’t have to be the final work of art that you’re planning; it simply needs to showcase the appearance and in some cases, functionality of said product. 

You can create this yourself with existing materials or hire an outside consulting company to take care of this for you. If you have the capital on hand, this may be the way to go. 

You’ll get professional critiques and a functioning product that is ready for market. As you are going through this process, keep in mind that the relationships you build right now could be fostered and used for future projects as well.

If you follow these suggestions, you’ll be able to come up with a great idea, solve a problem, validate your idea, and make people’s lives easier, all while making money from it.