HOW TO BUY ANEW CAR

Knowing how to buy a new car can be the difference between a pleasant experience and stressful ordeal.

Follow these money-savings tips

along the way to maximize your savings and make your search

more efficient.

1 WHEN TO BUY A NEW CARAccording to Google Trends, people research new cars more in the summer and less often in winter. This makes November the best month to buy a car. Since demand is lower, there’s more room to negotiate price.

Also consider end of month when salespeople are against monthly quotas.

2 KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO PAYDetermine what you are willing to pay before you enter a dealership. All the fancy options, bells and whistles, are easier to resist if you have a firm cap on your price. Research your target price for a specific model to help keep your budget on track.

3 WATCH FOR REBATES AND INCENTIVESIf the dealer is offering special incentives like cash rebates or low-interest financing, take full advantage. Newspaper and TV promotions are one way to keep track, but online car-buying resources probably offer the greatest convenience.

4 KNOW WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE PAYINGAs everyone knows, the dealer sticker price is more of a starting point for negotiations than a set-in-stone final price. Which is why know what others are have paid for the same car can be such a powerful tactic.

Tools like Edmunds.com or the Regions Auto Center powered by TrueCar can help determine wiggle room for negotiating and saving money.

Visit the Regions Auto Center atREGIoNS.Com/pERSoNAl_bANKING/AuTo_buyING_SERVICE.RF

5 YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT IN PERSONConsider corresponding and even negotiating by email and phone to save time, money and reduces the stress of buying a new car. It also allows you to play one dealer against another to maximize savings.

6 ASK FOR IT IN WRITINGAfter negotiating a final price, ask the salesperson to email or fax an itemized worksheet detailing costs. Watch for items and extra costs you did not anticipate or perhaps request.

7 CONSIDER YOUR PAYmENT OPTIONSIf you plan on paying cash instead of financing, still check out rebate offers offered for dealership financing. you can always pay the loan off a few days or months later, depending on early payment penalties. This could result in substantial savings.

WANT moRE INFoRmATIoN? ChECK ouT ouR buSINESS RESouRCE CENTER AT REGIONS.COm/BUSINESSRESOURCES

This information is general in nature, is provided for educational purposes only, and should not be relied

on or interpreted as accounting, financial planning, investment, legal or tax advice. Regions neither

endorses nor guarantees this information, and encourages you to consult a professional for advice

applicable to your specific situation.