Plan to pay for your next car with cash instead of financing? Why you'd be wise to play your hand close to the vest.

This past Memorial Day weekend, I was stranded in the Houston airport during the record setting storms that pummeled Texas. The torrential rains and terrible lighting were powerful, but as terrible as these storms were for Texans, the trouble was just beginning. Countless vehicles that were submerged by flood waters are now being labeled salvaged, cleaned up and are beginning to reappear across the country.

A dealership is willing to double your tax refund for your down payment on a new car? That almost sounds too good to be true. And with deals like these, it pays to get all of the details before committing to anything, so you'll know what kind of a deal you're really getting. Also, no matter how great the promotion is, make sure that you really can afford the purchase.

It's been about a year since Americans dealt with high ($4+ a gallon) gas prices. Since then, prices of regular gas at the pump have declined and are now averaging around $2.70 per gallon in the U.S. Because of the downward trend, car buyers have started to steer their eyes and wallets towards large trucks and SUV's again. But is it really time to do that? Realistically, it comes down to a couple of boring yet practical questions: How badly do you need a bigger vehicle, and can you handle the expense if fuel prices rise again?

If you are relatively new to this country, there is a very good chance that you don't have much of a credit history yet. And, unfortunately, this can make it difficult to get financing for an automobile. However, there are options available that will allow you to both get an auto loan and build your credit.

No one wants to spend more money than necessary on an car loan. And the best way to avoid throwing your money away on a car purchase is to avoid making one of these all-too-common errors.

If you have bad credit and need to finance a vehicle purchase, you may be worried about facing an exceptionally high interest rate. However, depending on your credit history and score, this may not be the case.

A divorce can be a potentially devastating event for all parties involved. It can strongly affect participants both emotionally and financially, and getting yourself on your feet after a divorce is no easy task. For example, how do you go about buying a car with post-divorce damaged credit?

Many states will not even allow dealers to advertise Guaranteed Credit Approval. Why? It can be a very deceptive claim.

If you want to trade in a vehicle with negative equity, you will have to deal with the difference between the car’s current value and what you still owe on the loan.