Car Leasing? Read The Fine Print

You know how people always tell you to read the fine print whenever you sign any contract? In many cases, nobody really does read the fine print and the business relationship is then therefore based on trust. But this isn't the case when it comes to leasing cars. In this kind of transaction, if you want to spend less in the long run, it's really important to read the fine print to see what hidden charges there might be after you sign up with a dealer.

It's a really simple formula: if you don't read the fine print then the deal will definitely not be for you. The point about negotiating a car lease deal is to control the transaction in its entirety as much as possible. If you do not read the fine print, you are bound to be misled about the deal you are getting into and you will most probably pay more than you originally thought you would. It's tougher to lease but if you get the negotiation and transaction right, it's a whole lot cheaper. Bottom line: Read The Fine Print!

The Secret To The Best Car Lease Deal

There are all sorts of ways that you can negotiate for the final price of a lease contract. But if you don't know the terms and you don’t know what you are really paying for when you do lease, then it is all for naught. There really is only one secret to negotiating a good price and there are two words to the secret: "capitalized cost". This is also known as the final sale price.

The capitalized cost is one of the major variables in determining the monthly payments that you will make during a lease. This is something that many people don't know about and it is where there mistake lies. They fail to understand that they will still have to negotiate the final sale price when they lease a car. Keep in mind that the negotiation is just like when you buy a car. This will help you save thousands of dollars during your lease contract.

Some Leasing Terms That You Need To Know

Leasing was originally intended to help businesses who wanted to own vehicles but at the same time wanted to avoid the high costs and maintenance. It's important to understand the terms in leasing so that you don't get lost in all the jargon of lease contracts and negotiations. Here are a few basic terms:

Lessee:
The consumer.

Lessor:
The company that is leasing the vehicle out; usually this is the bank or some other finance company.

Residual Value:
This is the value of a car at the end of a lease and is usually estimated at lease start. This is also known as the lease-end value and is a percentage of the MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price). If the residual value is higher, then your monthly payments are likely to be low. This is also a negotiable figure in a lease deal. Dealers will refer to the Automotive Leasing Guide to determine the value but be informed that some financial institutions will usually have their own guides as well.

Rent Charge:
This is an amount paid by the consumer or lessee that includes the principal, interest and profit.

Money Factor:
a.k.a the lease rate, it is the interest rate built into all leases. This is the leasing version of the rate of interest that is charged to those who buy using credit. This is something that is known usually only to the leasing company and dealer.

Some Answers To A Couple Of Tough Lease Questions

How do I get out of a lease contract?

There are actually three ways that you can consider to get out of a lease contract. You can 1) find someone to assume the lease for you but this is only possible if the leasing company will allow this; you also have to make sure the one who assumes the lease will be someone with good credit history. You can also 2) sell the car to a private buyer. Of course this means that you will have to know the true value of the car. And 3) you can turn the keys in and walk away from the lease. This is the worst option you can opt for because it will be listed on your credit report as a repossessed vehicle.

How do I avoid extra expenses at lease end?

When you turn in your car, you are more than likely to spend extra for such charges like all the extra mileage you consumed, repairs to the general wear and tear of the vehicle, and all sorts of other penalties. You can keep your expenses to a minimum by making sure that you wash and detail the car, service all of the requirements of the car, keep all the maintenance records, have the car services before going back to the dealers, Fix all the general wear and tear areas (like chipped paint, etc.), and do not go beyond your mileage limit. These are only some of the things that you can do to make sure that you don’t pay too much money for things that could have been avoided.