Saying No to Car Alarms

The quote "blessing in disguise" sometimes can go otherwise: "it's doom clothed as boon." It's the big bad wolf dressed as Little Red Riding Hood's granny.

This holds true for our long-time security partner--the car alarm. Recently, New York City council members proposed several bills restricting car alarm systems in the city. The reason behind: noise and the annoyance that it causes.

It was in 2002 when Liu's Car Alarm bill was introduced, banning the selling and installation of car alarms that drown out the city. Moskowitz's bill was also introduced in April 2002, proposing that NYC citizens can report annoying alarms to the police. A warning letter then will be sent to the car alarm's owner, the bill stipulated further.

Contrary to what has been perceived for a long time, car alarms are not much help in preventing car break-ins and theft. This has been proven with many studies done by insurance companies. It's concluded that burglars and criminals steal cars regardless if they have car alarms or not.

Having considered this as bare truth, it remains that a "camouflage" or simply not standing out from the rest is an effective stand-alone way to avoid car theft.

Cheap Car Sources Available

I know you want this. And you need this too. So here are the best sources for cheap cars.

Public Car Auctions: This is an excellent source of cars below their trade-in value. Another added point here is that anyone can go for free. Many of these cars are bank repos and government- or police-seized cars. Most of them are high-mileage cars with repair needs. The challenge, on this source, however, is to locate a local auction as well as finding the right car you have in mind.

Car Brokers: Most of us deal with dealer-only auctions. But there are also car brokers like us; the only drawback is that they put a small mark-up on the car. But the best thing about it is that the broker does the dirty job.

Cars Sold by Owners: You can look in newspaper classified ads and web sites for private car sellers. They can't give higher rates than what the dealers give since there are no extra services provided.

Whichever source you would like to look into, there's only one thing you should have in mind and that is to be an informed and smart-ass buyer. You have to equip yourself with the following information: get that CarFax information and check the vehicle history report and always have the car checked by a mechanic before purchasing it.

More Tricks: Lease Dealers on the Loose!

They say ignorance of the law is not an excuse for conviction. The same principle is best applied by lease dealers on their prospective customers. On the following paragraphs, we will be showcasing the varied ways dealers do a work-around customers’ limited knowledge of car leasing to close a deal at their best advantage.

Trick number 1 is that car leasing is always cheaper compared to buying. This is actually negated by the fact that there are a lot of hidden charges that are not calculated when you are given the amount for the monthly payments. In a setup wherein you can lease at the lowest price you can pay monthly for an extended time. Hence, in this case you will be gaining more mileage and higher fees for the wear and tear of your car.

Ten to twenty cents per mile is the usual charge for an extra mile exceeding the total amount agreed upon on the contract. So be cautious of the car leasing deal you’re choosing; don’t get blinded by the low monthly payment; learn to find the catch.

Trick number 2 is giving you inaccurate interest-rate information. Bear in mind that the right calculation is that of the money factor multiplied by 24. It makes a big difference, right? So when you plan on leasing a car, do the math yourself.

The third trick has something to do with early termination. They say it’s easy for you to just walk away from a lease if you have a sudden car change in the middle of the contract. The truth is most car leasing companies have ceiling-high penalties for early termination of contract or that you may pay for the remaining years you are under the contract. All these are usually stipulated in your contract. So before signing it, read everything, especially the minute details stated there. Usually, there are critical information written in fine print on the contract, which you should be more cautious of, because they are usually about extra charges to be incurred under contract.

Another trick dealers use for customers is the notion that rebates and price discounts don’t apply to car leasing. On the contrary, car leasing price is always based on discounts, negotiations, and rebates. This means you should always know your rights too.

Some dealers might also sell you items and deem them required. For whatever it is, always refer to the signed contract.

All these among many others that might soon sprout as the car leasing game continues are just the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot more that sometimes only experience can tell. The best option would be to look for a person with a good experience in car leasing and learn from him. That’s the way it is to win the game!

Is It for Real That You’re Turning Green?

How plausible is it that car manufacturers have gone green too? It all started with the influx of hybrid cars although others keep saying that there's no accuracy that the car is cutting back on fuel usage. Whether consumers are getting hypercritical or not, it is quite clear to me that car manufacturers have been eyeing a greener world vis-à-vis advancing their technology.

There is enough proof. At the World Car of the Year Ceremony, which took place at the New York International Auto Show earlier this month, BMW bagged the best green car award. This has been another award to BMW, among other UK and European awards, for its EfficientDynamics programme. BMW is also an awardee of the Auto 1 Innovation award at the Geneva Motor Show.

It's even more inspiring when lately people have been cautious of how much fumes they are emitting to the environment with their cars. But this is solely true when they do this not just for cutting back on the expenses for fuel consumption. Same thing for not buying a brand-new SUV.

Wear and Tear: What's on It in a Car Lease?

When a leased car is returned to the car leasing company, it should be in a considerable state of wear and tear. It would be examined by the company, and any excessive wear and tear has a corresponding penalty.
So what are the bases for the car’s wear and tear status? All these are found on the fair wear and tear section in the guidelines of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA).
According to the book, "The aim of the BVRLA's Fair Wear & Tear Guide is to provide an industry-wide, accepted standard as to what constitutes fair wear and tear for contract hired and leased vehicles on their return to BVRLA Members at the end of contract."
BVRLA’s guidelines would serve as a Bible whenever you have an accident or are injured but most especially when you are in limbo regarding your mileage or when you are about to return your leased car.
You should also know that in a car leasing agreement, most of the penalties that you will be getting are for car damages and not for excessive mileage. Hence, the best way for you to avoid these super charges is to read your contract well before you sign it. As for the rest of the concerns with regards returning your leased car, you can rely on BVRLA's Fair Wear & Tear Guide.

Get to Know More of the World’s Car Makers

What do car makers do exactly? You may ask. Technically speaking, they are involved in the manufacture, development, design (and redesign), marketing, and even sale of cars and motor vehicles in general.
So who are the world’s largest car makers? They are Chrysler, General Motors, and Ford. The names of these companies are still producing company-name-bearing cars. Chrysler Corporation produces Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler while Ford has Mercury and Lincoln. General Motors, on the other hand, produces Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Cadillac, and Chevrolet.
To say that there are a few car makers around the world is not quite right. In fact, there are hundreds of them but only a few make a large number of cars around the world. We have to bear in mind that car makers are both producers and merchandisers of cars. They are also buyers of raw materials, i.e., rubber, iron, copper.
One out of seven jobs in the United States is directly related to car making and use of motor vehicles. Some of them are tuning cars, producing replicas of famous cars, and other car-making-related industry.
No matter how big a car-making industry is, it is necessary to know which type of car suits your preferences as well as you needs.

Source:
http://www.anythingaboutcars.com

Credit History Is All That Matters

How is leasing affected by your credit score? Your credit is tantamount to the spokesperson for the president during a political crisis. Your public image and trustworthiness will be defined by your credit history. Here are a couple of information on how to calculate your credit score and top the ranks in car leasing companies.
First of all you have to know that your credit score is a gauge of your credit worthiness for car leasing companies to grant you a lease. This is based on your present and past credit history, and it can range from 350 to 850.
When you have a credit score higher than 720, then you have a prime score and can land on the best rates of the house; on the other hand, if you are below 640, then you are subprime and considered as bad apple among the group of car leasing dealers.
If you get into this trouble, it would be better to grab the FICO Credit Score from the Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO). This is a detailed documentation of your credit score from three major credit agencies. You can compare and check if there are discrepancies in the tabulation of your credit reports; if ever you’ll find one, you can call this agency and ask for a correction.
If you find no mistakes on it, you can work on paying your debts and make it a point to go over the threshold of 640 in your credit report. It’s not a wise decision to open a new credit account since it might cause further bad credits on your account.
Exert more effort in hitting your above threshold goal, and you’re good to go!

Source: http://www.car-leasing-help.com