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A breakdown of the docs you’ll need to buy a car from a dealership
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Buying a new car is exciting, but you won’t be able to drive it off the lot if you don’t provide the necessary documents. Curious what that entails? We’ve got you covered. In this article we’ll break down the checklist of everything you need to bring, as well as cover the documents you might want to bring depending on your personal situation. We’ll also cover how you can use your documents to get a better deal, finance your new ride, or make up for poor credit, so read on to learn more.
Things You Should Know
- Bring your driver’s license, proof of insurance, and a form of payment. If you want to finance the car, bring paystubs and bank statements, too.
- You might want to bring a military/student ID for a discount, your preapproval loan documents, or your trade-in title and registration if you’re trading a car in.
- You can finance a vehicle through a dealership on the spot or get prequalified for a loan at a bank. The dealership will be easier, but a bank may be cheaper.
- If your credit isn’t great and you’re financing, bring as many bills, bank statements, and payment plan documents as you can to show you’re financially responsible.
Steps
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Tips
- It’s cheaper to buy a vehicle from a private seller, but you do run the risk of buying a vehicle with a defect—even if the previous owner is unaware of it.Thanks
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about buying a car, check out our in-depth interview with Bryan Hamby .
References
- ↑ https://www.caranddriver.com/car-insurance/a31539188/if-you-buy-a-new-car-is-it-insured/
- ↑ https://www.fool.com/personal-finance/how-to-pay-for-a-car.aspx
- ↑ https://www.bankrate.com/loans/auto-loans/car-loan-down-payment-benefits/#twenty-percent
- ↑ https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/advice/how-to-trade-in-a-car
- ↑ https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/buying-a-new-car-when-you-have-bad-credit.html
- ↑ https://thenewswheel.com/12-ways-to-receive-discounts-when-buying-a-new-car/
- ↑ https://www.autotrader.com/car-shopping/buying-car-how-much-do-dealers-mark-car-over-invoice-price-228247
- ↑ https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-the-difference-between-dealer-arranged-and-bank-financing-en-759/
- ↑ https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/buying-a-new-car-when-you-have-bad-credit.html
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