 TITLE: How to Buy a Used Car CONTENT: Check Your Credit Reports and Scores\n------------------------------------\nIf you're planning to get an auto loan to buy your used car, check your credit first. Start by getting your credit report from one of the three major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion or Equifax), checking it and correcting any errors that you find. You can also check your Experian credit score and take steps to improve your score if necessary. The better your credit score, the better terms you'll be able to get on an auto loan and the more leverage you'll have when negotiating with the dealer.\n#### Know What You Can Afford\nYou probably have an idea of how much you want to spend on the car in total and what you'd like your monthly payments to be. Research average car loan interest rates and terms online to find terms that work for your financial situation. If you want to spend about $10,000 on the car and you can make a down payment of $2,000, you'll need a car loan of about $8,000. If you want to have payments of $300 a month or less, plug $8,000 into an auto loan calculator and see if that's realistic.\nThen do some online research to get an idea of the price ranges for the vehicles you have in mind. You can check local dealers' stock, automotive classified ads, or Kelley Blue Book values to get estimates and see if your budget will cover the car you want. END