 TITLE: What Is a Car Lease and How Does It Work? CONTENT: How to Lease a Car\n------------------\nIf leasing sounds like the right option for you, here are some steps to take to prepare:\n1.  Check your credit score to make sure you're likely to qualify to lease a new car.\n2.  Determine how much you can afford to put down and how much you can afford to pay each month. Don't forget to include insurance, registration, gas and any additional expenses that come with owning a car in your budget.\n3.  Start test-driving different cars to figure out the make and model you'd like to lease. If you're open to a few options, that could give you wiggle room during negotiations.\n4.  If you're trading in a car, try to find its current market value and make sure you'll receive enough to pay off your car loan balance. You could consider selling the car on your own and using the funds for a down payment on the lease. Or, negotiate the cap cost and trade-in separately to avoid potential confusion.\n5.  Consider your driving habits and how you expect to use the car to determine what mileage cap you want.\n6.  Shop around to see which dealership will offer you the best lease terms—a low down payment, low monthly payments and few fees. You could try to pit lessors against one another to get the best deal.\n7.  Sign a lease with the lessor that offers you the best deal. Be sure to read the entire agreement to make sure it reflects what was promised during the negotiations.\nPreparing to lease a car involves evaluating your finances and researching cars and lease terms. Doing so will not only help you get the best deal, but could help you get into the car of your dreams. END