Links
AWARE encourages you to visit the following web sites for additional information, tools and resources about auto financing.*
Member Company Resources
- Understanding Vehicle Financing (PDF - 328 KB) - This brochure, produced by the American Financial Services Association Education Foundation and the National Automobile Dealers Association, and prepared in cooperation with the Federal Trade Commission, provides information to help consumers learn about dealership financing and evaluate their own financial situations before financing a new or used auto. It also addresses auto leasing.
- An Insider’s Guide to Car Financing: How to Make a Smart Vehicle Purchase (PDF - 1.30 MB) – A financing guide produced by the National Automobile Dealers Association.
- Prepare to Finance – National Automobile Dealers Association site that helps consumers learn the basics of auto financing and find out how much they can afford to spend on a car or truck.
- Your Pathway to Vehicle Financing – This web site, presented by the American Financial Services Association Education Foundation and underwritten by General Motors and GMAC, provides easy-to-use, step-by-step information about personal budgeting, personal credit, payment options, and choices in financing and leasing.
- SmartEdge by GMAC - Sponsored by GMAC, this site helps consumers understand how auto financing works and learn the importance of proper budgeting and good credit.
- Managing your Credit – Sponsored by Wells Fargo Auto Finance. Helps consumers learn how to use credit wisely.
- Hands on Banking®/El Futuro in tus Manos® – A bilingual financial literacy program sponsored by Wells Fargo & Co, with learning levels for kids, teenagers and adults. Includes a teacher’s guide for classroom instruction.
- The Smart Car Buyer's Guide (PDF - 394 KB) – This guide, produced by the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), helps consumers navigate the car buying process at a dealership. The guide provides in-depth information on a variety of topics, from servicing your new vehicle to auto insurance to auto financing options. In the financing section, consumers can learn about the difference between dealership financing versus direct lending and leasing versus buying.
Government Resources
- The Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov) enforces a number of credit laws and provides consumers with free information regarding credit regulations and consumer protection issues.
- FTC information on Buying a New Car
- FTC information on Buying a Used Car
- FTC’s Como Comprar un Auto Usado
- FTC’s Car Ads: Reading Between the Lines
- Additional FTC auto-related information
Should you need to file a complaint with the FTC, you can do so by contacting the Consumer Response Center at (877) 382-4357. - The Federal Reserve Board publication “Keys to Vehicle Leasing: A Consumer Guide to Car/Truck Leasing”
Other Consumer Resources
- Autobytel.com’s Car Loans and Auto Financing information
- AAA of NY’s auto financial calculators
- Finance Guide provided by Chrysler Financial
- Edmunds.com Finance Tips
Other Auto Financing Calculators
- Auto World
- AutoNation
- Chrysler Financial Services
- Edmunds
- GMAC Financial Services
- NADA
- Wells Fargo Financial
- Yahoo! Autos
* AWARE does not necessarily endorse all the views expressed on these websites or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of information therein. Please note that these sites may track visitor viewing habits.