Before you jump in your car and drive to the dealership to both buy and finance a new car, there are things you need to do in order to ensure you're getting the best deal on a car purchase and loan. This article explains three things you need to do before buying and financing your new car:

Get a Copy of Your Credit Report

Before applying for any type of loan, you need to make sure that your credit report is clear of errors. Get a copy of your credit report from all three major reporting agencies and check them for errors or inaccuracies: credit accounts that don't belong to you, late payments that were made on time, credit accounts that are double-listed, etc. If you dispute any inaccurate information at least 30 days before applying for a loan, then you can have the inaccurate information removed from your credit report. This can greatly improve your credit score.

Get Quotes from Multiple Lenders

In order to ensure that you're going to get the best interest rate and loan terms that are available to you, you'll need to shop around before choosing a lender. Shopping online is a great venue for comparing possible loan terms. Many Internet databases will give you quotes from several different companies after you fill out just one application. This will give you an idea of what to expect from a lender before signing any loan contract.

Know the Value of the Car You Want To Purchase

When you go to the dealership unprepared, you have no idea whether you're being charged a reasonable price for your car or not. So, to protect yourself, shop for cars online before making your purchase. When you've narrowed down the number of cars you are considering buying, check the blue book value of those cars. If you do this, you can make sure that the price you're being charged is at, higher, or below the value of the car. The last thing you want to do is to sign yourself into an upside-down loan.