Plain notes on buying a car well.

GAP is one of the few finance-office products that's sometimes a real deal — but never at the dealer's price.

A clear, polite script for every add-on the finance office is going to try to add to your loan.

The complete day-of negotiation plan — from pre-research to walking out with the keys — written by people who run this every week.

Timing is not everything — but it matters more than most other levers you have. Here's what actually moves the price.

The doc fee is the most reliably argued-about line on a car contract — and the state you're in changes the whole conversation.

There are four kinds of “car-buying service” and they couldn't be more different. Here's how to tell them apart before you hire one.

Every line on the buyer's order, what it should say, and what to do when it doesn't.

Lease deals are negotiated on four levers, not one. Knowing the levers is the whole game.

The honest answer depends on what you're buying and where you live. Here's how each option actually stacks up.

“It's only a few dollars a month.” Here's how that line turns add-ons you don't need into thousands on your loan.

Dealers quote you whichever number sounds best in the moment. There's only one you should ever sign against.

Bundling the trade into the purchase is convenient — and it's exactly how the number gets shaved without you noticing.

You don't have to spend a Saturday at a dealership to buy well. Here's the workflow we run for out-of-town clients.