Did you know that car insurance quotes differ by almost $900.00 for the same coverage between car insurance companies? If you are new here you may want to check and make sure you aren't paying too much.. Check to see if you are paying too much!

• GTA drivers face 14% insurance hikes

October 20, 2009
- AddAs Canadian auto insurance premiums rise, especially in Ontario, there is even more reason to take the time and compare insurance premiums between car insurance companies

Buy or lease a car … that is the question!

For a great many people buying their car is the only way to go because they want to own their car.

For others ownership isn’t as important as being able to get into a new vehicle every 36-48 months

Certainly what is important to you with respect to owning or not is important, however, equally important are your driving habits. Not taking that into consideration could cost you greatly.

An average driver will put between 20,000 to 24,000 kms/year on their car.  If you are doing more than 24,000 then of course you can purchase excess kms upfront (highly recommended) and what you don’t use, you will get those back.

Looking at how many kms you expect to put on during a year is certainly worth using as a benchmark. If you put on in excess of 40,000 kms/year in driving then it might not be in your best interest to go with a lease. You could be better served buying your car instead.

Get some help. Sit down and think about your driving habits then go into a car dealership and sit with a Leasing Manager. The Leasing Manager can work through different scenarios with you. Also have them compare a lease payment to a finance payment, given the kms you put on it may be in your best interest.

A Leasing Manager is there to help you make an informed buying decision. Take advantage of their services and save yourself a lot of possible grief in the end!

Considering a lease take over isn’t necessarily a bad idea, especially when leasing for some manufacturer’s isn’t necessarily an advantage at the moment.

When you take over a car lease what you are doing is taking over the responsibility for the lease payments for the amount of time the current customer has remaining.  Many people are actually going the take over a lease route because the lease payments have been typically lower in the past than they have been now, depending on the vehicle. It also buys you a little time if you are having a hard time deciding what to get into next.

It is certainly a very viable option and one that a lot of my customers have done!

photo credit: Ronald Lewis

• Buying Your Car When the Lease is Up

October 15, 2009
- Certainly buying your car out when your lease it up is an option as long as it is viable. Get the dealership to appraise the car and find out what the actual market value is. If the buyout is more than what the car is worth, it isn’t a wise choice to buy it, give it back instead!!

• Can You Afford to Buy a Car?

October 15, 2009
- The car buying process starts with you and what you can comfortably afford.

• Can You Afford to Buy a Car?

March 26, 2009

Buying a used car, actually even a new car can be quite a daunting task for a lot of people. If you develop a strategy for yourself, however, you can reduce the stress of how to buy a used car greatly.

The how to buy a used car is a process, just like anything. One thing that I usually suggest to my customers is that they break the process down into steps. It makes things a little easier and the task doesn’t seem as daunting or stressful. (more…)