Auto Purchase & Research Guide Exclusive for NASA FCU Members

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1 Summer/Fall 2012, Issue 2 Auto Purchase Exclusive for NASA FCU Members INSIDE: > Auto Buying Tips > Locate Dealerships > Exclusive Member Offers > Fuel Economy Myths from Consumer Reports

2 Adding More to Your Membership with the NASA FCU Platinum Plus Certified Dealer Program Shop at any one of our featured Platinum Plus Dealers and save! At NASA FCU, we re always looking for new and innovative ways to bring you more. Whether it s a market-leading new product or service, a great rate, or fee-free nationwide banking services, NASA FCU is dedicated to adding more to your membership every step of the way. That s why we re delighted to present the Platinum Plus Certified Dealer Program. Through Platinum Plus, NASA FCU members like you are able to shop for new or used vehicles at any Platinum Plus Certified Dealer and enjoy preferred pricing, haggle-free purchases, and flexible terms! Saving big through the Platinum Plus Certified Dealer Program is as easy as 1-2-3! 1. Select a dealership from the pages of this Platinum Plus Auto Purchase & Research Guide. 2. Call or visit your dealership of choice to pick your make and model and negotiate the best price. Make sure to ask for one of their contacts and mention that you re a NASA FCU member to take advantage of the exclusive NASA FCU incentives. 3. Drive home with your new car! It s that simple! The NASA FCU Platinum Plus Certified Dealer Program is just another way that NASA FCU is able to help members achieve a brighter financial future. So, what are you waiting for? Find your new or used car and take advantage of great Platinum Plus pricing and flexible loan terms today! Dealership profiles presented in this magazine are for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsements or guarantees of the products and services contained therein.

3 Platinum Plus Certified Dealership Network The 9-Step Car Buying Guide... 4 Annapolis Car Center... 5 Car Center of Waldorf... 5 Cook Volkswagen of Bel Air... 6 Courtesy Chevrolet Cadillac... 6 Hertrich of Pocomoke... 7 Ken Dixon Chevrolet Cadillac & Used Car Super Store... 7 Debunking Fuel-Economy Myths... 8 Kool Ford... 9 Leo s Vacation Center... 9 Melvin Motors...10 SK Motors...10 Waldorf Auto Outlet...11 The Debunking Fuel-Economy Myths article included in the NASA FCU Platinum Plus Auto Purchase and Research Guide reprinted courtesy of Consumer Reports. The 9-Step Car Buying Guide article included is reprinted courtesy of the Balance Financial Fitness Program s quarterly newsletter Dollars & Sense.

4 The 9-Step Car Buying Guide Steps to Setting Goals, Planning Ahead and Ensuring Success 1 Figure out what you can afford Complete a budget, and fit the payment into your monthly spending plan. You can then plug that monthly number into an auto payment calculator to see how much of a total vehicle price you can afford. 2 Monitor your credit Review your credit reports. Use the credit bureaus annual credit report service to get free copies of your reports at annualcreditreport. com or by calling Find the right car for you Think about how you will use the vehicle, paying special attention to the safety and reliability ratings. Also, check with your insurance provider. That cherry red sports car might sound like the key to your eternal happiness, but you might not be as thrilled when you get your car insurance bill. 4 Consider new vs. used, buying vs. leasing and down payment amount Decide whether you will buy or lease a new or used vehicle and think about how large of a down payment you can make. Making a down payment can help you get qualified for a loan, get a better interest rate, get a lower monthly payment, get a more expensive car for the same monthly payment, or build equity (owing less than it is worth) more quickly. 5 Get financing Arrange your vehicle loan before you go to the dealership. You will have a lot to think about when you are at the dealership looking at cars: different vehicles available, test-driving, negotiating a price, etc. Make your first stop NASA FCU for some of the best rates around. 6 Determine favorites, contact dealers and check quality Find the vehicles that best fit your needs. Websites like cars.com, CNBC, Consumer Reports, Edmunds, Kelley Blue Book and Yahoo Autos regularly publish articles on the best vehicles to meet particular needs, so take advantage of these free resources. Do test drives and check vehicle histories. During the test drive, pay special attention to the transmission, shocks, brakes and alignment. Write down the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and use it to get a vehicle history report from a company like AutoCheck or CARFAX if you are shopping for a used vehicle. 7 Get the best price on the car Know what your preferred models are selling for. Companies like Kelley Blue Book, TrueCar and Edmunds specialize in tracking the average price of vehicles and rebates or incentives available. 8 Know your legal responsibilities Find out the insurance necessary for your state. The Insurance Information Institute s website at iii.org has a list of the minimum insurance requirement for each state. Contact your state s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to make sure you have the proper license plate stickers or any other items that might be necessary to register your vehicle. 9 Put yourself in position to succeed long-term Establish an emergency savings account. Budgetbusting unexpected expenses have a way of popping up in life and vehicles can be a major source of these. Save on gas. Consider ways you can get more out of the gas you buy (see article on page 8), like using the air conditioning sparingly and removing heavy items from the trunk. Save on your insurance. Shopping for the best insurance deal is always a good idea, but think about all the ways you could get a better deal, like improving your credit score, buying a used car instead of a new one and avoiding 4-wheel drive and high performance cars. 4 Article reprinted courtesy of Balance Financial Fitness Program 2012 BALANCE Dollars & Sense quarterly newsletter.

Annapolis Car Center 2000 West Street, Annapolis, MD 21401 410-897-0067

Car Center OF WALDORF Car Center of Waldorf 320 Crain Highway, Waldorf, MD

5 Annapolis Car Center 2000 West Street, Annapolis, MD annapoliscarcenter.com Ask for Kevin Loughran or Richard Murphy. Car Center OF WALDORF Car Center of Waldorf 320 Crain Highway, Waldorf, MD shopcarcenter.com Ask for Robert Meeks, Bert Bowen or Bob Green. 5

com Ask for Bill Goldsmith, Pete Burns or Greg Hudson.

6 $250 credit toward any accessories or $100 Gas Card Cook Volkswagen of Bel Air 2110 Bel Air Road, Fallston, MD cookvolkswagen.com Ask for Bill Goldsmith, Pete Burns or Greg Hudson. $250 credit toward any accessories Courtesy Chevrolet Cadillac 2531 North Salisbury Blvd., Salisbury, MD salisburychevycadillac.com Ask for George Malone or Brod Records. 6

7 HeRTRICH Ford Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Pocomoke 1618 Ocean Highway, Pocomoke City, MD (410) Hertrich of Pocomoke 1618 Ocean Highway, Pocomoke City, MD hertrichofpocomoke.com Ask for Dana Smith, Dave Glosser or Bo Williams. $250 credit toward any accessories or $100 Gas Card AUTOMOTIVE Ken Dixon Chevrolet Cadillac & Used Car Super Store 2298 Crain Highway, Waldorf, MD kendixonchevy.com Ask for Walt Pine or Jim Tayman. 7

8 Debunking Fuel-Economy Myths Premium Gas is Always Best W hen it comes to regular, midgrade, and premium gasoline, oil corporations have worked overtime to drill the good, better, best concept into our collective driver psyche. The vast majority of cars are designed to run fine on regular. Premium gas has a higher octane rating, usually 91 or above, making it more resistant to pre ignition, a condition in which fuel burns uncontrollably in the engine. Higher-performing engines are the most susceptible to preignition because they tend to run hotter, which is why premium is often recommended or required for sports and luxury vehicles. Premium also helps maximize power in high-performance engines. With those engines, if you don't use premium, you might not get full power when, say, accelerating or climbing hills. Most drivers will probably never notice the difference. The vast majority of cars are designed to run fine on regular. And premium won t improve performance or fuel economy for those cars, but it will cost you about 20 cents more per gallon. Our advice: The best gas for your car depends on the vehicle you drive. If the owner s manual or the sticker on the fuel-filler door says that premium gas is recommended or uses similar wording, you can probably use regular. If it says premium is required, play it safe with the right octane. 8 Article reprinted courtesy of Consumer Reports.

9 & Kool Ford Lankford Highway, Keller, VA kool.dealerconnection.com Ask for Ron Talley or Ross Kool. Leo s Vacation Center 729 Maryland Route 3 N.B.L. - Gambrills, Maryland leosrv.com Ask for Bob Wilson, Sarah Parker or Marie Moulden. 9

10 $250 credit toward any accessories Melvin Motors Annapolis Road, Bowie, MD melvinmotors.com Ask for Bill Gallagher or Bob Shutta. SK Motors Lanham Severn Rd, Lanham, MD skmotors.cc Ask for Steve Kemp or Jimmy Croyle. 10

11 Waldorf Auto Outlet 2183 Crain Hwy, Waldorf, MD waocars.com Ask for Jeff O Dell or John Herndon. Use NASA FCU Online Resources Visit nasafcu.com/platinumplus today! Calculate Payment, Research Dealership and Much More 11

12 For auto loan information, call NASA-FCU ( ), ext. 203 or visit nasafcu.com/platinumplus PP 9-12

BUYING A USED CAR. Copyright Permission Data Wizard/Humboldt 2003, Scott Keele

BUYING A USED CAR. Copyright Permission Data Wizard/Humboldt 2003, Scott Keele BUYING A USED CAR VOCABULARY and DEFINITIONS Anti-lock brakes: Brakes that won t lock up, a computer in the car pumps the brakes on and off so the car will not skid. As Is: Buyer beware, the car is sold