Shopping for and buying used cars is not something most people do every day, which means the task can be quite daunting – especially if it's your first time trying to find the best used cars and a great car loan to go with it. To make sure you get a fair deal on the used car of your choice, prepare yourself for the search, negotiation, and financing process by considering the following used car buying tips.

If you're contemplating a car purchase, you are likely looking for ways to save. After all, spending several thousands of dollars on a vehicle is not something to do without careful thought. One way you can save is through timing your car purchase. By buying your car and getting a car loan at the right time, you can save substantially. Here are the secrets to helping you save through proper timing on your car purchase.

Here's How to Make Sure You Don't Overpay for Your Car and Car Loan

Everyone wants to get the best price on their next car purchase. Finding a car with the right price is the first step, but you'll also need to carefully consider your loan. An auto loan calculator is a helpful tool to use as you analyze car loans. This tool allows you to input the vehicle's price, loan term, and interest rate, as well as other fees and costs, to see both the monthly payment and total cost of the loan over its lifetime. By using it well, you can avoid overpaying not only for the car itself, but also for the loan. If you've never used an auto loan calculator before, these tips will help you make the most out of this tool.

The surging real estate market shows no signs of slowing down, and that creates opportunities and challenges for buyers.

Buying your first home is an exciting time full of many emotions. You are ready to strike out on your own and become a homeowner! This time is also full of lots of important information, and sometimes you can feel a little overwhelmed.

You have been saving and planning, and now it is finally time to start shopping for your first home! We are thrilled for you! But before you hit the real estate listings or start interviewing agents, you have a little math to do.

It's almost time for my favorite holiday, Black Friday. Of course, I'm kidding, but as someone who loves to shop, I do look forward to Black Friday and Cyber Monday each year.

Shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday can be a great time to score deals on items that you've wanted to purchase, but you can also get easily sucked into overspending if you're not prepared. Check out the BALANCE blog post below for tips on how to avoid overspending on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Art Alexakis once said, "Living isn't a simple thing... no one said it's supposed to be."

We can all probably agree that life isn't simple; it's filled with ups and downs, stressors, problems, and situations that make it complicated. However, if we know that life isn't simple, why do we constantly try to simplify it? We come up with one size fits all solutions and expect them to simplify our issues.

Do you know what a credit union is and how it differs from a bank? If not, hopefully, by the end of this blog post, you'll have a little more insight into what a credit union is and why it may be the right financial choice for you.

If nobody could see the things you have, would you still want them?