It’s an amazing fact that 3 out of 4 car owners in the USA have not installed anything on their vehicle to prevent it from being stolen. That fact in itself says a lot about the state of security-mindedness among many vehicle owners.

But what might be more surprising, and in my view it is, is that of those vehicle owners who have installed some kind of anti-theft device, many don’t even bother to actually activate it. This seems crazy.

Consider that car thieves have been around almost as long as there have been cars to steal, and yet the message that alarms and other devices can actually stop much car crime does not seem to have got through to many people. This is strange, since many of these devices are easy and relatively quick to install and not particularly expensive, especially when their overall effectiveness is considered in relation to the job at hand… which is to stop the theft and/or vandalism of the car.

So what are the best ways to stop a car from being stolen?

One of the best things to do, and the first line of defense, is to actually stop thieves from getting into the vehicle in the first place. And this can easily be achieved with a car alarm. These are among the most common of security installations in cars and other vehicles today. It’s a simple device, and many question its usefulness. But a simple siren, and a very loud one at that (120 decibels is common) can do wonders in stopping a would-be thief.

Even better for the car owner is the fact that many modern, high-quality alarms will turn themselves on when the driver leaves the vehicle. This means there is no forgetting to arm the alarm (something which can be a problem, believe it or not).

So when deciding to protect your car, don’t forget the obvious, and check out the great types of alarm available on the market today.

Problems in auto financing usually occur when the contract is prepared in the finance and insurance office, called “F&I” room. So when your deal goes wrong, chances are it’s about something that occurred only at the time when negotiations are almost over. This is because the F&I room is where you, the car buyer, can see much of the potential savings regarding your auto loan go up in smoke. So you see just how important this so-called F&I room is?

Downer #1: Ignoring the F&I Room

Now, the thing with car buyers is that they rather have this not-so appealing tendency to focus on the car they want to buy, and just ignore the F&I room as nothing but tedious paperwork. It’s not very appealing because it is, after all, your money being held in negotiation here and if you don’t pay attention to it, there’s a chance you’ll lose a big chunk of it.

Upper #1: Focus on Financing

While it’s true that the whole point of car buying is to own that new car you’ve been eyeing, it’s not wise to ignore the financing aspect of it as well. The two must necessarily go hand in hand or in you’re in for a tough spot with a bad investment on a car loan. Don’t view the financing part as paperwork that should be completed as quickly as possible so you could drive away in your new car. Don’t make the same mistake other car buyers are making. Be aware of how vital the F&I experience is to car buying.

Downer #2: Inflated Interest Rates

Top on the list of the things you must do involving auto financing is to have the deal agreed upon by you and the salesman be put in writing in a binding contract. Often involved at this part of the procedure is to determine monthly auto loan payments based on an interest rate. Now, as you well know, the interest rate varies from car buyer to car buyer. Your credit is only one of the factors and if the interest rate a car buyer qualifies for is inflated, then the dealership can make extra profit off your loan. That’s merely one of the pitfalls in auto financing.

Upper #2: Get Independent Auto Financing

Fortunately for you, there are solutions to that particular problem. One way to do it is to obtain independent auto financing BEFORE going to the dealership. When you have the approved auto financing option on hand, you can then proceed with the deal as a “cash buyer” so to speak since you already have the cash in hand from the loan and you are merely buying the car from the dealer with that money. No other relation exists between you and the dealer aside from that of a seller and a buyer. No such thing as a debtor and a loan creditor.

Another advantage to this particular solution is that you can negotiate with the car dealer only upon the price of the car. You don’t have to worry about getting approved for financing with him since you already have that, thanks to your conscientiousness and foresight. Car salesmen prefer customers to be “monthly payment” buyers as this makes it easier for them to obscure the total cost of the vehicle, to the detriment of your savings. So wizen up and take that independent auto financing option available.

Downer #3: I Don’t Know My Credit Rating

Now, that’s a very common statement car buyers make. They know their blood pressure level. Heck, they even know their blood count. But credit rating? Only a tiny smidgen of the population knows that. Yet, it cannot be stressed far enough that knowing your own credit rating could very well mean the difference between a good investment and a bad one.

Many car buyers don’t know their credit status when they apply for an auto loan. I don’t know if they’re just lazy or simply don’t know that determining the kind of interest rate you get depends largely on your credit score. I’m praying for the former because that can be cured. The latter just answers itself. Therefore, it’s critical to obtain your credit report before shopping for a car so you will know exactly where you stand when it comes to your auto financing options.

Upper #3: Where to Get Credit Report

The solution to not knowing your credit rating is to get a copy of your credit report. And where can you get that copy? There are a number of sites that offer it for a minimal fee. These sites are:

• http://Equifax.com

• http://Experian.com

• http://TransUnion.com

Order a copy of your credit report from the above sites and look for items that may stand in the way of you getting a good rate. In case of any errors, correct them promptly and make sure that all your lines of credit are in good standing. Also, while you’re at it, watch out for any signs of identity theft as this crime has become rampant these days, and then contact the credit bureaus for help on this particular issue.

Downer #4: The Last Temptation of Mr. Car Buyer

Granted you are a really conscientious buyer and so far you’ve managed to avoid many of the pitfalls and downers we’ve outlined above. You made it. You have an approved auto financing program from an independent auto financing company and are now on your way to the dealership. Nothing can possibly go wrong now.

Ah, but how wrong you are. Because once you get to the dealership, the smooth-talking salesman will try to egg you into overspending.

Upper #4: Set a Price Range

Having a budget is the sensible thing to do. If you set a sensible price range for yourself, then you have less reason to go beyond that range and succumb to the temptation of overspending. If you’re really firm on that budget, no amount of sales talk can sway you.

Creating a budget for a car is easy once you have some idea on what financing options are available to you and the price of the car that you want. Remember that the dealer’s offer is often marked up – that is, it is a percentage higher than the real price set by the car maker. One good tip is to make sure that your monthly car payments and related expenses do not exceed about 20 percent of your monthly net income.

Downer #5: Discounted Financing vs. Rebate

Here’s the dilemma to car buying: Many dealers offer a choice between discounted financing or a rebate, but not both. Discounted financing means that you get zero-percent financing while rebate means that you get a certain amount of cash some time after purchase. The common error many car buyers make is that the zero-percent loan will deliver the most savings. But will it really?

Upper #5: Get the Cash Rebate

In most cases, it’s better to get the cash rebate and apply it against the purchase price of the vehicle. If you already have a pre-approved car loan, then that’s even better since you have positively no need of additional financing from your dealer. Just use your car loan to finance the car and let the rebate handle some of the charges.

American car manufacturers offer greater incentives than Japanese car manufacturers. For example, Chevy offers incentives as big as $5,000 on their Silverado trucks; whereas Toyota never offers more than $1,500. Why is this? It’s simple. More people choose to drive Japanese cars than American. Japanese automakers don’t have to entice consumers because consumers are willing to buy their vehicles without them.

The reason for this is that Japanese vehicles are much more reliable than American cars. In most cases, people who own Japanese cars never have to worry about their car breaking down or needing major repairs. Oftentimes, they only need to be concerned with putting gas in the vehicle and having the oil changed regularly for the entire life of the car. You can’t get this sort of quality with American made autos.

Since Japanese vehicles tend to be pricey because of the lack of incentives they offer, if you want one, you can always buy used, and if used is still a little out of your price range, then your best option is car auctions. Car auctions combine the legendary quality of Japanese vehicles with extremely reasonable prices that will keep you bragging to your friends for weeks.

Japanese car auctions happen quite frequently. You just have to keep an eye out for them. If they don’t happen often in your city, then you may have to check surrounding areas, but rest assured, you will find one. It may require a little extra driving, but you will find one.

There are different types of car auctions. If you prefer the comfort of your own home, then the Internet is an option at your disposal. It may seem complicated, but shopping at an online auction is actually very simple; all you have to do is set up an account, and your off and shopping. Using the Internet gives you access to hundreds of car auctions all over the world. You can get all the facts about a car, such as what options they have and how much mileage, as well as make a bid.

Once you win the auction, you have the option of having the car shipped to wherever you choose. By taking this route in buying a car you can save you as much as $3,000, a much better deal than shopping locally.

But if you’re the type that prefers to do business with a person, rather than a computer, then you have other options besides the Internet available. These options include police auctions, IRS sales and private financial corporation auctions. In the case of police and IRS auctions these vehicles often have been seized from people who were convicted of a crime or owed back taxes. For private corporations, the cars once belonged to individuals who fell behind on their payments and the cars were repossessed.

Japanese cars are the best sort of investment you can make in a vehicle. They last longer and generally depreciate slower than other vehicles. By shopping for them at car auctions you can acquire them at a fraction of their actual value, an impossible deal to get on a car lot.

Outside of the United States, there has been a widespread ban on car radar detectors. However, this is not a new motion. In Canada and in many European countries, radar detectors have been illegal for some time now because of the fact that they would normally allow motorists to break the law until the mildly annoying beeping noise notified them of police presence.

In that case, the motorist would quickly slow down to the proper speed and nobody ever had to know that they had been driving 50 Kmph over the speed limit.

The radar detector would notify the motorist in plenty of time before the police caught them on their radar. It seemed like the perfect crime. However, radar detectors were soon outlawed. Some police organizations also fitted their radar with a detector that would detect… well… radar detectors.

In other words, they developed a radar-detector detector. For the most part, this made it nearly impossible to use one and get away with it. Now the word on the street is, why are radar detectors banned? What is so bad about them?

The counter-argument to those who advocate use of the radar detector is simple. The anti-radar detector group believed that motorists who use radar detectors pose a greater risk on the road than those who do not use them. At first glance, you may be inclined to agree with the anti-radar detector group simply because those using radar detectors would be more likely to drive faster, therefore increasing the risk of accident.

However, the 2001 Mori Report tells us that those drivers using a radar detector actually pose 28% less risk than those who do not use them. Interestingly, this may point to the fact that those drivers who drive at or under the speed limit pose as great of a risk of accident, if not more, than those who drive over the speed limit.

In Canada, the car radar detector is illegal in all provinces and territories except Alberta and Saskatchewan. It was legal in most provinces until the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.

Americans are a busy group of people, and once we take care of something, such as purchasing automotive insurance, we tend to forget about it and move on to the next task. However, purchasing an automotive insurance policy only to neglect it could end up costing you more money in the long run, or even leaving you unprotected. There are times in our lives when we need to stop and evaluate our current automotive insurance policies.

Reconsider your automotive insurance policy when you get married. When two people get married, they can get an automotive insurance policy together, thus spending less money and possibly even getting additional discounts.

Reconsider your automotive insurance policy if you purchase a new car. If you’ve borrowed money from a lender to purchase your new car, chances are your lender will require you to purchase full coverage insurance. Even if your lender doesn’t, your state most likely will. If your automotive insurance policy only covers liability because you own one of your cars, or the car you traded in, you need to increase the coverage of your automotive insurance policy.

Reconsider your automotive insurance policy if you relocate. If you currently live in a quaint little country town that sees very little wrongdoing aside from the occasional cow-tipping, you probably don’t have a very high amount of automotive insurance. However, if you’re moving to a larger city with a higher crime rate, your car will be more at risk and you should make sure you add the extra coverage.

Reconsider your automotive insurance policy if you’re getting on in years. Most insurance companies offer discounts to policyholders who are a certain age – usually 55 years old. If this is you, give your agent a call and find out about discounts you may qualify for.

Remember, certain tasks are worth completing and forgetting. Taking out the trash is one of them; purchasing automotive insurance is not.

The area in which you live does impact the cost of you automotive insurance. It may seem a bit unfair, but it�s true. Locations that have higher crime rates tend to also have higher automotive insurance rates.

Of course, there probably aren�t too many people out there who are willing to shop for a new home in a completely new area, put their houses up for sale, and leave town just to save money on automotive insurance, and that�s completely understandable. That�s why we�re going to offer some tips on how you can possibly lower the cost of your automotive insurance and keep your home.

First, take a look at your vehicle. Was it expensive? Is it flashy? Is it a vehicle that many people would love to drive but can�t afford? If so, your vehicle is at risk for being stolen or burglarized. Vehicles that aren�t at risk for being stolen or burglarized tend to get lower automotive insurance rates. Consider trading your flashy car in for a more subtle ride.

Then, and this is especially important for those of you who aren�t willing to trade your cars in, take a look at your safety components. Do you have any kind of anti-theft system for your vehicle? Having one of these will not only protect your car from being stolen, but it will also protect your valuables inside, i.e., some crook won�t come along and break the window to get your CD collection. This means your automotive insurance rates could be lower since your insurance company won�t have to worry too much about replacing windows.

Finally, take a look at where you park your vehicle. On the side of the street? In a back alley? Consider parking your vehicle in a safe, well-lit, and guarded parking garage. Your insurance company will appreciate your effort to protect your car, and they might just reward you with lower automotive insurance rates.

The carjacking of parked vehicles or those on the road which come to a stop depends on the car owner being inattentive to their surroundings. Carjackers, like street robbers, prefer the element of surprise. Most victims say they never saw the carjacker until they appeared at their car door.

There are some recommendations to reduce your risk of being carjacked; we have listed some of those common sense recommendations below:

• Always park in well-lighted areas, if you plan to arrive/leave after dark.

• Don’t park in isolated or visually obstructed areas near walls or heavy foliage.

• Use valet parking or an attended garage, especially if you’re a woman driving alone.

• As you walk to your car be alert to suspicious persons sitting in cars.

• Ask for a security escort if you are alone at a shopping center. Do not be too shy to make the request.

• Watch out for young males loitering in the area (handing out flyers, etc.)

• If someone tries to approach, change direction or run to a busy store.

• Follow your instincts if they tell you to walk/run away to a busy place.

• As you approach your vehicle, look under, around, and inside your car.

• If safe, open the door, enter quickly, and lock the doors.

• Don’t be a target by turning your back while loading packages into the car.

• Make it your habit to always start your car and drive away immediately. Don’t hang a round using your cell phone etc, leave as soon as you get into your car.

• Teach and practice with your children to enter and exit the car quickly.

• In the city, always drive with your car doors locked and windows rolled up.

• When stopped in traffic leave enough room to maneuver and escape if necessary.

• If you are bumped in traffic, by young males, be suspicious of the accident.

• Wave to follow, and drive to a gas station or busy place before getting out.

• If you are ever confronted by an armed carjacker don’t resist.

• Give up your keys or money if demanded without resistance.

• Don’t argue, fight or chase the robber. You can be seriously injured.

• Never agree to be kidnapped. Drop the cars keys and run and scream for help.

• If you are forced to drive, consider crashing your car near a busy intersection so bystanders can come to your aid and call the police.

• Call the police immediately to report the crime and provide detailed information.

Do these recommendations sound too hard to put into effect everyday? You are correct if you answer “no”. The alternative could be both dangerous and costly. Take action today.

A new car security system that identifies car owners through the Bluetooth element of their mobile phones is set to revolutionise the fight against car thieves. Auto-txt immediately identifies a car as stolen if the car is started with the keys but the mobile phone is not present. This unique feature allows a Bluetooth enabled device, such as a phone or PDA, to authenticate the vehicle owner, providing an enhanced level of security.

Auto-txt incorporates Bluetooth Intelligent Serial Modules from London based company, EZURiO, which pair with the driver’s mobile phone to provide a second “key” for the car. EZURiO has been working with Auto-txt in developing and refining the implementation of Bluetooth wireless technology.

Chris Cole, Engineering Director of Auto-txt, says: “The use of Bluetooth wireless technology underpins the Auto-txt system, enabling us to provide increased security for drivers and help in the fight against car crime.”

“Working with EZURiO has been great as the team there were able to provide both the technical support we needed and a Bluetooth module that works reliably across the range of available Bluetooth mobile phones and PDAs.”

Auto-txt is the first stolen vehicle protection and tracking system to have been awarded Thatcham’s Category 5 accreditation, the new insurance industry standard that is supported by the police. Thatcham is the motor insurance industry research centre which aims to develop research and standards which contain or reduce the cost of motor insurance claims.

Auto-txt has been selected by Jaguar Cars and Land Rover to supply car tracking and security systems for all their vehicles from 2006. The systems, called Jaguar Watch and Land Rover Watch, will be available in the UK and across Europe. It is the first time the prestige car manufacturers will be offering a stolen vehicle tracking system in their own name.

Auto-txt, which is available now for car owners, has been developed by the RDM Group, a Coventry based automotive supplier that has just raised funds of £4.75 million to further develop and roll out the system.

Auto-txt is the latest of a wide range of innovative solutions in the automotive industry that EZURiO has enabled with their Bluetooth modules. EZURiO’s modules offer exceptional ease of use and performance, along with the environmental requirements that are vital for the automotive sector. [PRWEB]