With most things you buy in stores or online, the price is the price. If you don't like it at one place, you go elsewhere. But that's not so with houses and cars in most cases. You must negotiate the price.

While negotiating and haggling is the norm in many cultures around the world, most Americans don't do it much and find it uncomfortable. The problem is that the person you are negotiating with does it all the time. They are professional negotiators. They receive training. They learn how to "read" people. They learn ways to get your agreement and convince you that you got a good deal when you could have done much better.

American's distaste for negotiating shows up in the annual Gallup poll on honesty and ethics in professions. In the 2010 poll, out of 22 professions, 49% said that car salespeople's honesty and ethics was low or very low and only 7% said high or very high. The only professions that were worse were members of Congress (57%) and lobbyists (61%).

At least when you are buying a home, you can hire a buyer's agent that is contracturally obligated to be in your corner and can help you through the process. You won't find that when you are buying a car. That's what the StreetWise Autobuying Guide is for.

No. Most dealerships are owned by small businessmen trying to make a good living. They are entitled to make a profit on the car they sell you and would have no reason to stay in business if they couldn't. But if they want to stay in business, their customers have to believe they are treated fairly. Dealerships often earn more from their service departments than from sales, so a customer who feels taken on the sale is less likely to return to that dealership for the service.

Unfortunately for consumers, the typical pay structure for sales and finance people at most dealerships relies heavily on commissions and sales incentives. In other words, the more a car buyer pays for the vehicle, add-ons, and financing, the more the sales and finance people get in their paycheck on that sale. Naturally, this means that consumers that become effective negotiators will pay less than others who do not have the knowledge, skills, and persistence. A former car salesman once told us he got out of the business because he was tired of seeing nice, trusting people pay much more than disagreeable people who were tough negotiators.

It is true, though, there are some dealers around the country who have been cited for deceptive practices and fraud. To avoid them, it is important to check with the Better Business Bureau or your state's office of consumer protection before shopping.

We understand how hard you work to earn the money you have. We want to help you keep as much of it as you can. That's why we created the award-winning StreetWise Consumer Education Program in 2001. From the beginning, our StreetWise Auto Buying Guide has been popular because it works. It teaches you what you need to know about the auto business in order to negotiate your best deal.

And, since money matters, let's promise you this up front – if we can't give you a better deal on financing your car than the deal you found, we'll tell you. Do you know any dealership or bank that will do that?

We do that because we're different. Our reason for being, our Vision, is that All members achieve their financial goals. When you save money and buy responsibly, you're improving your financial condition. Detailed consumer education is essential.

That's why our goal is to help you buy wisely and save money, not to simply provide loans. And that's why we're glad you're here. So, slow down, take your time, and read on. Let's have some fun, learn a lot, and save a lot. And the best place to start learning and saving is with the StreetWise Top Auto Buying Tips.

"Recently we bought a car using the DCU StreetWise Consumer Education Program. It saved us money, time, and aggravation.

We entered the dealership casually, making it clear that we were "just thinking" about a new car. I then applied a lot of the StreetWise tips that I had learned. I was amazed that the dealer really did say all the things I had been warned about. It felt like I was cheating on a test. I had a response for every question the dealer asked. Plus some questions of my own that I don't think the salesman was expecting from a quiet housewife like myself.

By the time we had gotten to the negotiating table, I felt we had the upper hand. I smile even now when I think about the shocked look on the salesman's face when I told him what was acceptable. The words "Your killing me!" came out of his mouth several times. But StreetWise had warned us that this would happen. We had to go through one salesman, two supervisors, and a manager. It all paid off. We had the car with a $4,000 discount from the sticker price. We had come this far with this group of people, what's one more try at lowering the price.

In the end we paid a third of the sticker price of the car. We paid less that the list price of a strip down model, according to our internet sources. Yet we drove away with a fully loaded automatic with plenty of extra features. It was a proud day for us. We received a price that was fair for both us and what I think was ok for the dealer. :

StreetWise helped give me the strength to find joy in car shopping. Plus I didn't have to think twice about where to go for a competitive auto loan rate to match the great price on my new car. DCU's staff was friendly, responsive and went the extra mile to set up our loan. StreetWise with all it's information and money saving tips is one of the many ways DCU protects and serves my family's money. Thank you."

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