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So you’re in the market for (cue Rod Roddy voice) a NEW CAR! Below you’ll find a crash course in making an informed decision. We’ll get you a good deal. Trust us.

Purchasing Car Insurance

By Julie Fishman
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Quick Tips

  1. You need insurance – Some level of car insurance is required by almost every state, and even if it’s not, there’s no excuse not to get it.

  2. Suggested options – At the very least, you should seriously consider liability, collision, and comprehensive. In addition, check out others like medical, uninsured, and pip.

  3. Calculating cost – The average total annual premium for a policy that includes liability, collision, and comprehensive costs $775 (changes depending upon criteria). However, this is a lot cheaper than not being covered and paying for someone’s “back injury.” Check an online comparison engine such as esurance to get the best prices.

  4. Check the company’s rating - Don’t simply consider price when choosing a company; make sure it’s financially strong and will be able to pay claims by looking at their company rating.

  5. Avoid double coverage – Before selecting the options for your car insurance policy, review all other insurance you’ve purchases (e.g., medical) to make sure you aren’t already covered in some areas.

So easy a caveman can do it but more confusing for college grads than the lyrics to “My Humps,” auto insurance is required by law in almost every state, so dealing with it is less an option than an obligation. There are two main aspects of car insurance—protecting your car and protecting yourself

Load Up on Car Insurance During a Recession

By Jason Richards
12/22/08
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The Wall Street Journal reports an alarming rise in uninsured drivers during tough economic times. Makes sense, but unfortunately it doesn't affect only the people who choose to drive without car insurance. As the article explains, "The trend is bad news for everybody on the road.

Calculate the Cost of Driving

By Joan Mitchell
10/07/08
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Fact of the day: it would cost $678 for a Hummer to drive from LA to NY, and only $219 for a Prius. What about your car? Check it out at Cost2Drive.com, a site that calculates the fuel costs of a car trip

Determining if You Need a Car

By David Pekema
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Quick Tips

  1. High monthly costs – Keeping a car can cost you well over $1,000 per month with monthly lease payments, gas, insurance, maintenance, etc. Thankfully, there are many alternatives to owning a car.
  2. Man power – If you’re willing to brave the elements and get around Flintstone-style, consider a bike or your own two feet. Just be sure to factor weather and hygiene into the equation.
  3. Carpooling – With sites like iCarpool and CarpoolConnect, finding someone to go to work with has just gotten a lot easier. ‘Poolin’ can cut down transportation costs and is environmentally friendly.
  4. Public transportation – Depending upon the city you’re living in, public transportation might not only be cheaper than owning a car, but also faster, as well.
  5. Short-term borrowing – For weekend trips, consider renting a car. If you only need to use a whip for a few hours, consider asking a friend or getting a Zipcar membership.

Many of us made it through four years of college without a four-wheeled parasite sucking at our financial lifeblood. And those of us who did have a car usually didn’t have to pay for it. But what about now that you’re a big-shot post-grad with money to burn and

The Grad Olympics

By Christopher Schonberger
8/12/08
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Are you amped that the Olympics are finally here? Yeah, me too—no matter how hard

10 Things to Stop Worrying About

By Jason Richards
7/31/08
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There are enough issues to confront in recent grad life without being consumed by vague fears about getting cancer from your cell phone or becoming infertile because you drank so much Mountain Dew as a kid.

Floundering Auto Industry = Good for Grads

By Chris Zoia
7/31/08
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Automobile sales plunged this summer due to the high price of oil and the short supply of fuel-efficient cars. If you’re looking to nab a new set of wheels, work this recent slump in the car industry to your advantage.

Pushing Miracle Whips

By Christopher Schonberger
7/15/08
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If you’re one of those people (i.e., a 10-year-old) who thinks it would actually be cool to drive a Dale Earnhardt signature edition car, you may be interested in a growing trend cropping up around New Orleans: “sticker cars.” Taking their cues from the NASCAR track, these Warholian monstrosities are

Life in the Fast Lane

By Tom Wiseman
7/09/08
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Buenos Dias!

Or Buenas Noches if you're on the other side of the world right now.

As documented in my last blog, my good friend and guide Eric has

Deciding Whether to Buy or Lease a Car

By Arielle Sachar
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Quick Tips
  1. Check our security – We’ll get better deals with a high credit score, credit history, and maybe, just maybe, a secure job. Thus, it never hurts to know where we stand before going in.
  2. Separate emotion – It’s easy to be impulsive and not rational. We see a car, we love it, and we want it. Cars change, lifestyles change, and finances change.
  3. Research – Dealers often try to prey on our youthful impulsiveness and push leasing as the most affordable option. Do the math and make sure that the chosen option is affordable.
  4. Online – Resources such as Leaseguide, Edmunds, and Consumer Reports are great for giving us research ammo to use when we walk into the dealership. They won’t know what hit them.
  5. Visit at the end of the month – Whether leasing or buying, plan to do so at the end of the month, particularly on a rainy day. By the last week of each month, dealers are already trying to reach quotas, so they’ll be a lot more flexible.

My first love took me places I had never been, had a solid rear end, and gave me lovin’ despite being a little temperamental. So maybe at sixteen, my first love was a 1987 Nissan Stanza that never started, was covered in grease stains, and always smelled like exhaust, but what can you do. After three turbulent years

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