“If you plan on shopping around for the best financing rates, it is a good idea to do all of your shopping in one day so that only one hard inquiry will show up on your credit report. Multiple hard inquiries within a certain time frame are usually counted as one.
However, if you know who you want to get financing from, you can apply directly to them for pre-approval before going to the dealer and they will let you know how much of a loan you qualify for.
Outside lenders usually offer the best deals. Banks and credit unions typically offer the lowest interest rate, and having your own financing gives you better leverage when negotiating a sale price with dealerships.
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