If you know you're going to need a rental car in the near future, the smartest thing to do is to start shopping right away. Prices can change at the drop of a hat, and generally the earlier a vehicle is booked, the cheaper the price. There are other tricks and tips to help save money and hassles when dealing with dollar rent auto companies.
Paying an arm and a leg for a dollar rent auto booking isn't necessary, if you do the following things:
* Check all available dollar car rental companies in the location you will need the car. If the trip involves only local driving, even consider contacting smaller, more regional companies for pricing. Local companies sometimes offer the best prices. * Choose a cheaper car. Large, luxury vehicles will cost you more than compact cars. This option can save dozens of dollars a day, which can really add up over the course of a two-week vacation, for example. * Seek out discounts. Discount options for dollar rent car bookings can be found in all kinds of places. From the hotel you'll be staying in to your local auto club, they're all worth checking out to see if they have discounts available. * Multi-bookings. Sometimes dollar rent auto bookings cost less if you rent on certain days or for a set number of days. Find out if staying an extra day would actually cost you less in the long run by asking. * Accepting an unwanted or unpopular make car. Everyone wants the flashy rental car, but few want the boring compact. Choose a less popular car for yourself to save a few extra dollars. * Book in advance. By doing this you can save a lot of money. Just like the airlines, car rental places will reward those who let them know weeks in advance they'd like a car.
Now that you know how to save some money with your dollar rent auto booking, it's time to consider what you'll need to close the deal. Here's what you can expect:
* To reserve a dollar rent auto booking, most companies will require a valid credit card. While you might be able to pay for the car in cash when you arrive, the credit card secures the booking. If you don't have one, see if the rental company has an alternative they'll accept. * Valid ID/driver's license. This is a must for any reservation. Make sure you have one. * Fairly clear driving record. While a dollar rent auto booking won't hinge on a single ticket, someone who has 20 might have a problem closing the deal.
Remember once you make your dollar rent auto booking, it's a good idea to check back a few days before you need the car to ensure it's in place. There's nothing worse than arriving at a destination to find your rental car booking isn't valid because it wasn't confirmed!
An Adjustable Rate Mortgage is a loan that has a fixed interest rate for the initial term. Initial terms can be anywhere from three to seven years. After the initial term the rate can go up or down every year based off the loans set index. There is always a cap set on how much the rate can go up or down in a given year and for the life of the loan and yes, often times the interest rate does go down. By having the rate cap in place you protect yourself from the horror stories people try to tell you about with the ARM loans.
The benefits of an ARM Loan are the interest rate is usually a lot less than a twenty or thirty year fixed rate mortgage. In addition the closing costs of the loan will normally be less than with a fixed rate mortgage.
When would you want to use an ARM Loan? Statistically speaking most first and second time buyers will sell their home and move within five to six years. So if you're a young couple buying your first home knowing it's just a place to start and your plan is to buy a bigger home in a few years you may want to look at a five or seven year ARM Loan. If you know your at a point in your life where in the next few years you maybe getting married, having a baby, getting promoted or relocated for work you should look into an ARM Loan. You can enjoy the benefits of a much lower interest rate, lower closing costs and a lower house payment for the time your in the home. Remember that long term fixed rate mortgages favor the banks. They charge you more in closing costs and more for the interest rate knowing less the ten percent of home owners will keep that original loan until it is paid off.
Take the time to educate yourself on the many loan options available to you and before you sign that thirty year mortgage ask yourself is it worth paying the higher rate if you're only going to use the mortgage for a few years.
Both Tom Sample & Rick Johnston are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.