You know what kind of car you want. And you know what you can spend. But don't head to the dealer just yet. Before you shop for a car, shop for financing. Financing a car means you pay it off over time. But you don't have to get that financing through a dealer. Check with banks, credit unions, and finance companies first. Then take your best financing offer with you to the dealers. You can still negotiate and see if the dealer makes a better offer. But if not, you can stick with the financing you already have. If a dealer isn't honest when it comes to financing a car, let the FTC know. Want to know more? Visit ftc.gov/cars.