Do you feel apprehensive about shopping for a new car?  Are you worried you don’t know enough about financing and new car warranties?  Or that you will say something that will give the dealer the upper hand in negotiations?  Car shopping doesn’t have to be stressful.  Here are some things that you shouldn’t tell a car dealer.

Don’t discuss monthly payments.  Your focus should go into negotiating the purchase price of the car.  It can get very confusing when you start talking about monthly payments because it can be unclear whether the payment is for 24 or 36 months.

Don’t tell the dealer right away that you have a trade in.  If the dealer realizes this he will know that you are hoping to get as much as possible for your trade-in.  The dealer may tell you he is going to give you a lot for your trade-in, but it’s actually a smokescreen because then the new price won’t be negotiable.

Don’t tell the dealer if you’re planning on paying in cash.  A lot of their money is made in financing, and if they realize they won’t be able to make that money, they probably won’t negotiate the car’s purchase price.

It is important to do your homework before purchasing a car.  Arrive at the dealership with knowledge about new car prices, financing, and new car warranties.  This will allow you to stand ground with the dealer.