All guides

Learn how a car lease payment is calculated, what a realistic deal looks like, and how to compare advertised lease offers with a worked example.

A practical plan for negotiating a car lease: shop several dealers, negotiate the price first, check the money factor and compare total cost, with email scripts.

Compare leasing, financing and paying cash with a worked three-year cost example, plus a table of who each option suits and where each can go wrong.

Multiply the money factor by 2,400 to estimate APR. Learn how to find the base rate, spot markups and compare your lease rate with an auto loan.

Understand gross and adjusted capitalized cost, residual value, cap cost reductions and fees, with worked examples showing how each changes your lease payment.

Vehicle choice, residual value, credit, term, mileage, incentives, taxes and fees all change a lease payment. See how much each factor matters with examples.

Compare how dealerships, manufacturer finance arms, banks and lease brokers work, what to ask each one, and how to vet a provider before you sign.

Follow a ten-step process to lease a car in the U.S., from setting a budget and checking credit to reading the contract and taking delivery.

What lessors check for approval: credit score range, income, debt-to-income, insurance and ID. Includes a document checklist and tips if your credit is thin.

A realistic timeline for leasing a car: shopping, approval, signing, delivery, the monthly routine and the final 90 days before turn-in.

Compare your options when a lease ends: return the car, buy it at the residual price, extend or lease again, with a worked buy-or-return comparison.

Ten costly car lease mistakes, from focusing only on the monthly payment to underestimating mileage, with examples and simple ways to avoid each one.

What it costs to end a car lease early and how lease transfers, trade-ins, buyouts and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act can reduce or avoid the penalty.

Weigh the pros and cons of leasing a car: lower payments and warranty coverage versus mileage limits and no equity. Includes a self-test and cost example.

How excess mileage fees and wear-and-tear charges work at lease end, with worked examples, typical standards and ways to cut or avoid the bill.

Learn the warning signs of lease advertising tricks, fake lease transfer listings, payment-packing and fraudulent brokers, and what to do if you are targeted.