Buying a Car

One of the first things active duty military members should do when walking on to a car lot is to tell the salesperson, "I'm in the military. What sort of military discount do you offer buyers?"

Many car dealerships, especially dealerships which are located near a military installation, offer generous discounts to military personnel. In some instances, the dealership may not necessarily have a policy of extending discounts to military personnel, but if you ask, they may knock a nice bit of money off the purchase price of a car. Whether you secure the financing through the dealership, or if you already have your financing in place from a lender, saving $500 or $1,000 simply for being in the military is great. You should never feel apprehensive about asking for a military discount, especially with big-ticket items, like cars. After all, if a company wants to grant you a nice discount as thanks for your serving the country, you certainly deserve it.  Just be sure to have a copy of your military identification card with you, in case the dealership wants proof of your current service. Also, be sure that you are still paying a fair price for the vehicle you purchase; if a car is priced $2,000 over what you should be paying and the dealership gives you a $1,000 military discount, you are still paying $1,000 too much.