The dealer usually isn't your best source for a car loan. Save money by shopping around before you're ready to buy.

Back in the old days, the game show, Wheel of Fortune, allowed its winning contestants to shop for prizes between each round. Their choices often included sports cars, appliances, vacations, and fine jewelry-but never anything as mundane as an auto loan.

Shop early and often

The not-so-fun part of a vehicle purchase is the actual buying of the car. That's the part where you have to negotiate a price, and then hand over your money. Your stress level during the buying process can be extraordinarily high, particularly if you haven't already secured financing.

Dealers often offer financing, but this is often a bad idea for the buyer for two reasons. First, it will usually be more expensive. Second, some dealers may negotiate financing while you're negotiating the price of the car. This is a good way to end up paying way too much, because you're focused on the monthly payment rather than the sales price.

Before you're ready to buy, take time to explore your non-dealer options. Here's how to get started:

• Check with your mortgage lender. If you own a home and have home equity, you could pay for the car with a second mortgage or home equity loan. Home equity loans aren't as easy to get as they used to be, but can sometimes be cheaper than traditional auto loans. Make sure that you can afford to make the payments-you don't want to lose your house over a car.

• Ask your bank or credit union. Your bank or credit union may have current auto loan rates posted online, so check out their website first. Then, pay a visit to the branch and consult directly with a banker. Banks and credit unions prefer to extend auto financing to customers with above-average credit. If you can qualify, you might get a pretty good rate of return.

• Search the web. In today's world, Internet access is a must-have for comparison shoppers. Competitive-bid lending websites allow you to collect quotes for new auto loans and refinance auto loans. You can also find online lenders directly by searching "auto loan" and related terms.

Once you've checked with your mortgage lender, bank, credit union, and a few online lenders, you should have several offers to compare. It goes without saying to pick the one that costs you the least. If you're on a tight monthly budget, you can get a lower payment by choosing a longer loan term-but don't forget to keep an eye on that interest rate.

You're ready to make smart decisions about the financing of your next set of wheels, since you now know as much about shopping for a car loan as you do about playing Wheel of Fortune.