Where do i begin? I need to finance a car.. bank or dealership?

[glamchick]

I want to purchase a car and i have no idea where to begin.

I am aiming for a used car 15,000 or under.

Who do i call first dealership or banks?  Please advise.

[Anonymous]

Credit Union or your bank first. Use that info to your advantage when going to a dealer. Also, interests for used cars is usually higher than new cars. Go to bankrate.com and use their calculators to figure out which way to go. It's good to know what exactly you can afford instead of looking at the car you really want. I think you take 36% of your gross income and minus your typical monthly payments (rent, etc)...and that is how much you can afford for a car payment.