You will suffer a huge mark up in cost if you finance a car at a dealership. According to a Vanderbilt University study, 31 percent of white customers and 48 percent of black customers had their loans marked up. At GM, 28 percent of whites and 53 percent of blacks had their loans marked up. And at Nissan, 47 percent of whites and 72 percent of blacks were affected. Obviously, there is a racial component to all of this. But everyone’s loans are tweaked in some way at these companies. And an investigative report by the Detroit News found some shocking mark-ups. In one case, a customer was able to get a loan of 11 percent, but the dealership marked it up to 24 percent. If your credit is really solid, a dealer is going to have more difficulty marking up a loan. But if you have questionable credit, dealerships will take advantage of you more easily. The typical mark up is more than $1,000. So, you think you have gotten a deal on the car and then you end up paying an extra grand. There is nothing wrong with you making a profit, but you choose how much you’re willing to give them. So, make sure you know your credit score before you buy, and never let emotion drive you. Do your research online and compare prices. Clark likes to go to the dealership only to test drive a car and to take delivery of a car.