At the heart of it all is the “4-square,” a sheet of paper (sample above) divided into four boxes: your trade value, the purchase price, down payment, and monthly payment. This is supposed to ...

Though these are all solid up-front signs that can help you navigate the choppy waters of car dealerships, Miller and several other workers advised people to beware of the four-square method above ...

Most car shoppers have never heard of the four-square method, although it’s often used to convince you to make a big financial commitment without the full picture. Here's how it works ...