may cause some concern," says Bidwell. In recent days, TSA has taken 100% control of a program called Secure Flight in a process that started late last year. Names of all domestic passengers are compared with terrorist watch lists by TSA personnel, not by airline employees. All international carriers operating to the U.S. are expected to be a part of the program by the end of this year. Travelers also will encounter new technology, chiefly the advanced body imaging units that require another change of habit. The imaging units look for explosives, metallic and non-metallic threat items and will require users to empty their pockets. Bidwell says little things "you wouldn't think about" may cause an alert. In a recent walk-through at Charlotte Douglas Airport, his rolled-up shirt sleeves provided enough bulk for the imaging machine to alert a TSA officer to pat down his forearms. He expects the TSA will need to educate the public on new requirements, "such as removing a money clip, a wallet or a pack of business cards" before entering a unit.

Since auto sales are still sluggish, manufacturers are offering larger than usual consumer rebates and secret factory-to-dealer cash incentives to unload cars. If you've been waiting to buy a new car and you see a great deal out there, now is the time to buy. Even Honda, which normally does not offer incentives, is getting in the game. Make sure you research sites on line such as www. edmunds.com for the latest incentives to use in your negotiations. Many cars have $2,000-$5,000 factory-to-dealer cash incentives. If you are unaware of the current rebates, you'll be leaving money on the table. Dealers will often give up most or all of their factory-to-dealer incentive, passing the savings to you. The more you can research the vehicle you are interested in before you go shopping at the dealer, the better negotiating power you'll have. To get as close as possible to the true vehicle invoice price, shop car buying sites online to get vehicle pricing. To further strengthen your negotiating power, you should get pre-approved for an auto loan before you visit the dealership. The first step is to do rate comparison shopping. It will be helpful to know your FICO score before you go shopping because most often your rate is based on this score. While you are eligible to receive a free credit report annually, that will not include your FICO score. You'll have to pay a small fee to get the score. Don't forget looking into your credit union's auto loans. You'll often find lower rates at your credit union and they'll help you understand your credit report and FICO score, rather than simply giving you a loan rate and decision. Many credit unions also offer special car buying services for their members to assist them in the car buying process. After you find the lowest price for the vehicle you're interested in and have an idea of the lowest rate you can get based on your credit, it would be smart to use an online auto loan calculator to get an idea of your monthly payments. The goal is to make sure the vehicle you're interested in fits into your budget before you take your check book to the dealership. The last thing you want to do is rely on the car dealer to help you fit a payment into your budget. This may result in you not getting the vehicle and/or options that you're looking for. Once you've been pre-approved for an auto loan you can go into your negotiations with the auto dealer in a much stronger position. Don't let the car dealer try to corner you into a monthly payment, instead use the vehicle pricing information and other research you've gathered to negotiate the lowest possible price of the vehicle. Most importantly, after you've purchased your new car in the smartest possible way – get out there and enjoy it!