Buying a new car is financial insanity

Like many motorists, you probably don't think about the cost of depreciation on your car - that's a costly mistake, says Phil Oakley. Luckily, there is something you can do about it.

Cars can be expensive to run, there's no getting away from that. The cost of filling your tank these days is enough to make most people wince. But there's another motoring cost that you ignore at your peril. I'm talking about depreciation the difference between what you pay for your car and what you end up selling it for. Along with fuel, it's usually the biggest cost of running a car. But unlike fuel, you can actually do something about it.

UK sales of new cars are up by 5% so far this year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Sales to private customers grew by nearly 24% in October alone and are up over 12% year-to-date. And I'm sure many of you know people who regularly buy new cars and trade them in for another new one after three years.

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Phil spent 13 years as an investment analyst for both stockbroking and fund management companies.

 

After graduating with a MSc in International Banking, Economics & Finance from Liverpool Business School in 1996, Phil went to work for BWD Rensburg, a Liverpool based investment manager. In 2001, he joined ABN AMRO as a transport analyst. After a brief spell as a food retail analyst, he spent five years with ABN's very successful UK Smaller Companies team where he covered engineering, transport and support services stocks.

 

In 2007, Phil joined Halbis Capital Management as a European equities analyst. He began writing for MoneyWeek in 2010.