Some bills can't be changed. For other bills, though, a little legwork can make a big difference in your monthly payment. Your car payment is a great example. Refinancing your vehicle loan can lead to a lower monthly payment, a shorter payment term or both! It depends on various factors, including the value of your vehicle, how much you owe and your credit standing.

Read on for three common life changes that might mean it's a good time to refinance your vehicle.

You've probably heard that a car is the second-largest purchase the typical American makes after their home, but that's not really true.  It might seem like it, since the median home price in the U.S. was just under $190,000 last year, while a new Honda Civic starts at about one-tenth as much.  When you look a little deeper, though, you'll probably only ever own one home at a time, and when you sell it, you'll get your money back. You might even make a profit on the sale.  

Americans have a definite love affair with driving - and there's nothing like falling fuel prices to speed our heartbeats. As prices at the pump go down, if you're like everyone else, your thoughts may be turning toward buying a new vehicle or planning that next road trip or family vacation.

With gas prices at their lowest levels since 2009 and interest rates probably the best they'll be all year, now might be the perfect time to do both.

Q: I’ve been getting conflicting information about what makes more sense. Should I lease a car or buy one?

A: Here’s a little known fact: auto dealers average twice as much profit on a lease than on a sale. With about 1 out of every 4 cars being leased, it appears to be a good deal for drivers, too.

According to the Federal Reserve, the average amount of a new car loan is $26,673 and a monthly payment of $485. Here are simple strategies to pay off your car loan early.

Make Bi-Weekly Payments

By switching to a bi-weekly payment plan, you will essentially be making a payment every 2 weeks for half of the full payment you currently make once per month. With a bi-weekly payment plan, you end up making 26 half payments per year, or 13 full payments. This works out to one additional full payment a year.