General Motors has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. If you own a GM car or if you're thinking about buying one, here's what this bankruptcy means to you.

1) Finding a new dealership

If you own a GM car, one of the bigger issues for you may be that the dealership you’re used could be shut down. Over the next year, 1,500 dealerships will wind down, according to the company. That means you may have to travel further to get to a station and endure longer wait times.

To find a new place to get your car serviced, go to GM’s dealer "locator" tool on its Web site - all you have to do is punch in your zip code. But if it’s just routine maintenance you need, like oil changes or tire rotations, consider going to an independent shop. Not only is it more convenient, but Consumer Reports says it’s usually less expensive than dealerships. Just make sure you keep the receipts.

2) Deals to be had

Well, the time is right. Incentives on GM cars are historic, according to Edmunds.com. Take a look at some of the deals out there - for a 2009 Cadillac Escalade, you'll get up to $4,500 cash back. For a Chevy Tahoe, you'll get up to $7,000 cash back. And a 2009 Chevy Impala can get you up to $6,000 cash back, according to Edmunds.com.

3) Scoring a bargain

Find a dealership that’s going out of business. The deal you get is more dependent on how the dealer is doing than how GM is doing. Dealerships going out of business will be the most desperate to get cars off the lot.

Call to ask if they have the car you’re interested in. (It’s not the best idea to blindly visit the dealership because if they don’t have the car you want, you might be sold on getting another kind of car).

Know the incentives and what it cost the dealer. Right now about 25 percent of vehicles are sold below their true cost across the board. But the percent of GM vehicles selling below what the dealer paid for it could be higher. Getting the best info is key to getting a good deal.

Finally, negotiate, but don’t bully - don’t go in offering half the vehicle’s value. You do have leverage as a consumer since auto sales across the board are weak.

Catch more of Gerri's Top Tips weekdays at 11:20 am Eastern Time on CNN.

One last piece of advice: You may want to wait a few weeks or even a few months to get the best deals. And keep in mind that availability of these cars will diminish, so you may have to contend with a car color you don’t like or features you’re not crazy about.

We all know money is tight these days, but your spending needn't necessarily boil down to belt-tightening and sacrifices. It may never be a better time to score a sweet deal and save some cash.

Buying a car

Let's start with getting a car not just below the sticker or invoice price, but below dealer cost. Almost unheard of, right? Well, not anymore. Transaction prices are down, incentives and cash-back figures are on the rise, and according to data from truecar.com, last year dealers sold 21 percent of 2009 models for less than what they paid for them. This year, that number is up to 25 percent.

Start by arming yourself with as much information as possible before you head to the lot. Edmunds.com can tell you the "true value" of the car you're interested in - what they call a fair price, based on what other consumers are paying - plus vehicle inventory, dealer incentives, sales conditions, and current economic trends.

Knowing all this info before you go will put you in the driver's seat when it comes time for negotiation. But you have to be prepared, too, to walk away if you're still not seeing eye-to-eye with the salesman.

Bank fees

Large national banks have gotten billions from tarp - your tax dollars - but you don't have to give them another dime.

Cut your bank fees by avoiding all out-of-network ATMs; and watch out for overdraft fees that can be as high as $40! This is especially important now, since so many more people are using debit cards. You can incur multiple overdraft fees in a single day if you don't stay on top of your balance. Watch out, too, for account maintenance fees and teller fees - sometimes charged to those who use human tellers instead of ATMs.

Remember, you can always vote with your feet and move to a credit union.

Haggle at the store

A new poll out this week as part of a special 'rebuild your finances' issue of consumer reports found that more than two-thirds of Americans have haggled to secure a better deal in the last six months. So here are some tips to improve your haggling skills.

Be patient and be nice - demanding a discount rarely works. And avoid an audience. If everyone else is asking for a deal, chances are you won't get yours.

Time your haggle late in the month, when salespeople are trying to meet their quotas; also to early morning or evening hours, when clerks have more time to talk. And offer to pay cash. Merchants don't like to pay transaction fees to credit card companies - anywhere from two to eight percent - so this might be a great place to get them to cut you some slack.

From buying insurance to getting a mortgage, your credit score is your financial DNA. Here are some do’s and dont’s of establishing good credit.

1) Forget retail credit cards
Every time you open an account with a store to get that 10 percent discount, you are giving the retail lender the ability to pull your credit. And that can lower your credit score. This is especially damaging if you’ve only handled credit for a limited time.

2) Pay more than the minimum
Paying your bills on time is about one-third of your FICO score. Concentrate not only on paying on time, but paying more than the minimum payments.

3) Don’t close credit card accountsYour score takes into account the difference between what credit you have available to you and what you’re using. If you shut down credit card account, the total amount of your available credit is lowered and your balances look much larger in comparison. This ratio then hurts your score.

Catch Gerri Willis' top tips on CNN every day at 10 am Eastern Time on CNN.

Times are tough in the SUV market. If you’re looking to unload your gas-guzzler, here's what you need to know.

1) Do the Math
Will trading in your SUV make sense? Here are some rules of thumb: If you’ve paid off your SUV, you’re probably better off sticking with it. If you don’t at least double your mpg rating, it may not be worth your while to trade in your car. Trading in your SUV will only make sense if you’re in the market for a new car anyway.

2) Price right

Make sure you know the value of your vehicle (including depreciation). Figure that out at Kbb.com. Then, Check out carmax.com. This is an online dealership that may take your car and give you a check without having you buy another car from them. The most important thing here: price your car right. If there are 20 cars like yours selling in your area, make sure you have a competitive price. And take a lot of pictures.

3) Hone your expectations
Dealers don’t want your SUV. And other customers aren’t interested in buying it. That’s going to make your vehicle hard to unload. In fact, the SUV market dropped 10 percent from September of 2007 until last month according to Kelley Blue Book.

Catch Gerri's Top Tips on CNN at 10am and on Headline News at 9 a.m. ET

From airline bankruptcies to flight cancellations and airline mergers, it's going to be a rough season for travelers. Here's your guide.

1) Know your rights

 Your rights in case your flight is delayed or cancelled is in the airlines' contract of carriage. To find that info, go to the airlines web site. It's a good idea to print it out and take it with you.

2) Get the track record

To get the track record of the airline you're thinking about flying.  Go to flightstats.com.

3) Use your cell phone

When you first book your flight, put in your cell phone number instead of your home number. Airlines have automatic systems that call customers in case of delays or cancellations. If you are contacted first, you'll have a much better chance of getting on a rebooked flight.