The financial term being “upside down” on a loan means that the value of the financed item is lower than the amount of the loan, making it difficult to refinance effectively. In most cases, though, you'll still be able to trade your car when you owe more than book value to get yourself back to right-side up. If you still owe money on the car you want to trade in, first determine whether it makes sense to do so. If you owe more on the car than it is worth, you have to roll over the excess into a new car loan on your new vehicle. For example, if you owe $20,000 on your car, but its book value is only $12,000, you are upside down by $8,000. Shopping around does more than get you the best interest rate on your auto loan or the lowest price on your new car – it also helps you get the most for your trade-in. Visit multiple dealerships and request an estimate to learn the value of your trade-in. Keep copies of your quotes and use this information as a bargaining chip.