If you’re not paying less than sticker price for these and other goods and services, you’re leaving money — and often lots of it — on the table. “Everything is negotiable,” says Stuart Diamond, adjunct professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and author of “Getting More: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real World.” “All you have to do is ask.”

With that philosophy in mind, follow these tips to negotiate the best possible deal on common fees and expenses:

Credit Card Rates

• Why they are negotiable: Now that most of the dust has settled following the big credit card reform act, card companies are competing fiercely again for new customers. Issuers sent out 1.2 billion credit card offers in the third quarter of 2010 — more than three times the number sent during the same period in 2009.   Don’t jump at the first offer. You should argue for the best rate.

• Who to talk to: Call the 800 number associated with a new card offer (or the number on the back of a current card) and talk to the customer service rep. If the rep can’t — or won’t — adjust the rate, ask to speak with a manager.

• What to say: “I’ve gotten several credit card offers with lower rates. Tell me what you can do to beat those offers.”

• Possible savings: How much you’re able to lower your interest rate will depend on your credit and payment history, as well as your credit score. In a study conducted by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group several years ago, more than half of consumers who asked for lower rates got them, with their average APR dropping from 16 percent to 10.47 percent.

Mortgage and Refinancing Rates and Fees

• Why they are negotiable: “Mortgage lending has gotten difficult, which means that a lender will work hard to make a deal,” says Rheingold. And that’s particularly true for consumers with credit scores of at least 750.

• Who to talk to: Mortgage brokers or lenders at banks and credit unions.

• What to say: Get several estimates in writing and ask, “Here’s the best deal I can get. Can you beat it?”

• Possible savings: In addition to offering better rates, lenders might reduce certain fees or even waive them altogether. To negotiate the lowest out-of-pocket costs, ask for discounts on all upfront fees, including application and origination fees. According to the Federal Trade Commission’s website, comparing and negotiating mortgage fees can result in thousands of dollars of savings.

Home Improvements

• Why they are negotiable: “Business is slow and that means contractors are willing to haggle over their prices,” says Greg Daugherty, executive editor of Consumer Reports. Plus, the prices of many common home building materials are down as much as 35 percent from their peak in the mid-2000s.

• Who to talk to: The contractor.

• What to say: “What are the options for less expensive materials? And what discounts can you offer me on labor?”

• Possible savings: Up to 20 percent of the cost of the project. Of the home improvement contractors who were surveyed in 2010, 80 percent were willing to drop their prices to get a job (compared with 43 percent in 2008). And more than half of the contractors surveyed said they were willing to lower prices by 10 percent, with nearly 25 percent willing to drop their fees up to 20 percent.

Home Appliances and Electronics

• Why they are negotiable: Store managers understand that a discounted deal done today is often better than a potential deal in the future (and definitely better than no deal at all). One trick is to go first thing in the morning or just before the store closes when there are fewer customers. “A manager will hesitate to offer a discount if he thinks he’ll have to make the same deal with all of the customers who overhear the negotiation,” says Consumer Reports’ Daugherty.

• Who to talk to: A store’s manager or assistant manager.

• What to say: “I like this model. If you can give me a discount and free delivery, I’ll buy it today.”

• Possible savings: Profit margins are generally fairly thin on appliances and electronics, so getting 10 percent off is a reasonable goal, particularly if you can also get them to throw in free delivery and installation. Consumer Reports found that three-quarters of shoppers were able to negotiate a better deal on major appliances, with an average savings of $100 per appliance.

Cars

• Why it’s negotiable: Car dealerships are one of the few places where price negotiations are not only acceptable, they’re expected, notes Philip Reed, senior consumer advice editor for car-buying site Edmunds.com.

But instead of trying to negotiate your purchase price down from the MSRP (the sticker price), as you might for other items, ask to see the invoice price (the price the dealer paid for the car) and work your way up from there.

• Who to talk to: Sales staff.

• What to say: “Another dealership has given me a better price on the same model. Tell me how you can beat their offer.”

• Possible savings: It’s possible to save more than $1,000 on a new car by negotiating smartly, according to Reed. And you’ll net even higher savings by also negotiating the value of your trade-in, as well as financing terms and the cost of extended warranties.

Medical Bills

• Why they’re negotiable: Patients usually assume that the cost for various medical procedures and tests are set in stone, but often they’re not. And with health care companies shifting more out-of-pocket costs onto consumers, asking for potential discounts is essential, particularly since there’s often a huge variance in costs among providers, says Angie’s List spokeswoman Cheryl Reed. In Washington D.C., for example, the price for an MRI of the right knee ranges from $400 to $1,501, according to a recent report.

• Who to talk to: The billing administrator.

• What to say: “This is a significant expense for me. Is there a discount for paying upfront or in cash? What other kinds of discounts might be available?”

• Possible savings: Fifty percent or more. An Angie’s List poll found that 74 percent of respondents who negotiated their medical bills were successful, often paying less than half of the original cost.

All of this could influence your financial freedom—not to mention the number of junk-mail solicitations you receive.

Ken Lin, CEO of Credit Karma, a credit-score information website, knew he had a good credit score. But when he recently applied for a new credit card, he was rejected: The lender had flagged him as a higher credit risk because the value of his California home had declined and his mortgage principal wasn’t declining—giving away that he has an interest-only mortgage.

“It’s a lot more than just your credit score today,” he says.

Your credit record still matters, of course. But here are some newer ways lenders and financial-services companies are sizing up your financial behavior and credit-worthiness:

Bank-Depositor Behavior Scores

Fair Isaac, the creator of the widely used FICO (NYSE: FICO – News) credit score, is marketing bank-depositor behavior scores, which are used by banks to assess their own customers.

The scores are based on balances, deposit records and withdrawal activity, says Debb Gordon, a senior principal consultant at Fair Isaac.

Unlike credit scores—which are most affected after payments are late or credit is maxed out—behavior scores can be a leading indicator of credit risk. They also can help banks identify which of their customers might be ripe for additional services and rewards programs and which might need special attention because, for instance, their direct deposits had stopped.

Income Estimation

This business took off earlier this year after the Federal Reserve allowed lenders to use credit bureaus’ income estimates to satisfy new requirements that credit-card applicants show the ability to pay their debts.

The bureaus use credit-record information, such as the size of your credit lines and the age and size of your mortgage, and plug it into models to predict your earnings. Those estimates also may be used to double-check the income you report on credit applications or to determine if you should be preapproved for credit.

You can’t see those estimates. But if you are denied credit because of them, you must be given a chance to provide additional information.

Rent Payments

An estimated 40 million consumers, including young people and people who prefer to pay in cash, have too little credit experience to generate a useful credit score. But they are likely to pay rent or utility bills, which could help credit bureaus better assess their credit-worthiness.

Experian, one of the three major credit bureaus, bought RentBureau—which collects rental-payment data from large property managers—and expects to integrate that information into credit records before the end of the year.

Even if those consumers don’t want credit, that information could help them win better rates from insurers, which may use insurance scores based on credit records, and fatten up thin credit files, which some employers check before making hiring decisions.

Credit bureaus say they also would like to offer data on cellphone payments, but have run into concerns over privacy issues, which may require legislation to untangle.

Collection Triggers

If you owe money, you can run, but you can’t hide. Credit bureaus can now send daily reports to collection companies when a debtor’s financial status changes—say, if new employment information appears or if a debt starts to decline. A drop in credit use would indicate that the consumer has more capacity to pay and a better chance of repaying other outstanding debts.

Home Values

As home values have plummeted and foreclosures have soared in many states, lenders of all stripes have become more cautious, as Mr. Lin found. Using home values as a factor in credit decisions doesn’t appear to be widespread, but it may come into play when someone in, say, Nevada or California applies for a new loan. Of course, it also could work in your favor if you are one of the roughly 25 million Americans who owns a home outright.

Your Wealth

Information about your assets other than homes and cars, which aren’t part of the credit record, may soon play a bigger role in your financial life. With a better sense of a consumer’s balance sheet, lenders might be able to target potential customers better and also have a fuller sense of their likely risk. Equifax, another of the big three credit bureaus, offers financial-service providers an estimate of liquid wealth as part of a financial “suite” of information.

As all of this becomes a widespread practice, those who are prompt and careful in all aspects of their financial life may have more options—and those who have been sloppy with, say, their bank accounts may be penalized for that.

Several years ago, home values were rising so rapidly that you could build a pile of equity practically before the ink was dry on your settlement papers — and then borrow against it to pay for everything from home repairs to college tuition. But as prices have tumbled, lenders have tightened their criteria for approving fixed-rate home-equity loans and variable-rate lines of credit.

Now in most cities you’ll be able to borrow no more than 80% of the appraised value, less the mortgage. In some cities you may get away with 90%, says Keith Gumbinger, of HSH Associates. But in areas where prices have plummeted, such as parts of Florida, Nevada and California, the loan-to-value ratio goes as low as 60%.

You’ll need a credit score of at least 720, as opposed to the 650 to 680 you could get away with a few years ago. And as with first mortgages, you’ll have to document income and assets. Interest rates depend on the amount you borrow and your location. Recent rates averaged about 5.3% on home-equity lines of credit and 7.4% on loans, according to HSH.

Car Loans: Better Rates

When you need to borrow money to buy a new set of wheels, credit isn’t the major stumbling block anymore. Loan approvals are up from last year in every credit category, according to CNW Research. “Most people have good enough credit to qualify,” says Greg McBride, of Bankrate.com. “The down payment is what’s problematic for people without a lot of savings.” Lenders are looking for 10% down on a new car and 20% for used cars.

The average rate from the manufacturers’ finance companies was 4.5% in August, versus 6.9% in January 2009. Automakers and their finance companies, desperate to prop up sales, are aggressively promoting low-rate loans on new cars for top-tier borrowers.

Expect to see 0% offers on 2010 models as dealers clear their lots for the 2011s. And even though the new model year is still fresh, rates as low as 1.9% and 2.9% for 60 months recently made up a sizable number of offers.

Low rates aren’t limited to new-car buyers. After welcoming their first child, Andrea Hewitt and her husband, Josh, decided “it was time to grow up.” They traded in the 2004 Honda Accord coupe Andrea had bought when she was single for a more family-friendly 2008 Nissan Altima sedan. The dealer offered a loan at 5% for five years, which the Hewitts bargained down to 4.29%.

If they had purchased the extended warranty, the dealer would have knocked the rate down to 0.9%. The trade-in took care of a chunk of the loan balance, and the Hewitts put down another $1,500 to keep their payments low. While the best financing deal is often at the dealer, make sure you have a backup plan in case you don’t qualify for the lowest rates.

At big banks, good credit will get you rates below 4% for five years on new cars and about 4% to 5% for used cars. Some credit unions are beating even those rates. If you don’t belong to a credit union, you can probably find one for which you’re eligible.

Credit Cards: High Scores

Despite fewer credit-card delinquencies, most large issuers have not relaxed their standards; they continue to require higher credit scores and offer lower credit limits than before the recession. If you have fair or poor credit, you’ll have a tough time qualifying. Even if you have a credit score of 740 or 750, you would be approved for a credit card but might not qualify for the lowest rate.

If you have excellent credit, whether or not you qualify for the lowest rate, your mailbox has probably been peppered with credit-card solicitations. Mintel, a market-research firm, expects issuers to send out three to four billion offers this year, compared with two billion a year ago, most of which will be for rewards cards.

A lot of rewards cards have attractive perks, but now you’re more likely to be charged an annual fee (often waived for the first year). Teaser rates as low as 0% are also making a comeback, although balance-transfer fees at many banks have risen to 5%.

To qualify for the best offers, pay on time, even if it’s just the minimum. You could receive a reminder — and a spike in your interest rate — if your payment arrives even one day after the due date.

If your card issuer lowers your credit limit, you may receive a separate notice or see it announced in your monthly statement. Many issuers no longer charge over-limit fees, but with others, exceeding your limit can cost up to $29 in fees and will probably mean an increase in your interest rate.

Hold your balances below 30% of your total credit limit. If your charges creep above that ratio, it’s a red flag that lowers your credit score and could prompt the issuer to raise your rate (you must receive 45 days’ notice).

It’s better not to close accounts because you increase the ratio of your outstanding balance to your available credit, which can hurt your credit score. Issuers can no longer charge inactivity fees, but if you are being charged an annual fee for a card you no longer use, it’s worth it to close the account and take a small hit on your credit score.

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Calculations include averages summed up from the financial history of the individual or entity, and the available current assets and liabilities. A credit rating is a very important evaluation that tells an investor or lender whether or not a fiscal avenue being explored or the borrower is financially healthy enough to pay back the desired line of credit. Credit ratings are also sought to calculate and adjust insurance premiums and interest rates.

The readings, and sometimes the final score, help to determine employment eligibility. A poor credit rating simply attracts high interest rates and/or loan refusal. The factors that commonly influence credit rating include the amount of credit availed of, saving and spending patterns, incurred debt and current ability to repair the impaired history.

How to Improve Credit Rating:

Credit rating is usually compiled and maintained by the Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion credit bureaus. A person or business entity’s credit worthiness is usually determined via statistical analysis of the evaluated credit data. The records reveal a 3-digit credit score, also referred to as the FICO or Fair Isaac Corporation score.

The credit rating agencies calculate debt obligations and debt instruments that can be traded within a secondary market. Credit ratings are commonly accessed by investors, banks, issuers, broker-dealers and the government. The rating helps evaluate the current credit risk associated with the person or business.