IRVINE, Calif. — As a way to help consumers prepare for a vehicle purchase, Kelley Blue Book on Tuesday entered into a partnership with Mint.com, a free online personal finance service from Intuit.

Thanks to this agreement, officials explained Kelley Blue Book Values are scheduled to be seamlessly integrated into the assets and new goals features on Mint.com. They contend this up-to-date information can allow consumers to make more informed vehicle buying and selling decisions without having to leave the site.

Mint.com contends it provides more than 3.5 million users with an easy and intelligent way to manage and do more with their money. Site officials believe their new goals feature with KBB information can give users a better understanding of how much they need to save and how day-to-day spending can affect the achievement of their goals.

"Consumers are often unsure about the current value of their vehicle, how it can be leveraged toward a new car, or what steps they need to take to make such a big purchase," explained Aaron Patzer, general manager and vice president of Intuit Personal Finance and founder of Mint.com.

"By incorporating Kelley Blue Book Values into Mint.com, Mint users can do two really important things," Patzer stated.

"First, they can easily add vehicle data to their accounts — so any loans they're paying against a car are balanced by the asset's value. Second, integration with goals will help people understand the true cost of a new or used car, and effectively track their personal spending and saving to get there easily — and ultimately for less money," he went on to say.

Executives from both Mint.com and Kelley Blue Book hope their partnership streamlines processes for consumers by eliminating the extra step of having to search for information on third-party sites.

"In developing this relationship, our goal was to keep the car owner and shopper top of mind," noted Damon Bennett, vice president of business development and partnerships for Kelley Blue Book.

"The vehicle information we provide is relevant to consumers' financial needs and working with Mint.com allows Kelley Blue Book to assist consumers at all levels of car buying and owning," Bennett concluded.