For many people, there is nothing more intimidating than a large document of legal text, except for having to sign on this document.

Unfortunately, these legal, binding agreements are part of almost every financial transaction — from financing a mobile phone to buying a house. And the larger the transaction, the more concerns you may have. In many cases you actually have limited choices: pretending to understand the content of the document and sign, or getting out of the deal. Either way, you may feel uncomfortable with the outcome despite any assurances you’re getting from your sales reps or bank officers.

So what should you do? Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Take your time

In many transactions, sales reps are willing to spend hours — literally hours — to convince you to buy something. Once they feel that you’ve made your mind, they rush to get the deal finalised. This approach is meant to get you through the process as quickly as possible and avoid anything that may break the deal.

In this rush, you may be prompted to sign contracts and agreements on the spot. Any questions you have regarding the agreement’s clauses may be responded to as “policy” or “standard procedure.” Regardless to whether it is or not, you should be doing your due diligence to make sure that you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.

Instead of rushing through the steps, take your time and ask for explanations. If you don’t like the responses you get for your questions, ask to take the documents home and get back when you’re ready to sign. This action probably will trigger more serious explanations and even willingness to work out solutions for any problems you might have.

Ask the experts

If you’re getting in a large investment, buying a house or financing an expensive item, paying for attorney or financial adviser help may be worthwhile. An expert can spot clauses that may harm you down the road, explain them to you to make sure that you, at least, know what you’re getting yourself into, and help you find alternatives.

Watch out for cases when the expert is someone brought to you by the same provider from whom you’re buying or financing. This person probably will be motivated to get the deal closed, looking out for the other party’s interest rather than yours.

Educate yourself

Some jargon may be intimidating at first, but with familiarity and research they become easier to digest. Online resources are now easily accessible, not only for passive research. Today you can ask questions on forums, look for past experiences and look up specific details about almost anything. So instead of taking whatever deal you’ve been given as a matter of fact, do your research and educate yourself about the alternatives. You may find another provider who offers better terms or a more straightforward process.

In addition, get yourself familiarised with contacts and their legal language, where exceptions may be listed separately, a contract may have appendixes that lists additional terms, or a separate document may contain an obligation that is not listed in the main large document.

Ask for changes

Many legal agreements and contracts are well-drafted and almost have no room for changes. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t review them, highlight your concerns and ask for changes. When you do so, the first reaction probably will be “no.” But if you insist on finding a solution around the point that concerns you, you may find a creative salesperson who is willing to work out alternatives.

For example, if you’re uncomfortable with the interest rate charged on your credit card, a sales person probably won’t be able to change this. But there could be many other cards that charge lower rates if you qualify for them or if you’re willing to pay an annual maintenance fee. So, even if you know that a particular point isn’t negotiable, ask for how you can get a better deal.

Rania Oteify, a former Gulf News Business Features Editor, is a Seattle-based editor.