Posts Tagged ‘Collateral’

Can’t Get a Business Loan?

Tuesday, November 25th, 2008

It time again to revisit alternative financing strategies for business owners needing money. Whether your business needs capital to grow, meet payroll, or to just simply survive, there are numerous alternatives for your company when banks so ‘NO’.

Personal loans are no longer viable options for business owners. Banks have tightened their purse strings on personal credit just as they have with business credit. This tightening typically does not have anything to do with the state of your credit or the value of your collateral. But more reflects their past indiscretions with their depositors’ money. Further, most business owners, over the last two or three years, have already encumbered all of their personal assets, leaving nothing of value to collateralize.

The following lists many alternatives that may still be available to your business. These alternatives allow business owners to capitalize on their previous hard work; be it from building relationships with suppliers and other business partners to closing sales and building a strong customer base:

Using Your Business Relationships!

Trade Credit: It never hurts to work with your suppliers. Ask for better terms; either more discounts or longer time for payment. Here you can reduce your overall costs or allow more time to collect money from your customer before payment is due to these suppliers. Now, your suppliers may baulk at this discussion as they are probably feeling the same pinch as you are. However, impress upon them that it does their business no good (short term or long-term) if you go out of business, have to cut back your standard orders, or are forced to find other suppliers who offer better terms.

In conjunction with trade credit, do all that you can to collect your receivables from your customers, as soon as possible. If your suppliers offer you discounts for early payment, offer the same to your customers (just maybe not at the same magnitude) or offer discounts for cash. This allows you to collect payments faster as well as reduce you costs by paying less for the goods you need to run your business. Just remember, in this type of economy, cash is king.

Using The Strength of Your Customers!

Receivables and/or Purchase Orders: If your business has accounts receivables sitting on its book just waiting to be collected, you maybe able to get cash for those assets NOW. There are cash advance companies (not banks) that specialize in purchasing your receivables. Companies like Bridgeport Capital Service, RTS Financial Services, or Paragon Financial Group. These companies will purchase your invoices for up to 90% of their amount. They will then work with your customers to collect these receivables (saving you both time and money on collection). When the invoices are paid, these companies will refund to you the remaining 10% of the invoice amount. This type of funding is great for struggling companies as these cash advance businesses will focus more on your customers’ credit and business strengths than your.

Many of these same companies will also finance your purchase orders. If you place an order with your suppliers and agree to pay for their goods over time, these cash advance companies will finance these agreements. This could allow your business the opportunity to take advantage of trade discounts (percentages off the purchase amount) as your company will have immediate cash to satisfy your supplier. This is very similar to having a line of credit with your bank but as an individual credit facility for each purchase.

Credit Cards: I not saying go out and get more credit cards. If your business accepts credit cards, there are companies (again, not banks) that may advance cash to your company based on your FUTURE credit card receipts. These facilities are only paid back when your business generates credit card sales. Thus, if you have a slow month, you are not stuck with a huge monthly loan payment. As your credit card sales ebb and flow, your repayment of these advances will ebb and flow in tandem.

Using Your Character!

Need just a small amount of cash to get you by? Try social lending sites like All World Private Funding!, Zopa, Prosper, or Lending Club. These sites create peer-to-peer lending in which ordinary people, who have additional cash, can review your request and contribute to the funding of your loan. The benefits of these programs include getting the money you need, possible lower rates and better terms than most banks offer, and you get to tell your story directly to the lenders.

Similarly, there is Micro-Credit companies. The largest in the US and around the world is ACCION USA. Micro-finance companies limit their total out lay to a maximum of $25,000 per loan. However, most micro-credit funders like to build relationships first with their borrowers. Thus, they may only approve smaller amounts in the beginning and increase your loan amount as you pay back each facility. These companies will also work with startup firms or those that have been turned down by traditional banks and other financial institutions.

Never forget your friends and family. These are the people who know you best and may better understand what you are trying to do with your business. There are many cons with borrowing money from those closest to you but new companies like Virgin Money will help you manage this new relationship. Companies like Virgin will help you keep everything in a business like manner.

Now, while there is a lot of focus these days on traditional banks, most communities also have Credit Unions. Credit Unions are not-for-profit organizations. Thus, they do not have to worry about Wall Street or shareholders. While the majority of Credit Unions have yet to fully adopt commercial lending departments, they should have lending programs in place that will meet your business needs.

Some of these alternative options maybe a little more expensive, overall, then having a single credit facility with a bank. But, they are a sure fire way of leading your company through our current credit drought. The key to success is to do your homework. Find the program that best fits your needs and that will provide the greatest benefit at the lowest cost to your business. Some business owners tend to panic a bit when they begin to feel the credit pinch. It is only natural as raising money for your business is time consuming, time that can hardly be spared in these trying times. But, remember to think about the long term. Don’t just settle on the first source that gets approved, find the best fore you. Be diligent!

Joseph Lizio holds A MBA in Finance and is founder and owner of http://www.businessmoneytoday.com

Smoking Can Harm Your Insurance Too

Sunday, November 16th, 2008

Smoking is not just a burden on your health but your finances as well. There is the direct cost of purchasing them and the accrued cost over time can be ridiculously high. The collateral financial cost of smoking is the negative impact it can have on life insurance. Smokers more than other clients will be more likely to suffer serious illness or die as a result of the habit, and so companies know there is a higher standard of risk involved when offering them life insurance.

Smokers will no doubt be quoted higher costs because policies are taken out over the long term. The variation in quotes is stark in its honesty. For example, a policy which has the lowest price quoted for £200000 of life cover for a smoker over 25 years with critical illness cover included on a single basis, will be £4503 dearer for him/her as opposed to most policies for non smokers.

If a smoker is thinking of bending the truth when applying for a policy, the best advice is not lie at all. By saying a person is a non smoker on their policy-despite cutting a 20 cigarette habit a day to, say, 2-they run the risk of their policy being declared void or even fraudulent. If a person hides the fact about their smoking and this lie is discovered when the insurer is assessing a claim, they can easily refuse to pay out. The discovery can be even more embarrassing as the client may even be asked, as part of the application process, to undertake a saliva test to confirm that their non-smoker status. If the lie is then discovered for example, the application may be declined and other insurers could then refuse to cover the individual.

The key number is 12 months. That is all a smoker has to survive to gain a better life insurance quote. After a year of not smoking, life insurance companies start to class you as a non-smoker, and being a non-smoker can result in premiums of life cover and critical illness cover being 50 per cent lower. Of course a cheaper premium is not a certainty, as it depends on age and health but by ceasing the habit, the client stands a much better chance.

The best advice then to a smoker is obviously to quit the habit, and after doing so if the individual has honestly survived the 12 months without a cigarette then they should tell their insurance company straight away. Furthermore, the individual would be well placed to research the insurance market and find the best deal when renewing the policy-the likelihood being that the best premium will be from a new and different life insurance provider.

Saurav is an author of several articles pertaining to Life Insurance. He is known for his expertise on the subject and on other Business and Finance related articles.

How Can A Merchant Cash Advance Help A Smart Business Owner

Thursday, November 13th, 2008

Merchant cash advances help business owner’s open doors for better types of funding opportunities. The business cash advance industry is climbing at a continuous rate. This ever increasing growth is because traditional bank loans are not meeting the demands of small business owners.

Business cash advances are a unique funding method. It’s a purchase of future credit card sales, not a loan, so we have to use specific language consistent with purchase of future credit card sales, like payback rate and discount rate instead of commonly used interest rate on bank loans. Merchant cash advances are a lot like factoring but are based on a sale that hasn’t happened just yet.

A business cash advance lender gives business owners a sum of cash advance up front. In exchange, the business owner agrees to pay back the principal amount plus the fee, by giving the lender a daily percentage of their visa and master card sales until the payback is completed.

The daily payback percentage won’t be higher than 10% of daily gross sales, the daily percentage is based on the monthly credit cards sales volume and the amount of cash advance required. The payback time-frame is structured for a 6-9 months term, but it’s not fixed, and there won’t be any penalties if it takes longer.

Business owners usually must switch the credit card processor because the advance is paid back automatically as a percentage of each batch’s proceeds, but the rates will be the same if not better. Just a small number of merchant cash advance lenders don’t require the merchant to change their credit card processors company. Most time this won’t be a problem at all since the rates will be matched.

Business cash advances differ a lot from the traditional bank funding programs. In essence a merchant cash advance lender purchases a small percentage of future Master Card and Visa sales, and the business owner pays back this as a daily percentage of such sales.

Obtaining cash from the bank can be difficult for most business owners, but particularly retail businesses, restaurants, store franchisees or seasonal businesses. These merchants mostly use credit card processing, making a merchant cash advance program a great funding opportunity for them.

What are some of the benefits?

The money is available much faster than it is with a bank loan. Unsecured merchant cash advances are specially a great option for retail and restaurant merchants, not only because these types of businesses can hardly be funded by the traditional bank, but also because of the immediate liquidity and simple process.

Many merchant cash advance lenders advertise that the money will be available in as fast as 10 days, and unlike a bank loan that have a fixed interest rate, as the amount due and due date are fixed each month, no matter if your sales drop. Instead, with a merchant cash advance the payback comes from future credit card receivables, not straining your business cash flow.
Fast merchant cash advance programs are cash flow friendly, during seasonally slow periods specially.

Traditional bank loans require a fixed set of payments every month, whether the business has made a sale or not. But if you choose a merchant cash advance, payments are calculated as a percentage of credit card sales, and if the sales are growing, the re-payment could be quicker, but if the business owner experiences some interruption or sales drop in the business, the payments will drop with it.

Another great advantage of a merchant cash advance, is that the business owner won’t risk he’s personal assets, because there’s no collateral required.

David Castro often writes articles about Merchant Cash Advance and Small Business Loans for Merchant Resources International – To Learn more Visit Us at http://www.cashprior.com

Bad Debt Loans – Financial Relief With Feasible Terms

Thursday, November 13th, 2008

The financial market is growing rapidly and providing a whole new range of opportunities like never before. This is indeed a good opportunity for those who want to avail loans to meet their various demands. The nature of the market is such that even a person with a bad credit can obtain finances without facing too many hassles. To make it more convenient for the borrowers, lenders have come up with bad debt loan. These loans are cited to be the best loans available to a borrower with credit problems as it enables them to reinstate their financial freedom.

In a typical situation, a person with bad debt implies that he/she may have arrears; defaults etc on various unpaid debts. But with these loans, no such things matter. As a matter of fact, these loans offer a chance to the borrowers to enjoy the financial freedom just like any other person with a good credit record. With the aid of these loans, a borrower can fulfill needs like enhancing the decor of home, higher studies, vacation, wedding and even consolidating debts.

These loans are further categorized in to secured and unsecured form, so that all types of borrower from various sections can derive the finance without any difficulty. Secured form of the loans provides a bigger amount, but to do so, borrower has to pledge an asset as collateral. On the contrary, unsecured loans do not require any such collateral pledging.

The interest rates for the loans are slightly higher, as the lenders are taking a lot risk by offering monetary aid. But then, to get hold of a low rate deal, borrower should undertake a proper research of the market this way, borrower has a chance to derive the loans at nominal rates. These loans are also available online where in a person can derive the finances without facing too many hassles. Besides on comparing the various rate quotes, one can easily come across lenders approving the loans at competitive rates.

Bad debt loans are easy loans meant for those with credit problems. With these loans, these borrowers have a chance to realize their needs and wishes in a convenient and systematic manner.

Peter Darwin has done his masters in Business Administration from Oxford university and is currently assisting Bad Debt Unsecured Loan as a finance specialist. For more information related to Bad Debt Loans, Unsecured Personal Loan, Bad Debt Tenant Loan, Bad Debt Unsecured Loan please visit http://www.baddebtunsecuredloan.co.uk/

Car Loans – Today’s Need

Wednesday, November 12th, 2008

First of all let me enlighten the word loan. Loans are the debts that are provided either by the bank or some financing institutes to someone. Car loans are the finance provided by the banks to a customer who wishes to buy a car.

Need of car loan

As the we know that the condition of the public transport getting worse and every one is always in a hurry to reach his destination .so this is the reason that people today rather than going for the public transport, are opting for a better and more effective way of communication that is that is through their own vehicles. The loans provided by the banks help them getting these vehicles with an ease.

Also with the industrialization and the growth of the average income of people the need of cars have become more prominent but with less cash in hand it is very difficult for people to manage .This further enhances the need of loans through banks. These days number of banks and financing institutes are providing loan option so every one is able to buy a car of his own choice.

With the growing competition the banks and various financing institutes offer different type of car loans. The loan has to be returned in a given time period else the borrower has to suffer a lot and most of the time he is trapped in legal hassles.

Car loan types

Car loans as stated earlier are a debt that the borrower borrows from the financing company or the bank and has to return the money in some installments. These installments are decided by the bank initially. The bank provides the borrower a number of options by which he can return the money, and the borrower has to choose one of the option. One of the way for taking loan is by keeping the home as security with the financing institute.

Other type of car loan is the personal car loan in which the person has to provide collateral as security. The personal car loan is further divided into two categories that is secured and unsecured.

Interest rate

The interest rate is the amount rate which is used to calculate the extra amount that the borrower has to pay. At this interest rate every month the borrower has to pay some extra amount. Different banks have different rate of interests so that is why people should look for the least rate of interest before they make the decision of financing their car.

NetCars, one of the UK’s leading motoring websites for used cars. First established in January 2000, it provides car loans, finance and warranty.

Selling Your Business in a Weak Economy

Saturday, November 8th, 2008

The stock market is crashing. Government bailouts are rampant. The political climate is uncertain. Credit has all but disappeared for ready buyers if you can even find one. Yet, your dreams of retirement remain. What can you do? There is an answer that you may have overlooked. By understanding the power of an ESOP you could be well on your way to your retirement in the next 90 days.

An ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) is a tax-advantaged vehicle that enables you to sell your business to your employees. This program was established by Congress in 1974 and today there are about 12,000 ESOP owned companies. Many business owners have either never heard of an ESOP or have a misunderstanding of how it works. Here are some common misconceptions along with solutions to your dilemma.

My employees can’t afford to buy my company and they are not “ownership material.” In reality, an ESOP doesn’t cost your employees anything. The ESOP is created which buys your stock. Your employees are beneficiaries of the ESOP. The ESOP distributes stock to your employees’ ESOP accounts each year based on their percentage of the overall payroll. The employees continue to perform their regular duties and answer to management as they currently do. They do not have general voting power or control of how the company is managed. An employee’s ESOP account is like a free retirement account that they earn by loyal service to the company. When they retire or leave after becoming vested they take the value of their account with them. Many companies with “blue-collar” employees are ESOP-owned.

I want to retire in the next few years. Who is going to run the company? The beauty of an ESOP is that you can “have your cake and eat it too”. An ESOP allows you to create a definite exit strategy while letting you remain in the control of the company for as long as you like. As Trustee of the ESOT you continue to run the company as you do right now and you continue to draw a salary. You are still the boss even though you don’t own the company. Your goal will be to work yourself out of a job so you can begin your retirement. That is accomplished by either grooming one of your senior employees to take your place or by hiring a qualified replacement as a manager. That can happen within months if you’re anxious to leave or you can stage the transition over several years. The bottom line is that it is always your choice.

Who is the buyer? That’s the great thing about selling to an ESOP. You don’t need a buyer. The ESOP is the entity that is created to buy your stock. You can create your exit strategy today by enlisting the help of Dynasty Capital Advisors. They specialize in setting up an ESOP and they take care of all the details.

Where does the money come from? Now we’re getting down to the real purpose of this article. Typically, specialized ESOP lenders would fund the entire transaction and you would get a big check at closing. One downside was that a portion of that check was pledged back to the lender to help secure the loan. One of the main benefits of an ESOP is that you can take that cash and reinvest it in stocks and bonds and defer the capital gains tax on your sale indefinitely. But, who wants to put their money in the stock market these days? And, since credit has tightened so much in the last year, it’s very difficult to find lenders who will fund 100% of the transaction. Financing is still available for a portion of the transaction depending on the collateral position of the company, but in most cases it’s more attractive for you to be the banker yourself and avoid all the red tape that goes along with dealing with banks these days. This structure allows you to collect the interest income rather than paying it to the banks.

Why should I finance the sale of my own company? Typically, if you were dealing with a third party buyer, it would not make much sense at all. It would be like loaning several million dollars to someone you don’t know and also giving up control of your company. But, with an ESOP, you still control the company, and by remaining in control you can assure that you get paid in a timely manner. You can structure the loan terms however you want, and if the company should have a bad month you have the ability as the lender to delay or defer a payment rather than risk a default on a bank loan. The biggest question to ask yourself is “What would I be doing with the money if I got cash?” If you are truly selling to retire you are likely going to put it somewhere safe to generate retirement income. You could put it in the bank and maybe get 5% interest, but banks aren’t doing so well these days as we have seen in the news, and the FDIC only insures accounts up to $100,000. By leaving your money invested in the company that you have spent a lifetime building, you know that as long as you are in control it is secured by something of value. And, by properly structuring your finance package to include trustee compensation, stock options, and other perks, your rate of return can exceed 30% rather than 5% at the bank.

How long does it take to set all this up? As the banker, you would avoid a great deal of time and expense by not dealing with an outside bank. Dynasty Capital Advisors will analyze your company, prepare a Feasibility Study for the ESOP, prepare all plan documents, coordinate outside professionals such as an independent valuation expert and the Trust attorney, and close the sale to the ESOP in less than 90 days.

Will I get my price? A sale to an ESOP is always at fair market value as established by an independent valuation. This means that you will receive the highest price possible that can be supported by factual data. You don’t have to deal with buyers who will try to beat you down on your price. Dynasty Capital will provide you with a valuation that will come within 5% of the final price for your review at no cost.

How can I find out if this is right for me? Dynasty Capital Advisors will prepare a Pre-Feasibility Study at no cost for you to determine whether an ESOP is right for your company. You will receive a free stock valuation to help you decide if the money is right. You will also receive an Investment Analysis that will show the benefits of financing the transaction. There is no obligation for you to explore the benefits of an ESOP transaction.

Selling your business doesn’t have to be an uncertainty that is dictated by a weak economy or the woes of Wall Street. By using an ESOP as your exit strategy, you can control everything from the buyer to the banker by eliminating both of them. And, you protect your employees at the same time while leaving your company in the hands of the people that have helped build it. This is a process that leaves you in complete control of every decision. Now you can design your retirement on your own terms without having to haggle over the price or play the games so typical in a business sale. Call Dynasty Capital Advisors today and find out how quickly you could be experiencing retirement freedom. For more information about how an ESOP could be the solution to your exit strategy, call Myron Goodrum, Vice President of Dynasty Capital Advisors at 603-785-4331 or email at mgoodrum@dynastycapital.com.

Bad Credit Home Improvement Loan – Finance to Refurbish Your Home

Thursday, October 30th, 2008

Having problems related to bad credit usually implies that you are not in a position to obtain any external financial support. It is the reluctance on the part of the lender which makes it tough for you to derive loans. But now, things have changed and you will be quite astonished to find loans of every sizes and requirement. If you are looking for finances to make some changes to your home, then you can easily source a bad credit home improvement loan.

You can use this loan to meet expenses that may occur while making some changes to your house. It can be constructing a wall, painting, extending a room, erecting a swimming pool, flooring and tiles and so on. This loan is specially devised for those having a series of adverse credit problems such as CCJs, IVA, defaults and arrears etc. Each and every aspect like terms and conditions, accessibility of this loan has been designed to suit your prevailing circumstances.

This loan has been further categorized in to secured and unsecured form. You are free to choose in between the two options, although the terms and conditions are quite different. Secured form of the loan is collateral based and can be availed only by pledging an asset as collateral. By doing so, you can access a bigger amount at a comparatively low interest rate. The repayment term is large usually stretches for a period of 5-25 years.

Unsecured option of this loan can be availed without the requirement of pledging any asset. This implies that a borrower who is not interested to place any asset or do not have any can easily derive the loan. This loan is ideal to meet smaller requirements. Interest rates concerning this loan are slightly higher which can be paid back within a period of 6months-10 years.

Bad credit home improvement loan can be obtained from various lenders based in the financial market. But it is the online lender who offers the best deal on this loan. Before selecting any particular deal, collect and compare the quotes of various lenders and then select a lender offering comparatively better terms on this loan. Subsequently on making timely repayment of the loan amount, you can elevate the credit score which in turn strengthens your financial condition.

Dina Wilson is an expert loan advisor at online home improvement loan. She has done MSc Management and Finance from University of Whales.To find bad credit home improvement loan, home loans, home equity loans, online home loans visit http://www.online-home-improvement-loan.co.uk

Lawsuits and Cash Flow – A Common Problem

Tuesday, October 21st, 2008

Ever wonder how attorneys who work on a contingency basis can afford to work for so many months, and sometimes years, without getting paid? The truth is, sometimes they can’t. While working on a contingency basis allows anyone regardless of their socio-economic status, to obtain justice when they’ve been wronged, personal injury lawyers often bear the financial burden of having to fund all expenses associated with their case, such as filing fees, expert witness fees, etc. Understandably, this can strain the attorney’s cash flow.

Similarly, the plaintiffs in these contingency cases often face severe financial difficulties as a result of their injuries, which sometimes leaves them unable to work and without an income. More and more frequently, both attorneys and plaintiffs in these situations have been turning to cash advance companies for help.

Cash advance companies provide immediate cash to attorneys, using their prospective fees from pending cases as collateral. They also can save plaintiffs in personal injury cases from financial doom by giving them fast cash, often without credit checks or employment requirements.

Another huge reason that cash advance companies are the preferred option for attorneys and plaintiffs facing financial burdens is that there are no monthly payments required while the case is still pending. Similar to the attorneys they help, cash advance providers very often allow attorneys and plaintiffs to work on a contingency basis, and will not require payback while the case is still litigating. Further, if there is no recovery from a case, cash advance providers will often pardon the loan, making them a very viable, virtually risk-free choice for attorneys and plaintiffs.

Early Cash 4 U : Andres Financial Group Cash Advances
http://www.earlycash4u.com

The Andres Financial Group specializes in helping people with future payments get their money today. Many people are either entitled to receive money or have an expectation to receive money in the future. We have helped thousands of people get cash now for their future payment streams. The Andres Financial Group is a network of highly trained professionals that have over 30 years of combined experience in the buyout of future payment streams.

Submitted by Terri Polk at http://NewSunSEO.com

Payday Loans – The Instant Cash Advance

Tuesday, October 14th, 2008

No matter how carefully you plan ahead you can never prepare for every eventuality that life reveals to you. There are times you may think fate is conspiring against you, it may seem like that but everybody experiences events in their life they can often well do without.

Many times you may find your finances stretched to the limit only to find another urgent expense you need to cover. Your wage check is only going to stretch so far and you don’t want to end up with lots of unnecessary bank charges and bounced check charges piling because you just don’t have enough money in your account to pay for them all.

At times like these you can turn to a payday loan, a short term cash advance to cover those immediate financial worries. You can borrow a small amount of money very quickly and get the cash paid straight into your bank account electronically. This means you can have access to your funds the very next day.

So what if you have bad credit, you don’t own your own home or car. Maybe you are in bankruptcy or have charge offs or NSF’s against you so you don’t have a very good financial record. This is not normally a problem when taking out a payday loan as you do not need to provide any sort of collateral such as when you borrow against your home or car.

To apply for a payday cash advance all you need to do is fill out an online form stating your details. There is not charge for applying and all your details are kept confidential. The form you fill in on the internet will be encrypted, payday lenders takes customers privacy and security seriously and take every precaution to ensure your details are safe.

Any personal loan including payday loans should only be used when an urgent need arises such as in an emergency. This form of loan is not designed to be used on a regular basis. If you find that your outgoings are regularly exceeding your income then you should seek financial debt management advice or counsel on your financial situation.

If you are in need of urgent funds then a payday loan is a fast and convenient way to get hold of the cash you need to meet those unexpected expenses. You can get approval within hours, sometimes minutes and have your loan paid into your account the next day. It is a fast way to immediate cash when you need it most.

Find out how you can get a payday loan quickly at http://www.paydayloansinstantadvance.com