Saturday, May 12, 2012

UK Finance for Business


Running a business and becoming successful in that venture requires a lot finance and financial assistance. In UK finance for business can be got from different sources. Business related financial services are provided by many organizations in that field. UK finance for leasing a company or organization, UK finance for debt collection, UK finance for Venture Capital can also be arranged.

There are companies that help a business in hire purchasing and arranging for leasing. You can approach such dedicated companies for such services. UK Finance for hardware funding for the information technology business is also available in companies. Leasing services for small businesses, agricultural and industrial funding operations are available in companies dedicated to that service. A company called Richard Mares Asset Finance in UK finances for agricultural and industrial setups. If you need information on UK finance for equipment leasing, mortgages and commercial finance then you can approach companies like 1st Leasing Company and 1pm.co.uk. Many options for UK finance are available with them. Just check out their website for more details on the different types of finance available with them. For UK finance from £5,000 upwards you can approach companies like 1pm. They work closely with their clients to provide what they need.

UK Finance for companies in the information technology sector can get their financing options from companies like Corporate Computer Lease Plc in UK. Such companies make IT more affordable and you get the UK finance for almost any technology spends. They have successful records of financing in UK for even Fortune 500 companies. This is one of the fastest growing UK finance companies.

Companies like Corporate Business Finance fund you for Plant, Machinery and for other corporate financial services. They provide finance in UK for many services like hire purchase, leasing, operating leases, factoring, release of capital, and commercial mortgages. Each and every business may need a unique funding requirement and it is a tedious task to arrange for funding when you need to run your business. A lot of time is wasted in searching for proper funding. Under such circumstances you can approach companies like these for UK finance for your funding requirements.

For new start ups it is difficult to get finance in UK or elsewhere. Most of the finance companies will fund only the established businesses. But companies like Oak Leasing help even the start ups since they understand the difficulties that the startups face. The problems that the start ups face are only initially. If they have a proper business plan they could come up. The team at Oak leasing would finance your startups and for any new equipments that you need. More details are available in their website.

There are companies that fund only the big companies. Finance for big companies is given by UK finance companies like the Benington Securities. It is a private enterprise brokerage. They cover only the corporate investments. There are many companies that provide UK finance for even individuals. Companies like Troman finance provide funds for the individuals and small business firms.




Jeff Lakie is the owner of [http://www.loan-source.co.uk] providing Uk homeowners with great rates on secured loans. Visit our site for a free quote today.




Alternative Financing for Wholesale Produce Distributors


Equipment Financing/Leasing

One avenue is equipment financing/leasing. Equipment lessors help small and medium size businesses obtain equipment financing and equipment leasing when it is not available to them through their local community bank.

The goal for a distributor of wholesale produce is to find a leasing company that can help with all of their financing needs. Some financiers look at companies with good credit while some look at companies with bad credit. Some financiers look strictly at companies with very high revenue (10 million or more). Other financiers focus on small ticket transaction with equipment costs below $100,000.

Financiers can finance equipment costing as low as 1000.00 and up to 1 million. Businesses should look for competitive lease rates and shop for equipment lines of credit, sale-leasebacks & credit application programs. Take the opportunity to get a lease quote the next time you're in the market.

Merchant Cash Advance

It is not very typical of wholesale distributors of produce to accept debit or credit from their merchants even though it is an option. However, their merchants need money to buy the produce. Merchants can do merchant cash advances to buy your produce, which will increase your sales.

Factoring/Accounts Receivable Financing & Purchase Order Financing

One thing is certain when it comes to factoring or purchase order financing for wholesale distributors of produce: The simpler the transaction is the better because PACA comes into play. Each individual deal is looked at on a case-by-case basis.

Is PACA a Problem? Answer: The process has to be unraveled to the grower.

Factors and P.O. financers do not lend on inventory. Let's assume that a distributor of produce is selling to a couple local supermarkets. The accounts receivable usually turns very quickly because produce is a perishable item. However, it depends on where the produce distributor is actually sourcing. If the sourcing is done with a larger distributor there probably won't be an issue for accounts receivable financing and/or purchase order financing. However, if the sourcing is done through the growers directly, the financing has to be done more carefully.

An even better scenario is when a value-add is involved. Example: Somebody is buying green, red and yellow bell peppers from a variety of growers. They're packaging these items up and then selling them as packaged items. Sometimes that value added process of packaging it, bulking it and then selling it will be enough for the factor or P.O. financer to look at favorably. The distributor has provided enough value-add or altered the product enough where PACA does not necessarily apply.

Another example might be a distributor of produce taking the product and cutting it up and then packaging it and then distributing it. There could be potential here because the distributor could be selling the product to large supermarket chains - so in other words the debtors could very well be very good. How they source the product will have an impact and what they do with the product after they source it will have an impact. This is the part that the factor or P.O. financer will never know until they look at the deal and this is why individual cases are touch and go.

What can be done under a purchase order program?

P.O. financers like to finance finished goods being dropped shipped to an end customer. They are better at providing financing when there is a single customer and a single supplier.

Let's say a produce distributor has a bunch of orders and sometimes there are problems financing the product. The P.O. Financer will want someone who has a big order (at least $50,000.00 or more) from a major supermarket. The P.O. financer will want to hear something like this from the produce distributor: " I buy all the product I need from one grower all at once that I can have hauled over to the supermarket and I don't ever touch the product. I am not going to take it into my warehouse and I am not going to do anything to it like wash it or package it. The only thing I do is to obtain the order from the supermarket and I place the order with my grower and my grower drop ships it over to the supermarket. "

This is the ideal scenario for a P.O. financer. There is one supplier and one buyer and the distributor never touches the inventory. It is an automatic deal killer (for P.O. financing and not factoring) when the distributor touches the inventory. The P.O. financer will have paid the grower for the goods so the P.O. financer knows for sure the grower got paid and then the invoice is created. When this happens the P.O. financer might do the factoring as well or there might be another lender in place (either another factor or an asset-based lender). P.O. financing always comes with an exit strategy and it is always another lender or the company that did the P.O. financing who can then come in and factor the receivables.

The exit strategy is simple: When the goods are delivered the invoice is created and then someone has to pay back the purchase order facility. It is a little easier when the same company does the P.O. financing and the factoring because an inter-creditor agreement does not have to be made.

Sometimes P.O. financing can't be done but factoring can be.

Let's say the distributor buys from different growers and is carrying a bunch of different products. The distributor is going to warehouse it and deliver it based on the need for their clients. This would be ineligible for P.O. financing but not for factoring (P.O. Finance companies never want to finance goods that are going to be placed into their warehouse to build up inventory). The factor will consider that the distributor is buying the goods from different growers. Factors know that if growers don't get paid it is like a mechanics lien for a contractor. A lien can be put on the receivable all the way up to the end buyer so anyone caught in the middle does not have any rights or claims.

The idea is to make sure that the suppliers are being paid because PACA was created to protect the farmers/growers in the United States. Further, if the supplier is not the end grower then the financer will not have any way to know if the end grower gets paid.

Example: A fresh fruit distributor is buying a big inventory. Some of the inventory is converted into fruit cups/cocktails. They're cutting up and packaging the fruit as fruit juice and family packs and selling the product to a large supermarket. In other words they have almost altered the product completely. Factoring can be considered for this type of scenario. The product has been altered but it is still fresh fruit and the distributor has provided a value-add.

The idea for factoring/P.O. Financing is to get into the nuts and bolts of every single deal to ascertain if it is doable.




William John McCloskey
WJM 7 Commercial Lending, LLC
1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200
Wilmington, DE 19801
Office: 302-295-5079
Personal Landline: 215-281-0659
Cell 267-205-4420




Friday, May 11, 2012

Best in Class Finance Functions For Police Forces


Background

Police funding has risen by £4.8 billion and 77 per cent (39 per cent in real terms) since 1997. However the days where forces have enjoyed such levels of funding are over.

Chief Constables and senior management recognize that the annual cycle of looking for efficiencies year-on-year is not sustainable, and will not address the cash shortfall in years to come.

Facing slower funding growth and real cash deficits in their budgets, the Police Service must adopt innovative strategies which generate the productivity and efficiency gains needed to deliver high quality policing to the public.

The step-change in performance required to meet this challenge will only be achieved if the police service fully embraces effective resource management and makes efficient and productive use of its technology, partnerships and people.

The finance function has an essential role to play in addressing these challenges and supporting Forces' objectives economically and efficiently.

Challenge

Police Forces tend to nurture a divisional and departmental culture rather than a corporate one, with individual procurement activities that do not exploit economies of scale. This is in part the result of over a decade of devolving functions from the center to the.divisions.

In order to reduce costs, improve efficiency and mitigate against the threat of "top down" mandatory, centrally-driven initiatives, Police Forces need to set up a corporate back office and induce behavioral change. This change must involve compliance with a corporate culture rather than a series of silos running through the organization.

Developing a Best in Class Finance Function

Traditionally finance functions within Police Forces have focused on transactional processing with only limited support for management information and business decision support. With a renewed focus on efficiencies, there is now a pressing need for finance departments to transform in order to add greater value to the force but with minimal costs.

1) Aligning to Force Strategy

As Police Forces need finance to function, it is imperative that finance and operations are closely aligned. This collaboration can be very powerful and help deliver significant improvements to a Force, but in order to achieve this model, there are many barriers to overcome. Finance Directors must look at whether their Force is ready for this collaboration, but more importantly, they must consider whether the Force itself can survive without it.

Finance requires a clear vision that centers around its role as a balanced business partner. However to achieve this vision a huge effort is required from the bottom up to understand the significant complexity in underlying systems and processes and to devise a way forward that can work for that particular organization.

The success of any change management program is dependent on its execution. Change is difficult and costly to execute correctly, and often, Police Forces lack the relevant experience to achieve such change. Although finance directors are required to hold appropriate professional qualifications (as opposed to being former police officers as was the case a few years ago) many have progressed within the Public Sector with limited opportunities for learning from and interaction with best in class methodologies. In addition cultural issues around self-preservation can present barriers to change.

Whilst it is relatively easy to get the message of finance transformation across, securing commitment to embark on bold change can be tough. Business cases often lack the quality required to drive through change and even where they are of exceptional quality senior police officers often lack the commercial awareness to trust them.

2) Supporting Force Decisions

Many Finance Directors are keen to develop their finance functions. The challenge they face is convincing the rest of the Force that the finance function can add value - by devoting more time and effort to financial analysis and providing senior management with the tools to understand the financial implications of major strategic decisions.

Maintaining Financial Controls and Managing Risk

Sarbanes Oxley, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), Basel II and Individual Capital Assessments (ICA) have all put financial controls and reporting under the spotlight in the private sector. This in turn is increasing the spotlight on financial controls in the public sector.

A 'Best in Class' Police Force finance function will not just have the minimum controls to meet the regulatory requirements but will evaluate how the legislation and regulations that the finance function are required to comply with, can be leveraged to provide value to the organization. Providing strategic information that will enable the force to meet its objectives is a key task for a leading finance function.

3) Value to the Force

The drive for development over the last decade or so, has moved decision making to the Divisions and has led to an increase in costs in the finance function. Through utilizing a number of initiatives in a program of transformation, a Force can leverage up to 40% of savings on the cost of finance together with improving the responsiveness of finance teams and the quality of financial information. These initiatives include:

Centralization

By centralizing the finance function, a Police Force can create centers of excellence where industry best practice can be developed and shared. This will not only re-empower the department, creating greater independence and objectivity in assessing projects and performance, but also lead to more consistent management information and a higher degree of control. A Police Force can also develop a business partner group to act as strategic liaisons to departments and divisions. The business partners would, for example, advise on how the departmental and divisional commanders can meet the budget in future months instead of merely advising that the budget has been missed for the previous month.

With the mundane number crunching being performed in a shared service center, finance professionals will find they now have time to act as business partners to divisions and departments and focus on the strategic issues.

The cultural impact on the departments and divisional commanders should not be underestimated. Commanders will be concerned that:

o Their budgets will be centralized

o Workloads would increase

o There will be limited access to finance individuals

o There will not be on site support

However, if the centralized shared service center is designed appropriately none of the above should apply. In fact from centralization under a best practice model, leaders should accrue the following benefits:

o Strategic advice provided by business partners

o Increased flexibility

o Improved management information

o Faster transactions

o Reduced number of unresolved queries

o Greater clarity on service and cost of provision

o Forum for finance to be strategically aligned to the needs of the Force

A Force that moves from a de-centralized to a centralized system should try and ensure that the finance function does not lose touch with the Chief Constable and Divisional Commanders. Forces need to have a robust business case for finance transformation combined with a governance structure that spans operational, tactical and strategic requirements. There is a risk that potential benefits of implementing such a change may not be realized if the program is not carefully managed. Investment is needed to create a successful centralized finance function. Typically the future potential benefits of greater visibility and control, consistent processes, standardized management information, economies of scale, long-term cost savings and an empowered group of proud finance professionals, should outweigh those initial costs.

To reduce the commercial, operational and capability risks, the finance functions can be completely outsourced or partially outsourced to third parties. This will provide guaranteed cost benefits and may provide the opportunity to leverage relationships with vendors that provide best practice processes.

Process Efficiencies

Typically for Police Forces the focus on development has developed a silo based culture with disparate processes. As a result significant opportunities exist for standardization and simplification of processes which provide scalability, reduce manual effort and deliver business benefit. From simply rationalizing processes, a force can typically accrue a 40% reduction in the number of processes. An example of this is the use of electronic bank statements instead of using the manual bank statement for bank reconciliation and accounts receivable processes. This would save considerable effort that is involved in analyzing the data, moving the data onto different spreadsheet and inputting the data into the financial systems.

Organizations that possess a silo operating model tend to have significant inefficiencies and duplication in their processes, for example in HR and Payroll. This is largely due to the teams involved meeting their own goals but not aligning to the corporate objectives of an organization. Police Forces have a number of independent teams that are reliant on one another for data with finance in departments, divisions and headquarters sending and receiving information from each other as well as from the rest of the Force. The silo model leads to ineffective data being received by the teams that then have to carry out additional work to obtain the information required.

Whilst the argument for development has been well made in the context of moving decision making closer to operational service delivery, the added cost in terms of resources, duplication and misaligned processes has rarely featured in the debate. In the current financial climate these costs need to be recognized.

Culture

Within transactional processes, a leading finance function will set up targets for staff members on a daily basis. This target setting is an element of the metric based culture that leading finance functions develop. If the appropriate metrics of productivity and quality are applied and when these targets are challenging but not impossible, this is proven to result in improvements to productivity and quality.

A 'Best in Class' finance function in Police Forces will have a service focused culture, with the primary objectives of providing a high level of satisfaction for its customers (departments, divisions, employees & suppliers). A 'Best in Class' finance function will measure customer satisfaction on a timely basis through a metric based approach. This will be combined with a team wide focus on process improvement, with process owners, that will not necessarily be the team leads, owning force-wide improvement to each of the finance processes.

Organizational Improvements

Organizational structures within Police Forces are typically made up of supervisors leading teams of one to four team members. Through centralizing and consolidating the finance function, an opportunity exists to increase the span of control to best practice levels of 6 to 8 team members to one team lead / supervisor. By adjusting the organizational structure and increasing the span of control, Police Forces can accrue significant cashable benefit from a reduction in the number of team leads and team leads can accrue better management experience from managing larger teams.

Technology Enabled Improvements

There are a significant number of technology improvements that a Police Force could implement to help develop a 'Best in Class' finance function.

These include:

A) Scanning and workflow

Through adopting a scanning and workflow solution to replace manual processes, improved visibility, transparency and efficiencies can be reaped.

B) Call logging, tracking and workflow tool

Police Forces generally have a number of individuals responding to internal and supplier queries. These queries are neither logged nor tracked. The consequence of this is dual:

o Queries consume considerable effort within a particular finance team. There is a high risk of duplicated effort from the lack of logging of queries. For example, a query could be responded to for 30 minutes by person A in the finance team. Due to this query not being logged, if the individual that raised the query called up again and spoke to a different person then just for one additional question, this could take up to 20 minutes to ensure that the background was appropriately explained.

o Queries can have numerous interfaces with the business. An unresolved query can be responded against by up to four separate teams with considerable delay in providing a clear answer for the supplier.

The implementation of a call logging, tracking and workflow tool to document, measure and close internal and supplier queries combined with the set up of a central queries team, would significantly reduce the effort involved in responding to queries within the finance departments and divisions, as well as within the actual divisions and departments, and procurement.

C) Database solution

Throughout finance departments there are a significant number of spreadsheets utilized prior to input into the financial system. There is a tendency to transfer information manually from one spreadsheet to another to meet the needs of different teams.

Replacing the spreadsheets with a database solution would rationalize the number of inputs and lead to effort savings for the front line Police Officers as well as Police Staff.

D) Customize reports

In obtaining management information from the financial systems, police staff run a series of reports, import these into excel, use lookups to match the data and implement pivots to illustrate the data as required. There is significant manual effort that is involved in carrying out this work. Through customizing reports the outputs from the financial system can be set up to provide the data in the formats required through the click of a button. This would have the benefit of reduced effort and improved motivation for team members that previously carried out these mundane tasks.

In designing, procuring and implementing new technology enabling tools, a Police Force will face a number of challenges including investment approval; IT capacity; capability; and procurement.

These challenges can be mitigated through partnering with a third party service company with whom the investment can be shared, the skills can be provided and the procurement cycle can be minimized.

Conclusion

It is clear that cultural, process and technology change is required if police forces are to deliver both sustainable efficiencies and high quality services. In an environment where for the first time forces face real cash deficits and face having to reduce police officer and support staff numbers whilst maintaining current performance levels the current finance delivery models requires new thinking.

While there a number of barriers to be overcome in achieving a best in class finance function, it won't be long before such a decision becomes mandatory. Those who are ahead of the curve will inevitably find themselves in a stronger position.




Rakesh Sangani is a Partner at Proservartner and focuses upon back office transformation within Police, Health, Local Government and Professional Services




The Best Car Deals - Low Finance Rates Vs Rebates - Which Should You Choose?


How To Get The Best Car Deals:

Quick tips that will help you at the car dealer:

How to understand Rebates and low financing offers:

Vehicle MSRP: Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price - This price is always negotiable - don't ever agree to pay MSRP

Exception: Some vehicles that might be "hard to find" or "limited in production" might be sold by the dealers at MSRP or, sometimes higher. This is usually called Market Adjustment.

Manufacturers Rebates: This is your money and has nothing to do with discounts given by the dealership. This money is given to you directly from the factory. Never let the rebate be used as a negotiation tool by the dealer. Any discount or negotiation from the dealer should be separate of any rebates offered.

Low finance rates: 0.00% 1.00% 1.9% etc... These are called Sub-vented rates, they too are offered by the factory and not the dealership. Do not allow a "low" finance rate to be used as part of a negotiation by the dealer. These rates are granted over and above any discounts, rebates, etc.

Exceptions: There are several exceptions to Sub-vented finance rates, but here are two that you really should be aware of:

1. Not all people qualify for these rates. So, if you suspect that you might have some issue that will cause you not to qualify, there is nothing wrong with expressing to the dealer that the low finance rate is something you are interested in, and you would like to apply first, before going through the long, timely steps of deal negotiation. Many dealerships will view this as unusual; however, any "good" dealer will be happy to let you submit an application first if you insist. Why is this important? As we always say, knowledge and preparation are the keys to not overpaying at a dealership. What happens if your entire deal is worked, negotiated and finalized with the dealer? Then you head over to the finance office to finalize the finance terms and payments... You expected to pay 0.00% interest, then at the last second you are told: "Sorry" because you don't qualify... NOT GOOD THE WHOLE DEAL CHANGES.

2. Rebates and "low" finance rates can not always be combined. Some factories allow it some times, however there is no rule; you must do your homework first. For instance, Chrysler offers manufacturers rebates on most their vehicles, plus they offer low finance rates on most vehicles as well. Though, you the customer must decide which offer you want, you can't have both. Although, sometimes Chrysler will run special offers that allow you to "combine" both the financing and rebate offers at once. But be careful, dealers won't always tell you that these offers are available, if you are unaware and you agree to pay higher finance rates, you are stuck.

Commonly Asked Question: Which is the right choice, Rebate or Low Financing?

This is an interesting question asked by many customers, the answer is simple yet many people have no idea.

Remember this rule: You should do what's best for you, do not ever inquire with a person, dealer, or anyone else that has any other motive than what's best for you.

What that means is this: When you ask a dealership which makes more sense, the dealer will likely tell you: "Take the rebate - not the low interest rate."

The reasoning behind this answer is, if you take the rebate you are actually paying "less" for the vehicle than if you elected the low interest rate. So, being that the vehicle price is the most important issue, you should always take the rebate. Is this correct or incorrect?

Rule: Don't be concerned what the dealer is making or losing, it's not relevant to what's best for you.

Does the dealership stand to gain more if you chose the rebate vs. the low finance rate? The answer to that question is yes, the dealership does stand to gain more. They receive a little more in "reserve money" from the lender if you chose conventional finance rates. The fact is however; that this point is completely irrelevant. Who cares what the dealership is making? Why is that important anyway? Is there some rule that says a dealership is not entitled to make profit? The only person who is doing something wrong in this scenario is you. You're asking the wrong party for information. If the complete and honest answer might cause the dealer to make less, chances are more than likely the answers will be carefully weighed to fall on their side.

Remember: Your concern is getting the best deal for you, don't waist time caring about what the dealership makes. Prepare yourself by considering all the facts. Do not make the common errors of all the people we constantly heart about who over pay all the time.

Fact: People who think that dealerships are losing money on them are usually the ones who pay the most!

Note: Please understand the purpose of this and every other post we write is NOT to condemn dealerships for making profit. Why should a dealer not be entitled to profit? What right do we have to ask them to lose money? Would you ever go to a restaurant and tell them that you insist they sell you dinner and lose money? It's a stretch, but equally as ridiculous.

The purpose of this post is to assist fair people in getting the best deal for themselves. Protecting people from being "ripped off" by a deceptive dealership is our motivation. We don't claim that all dealers are unfair or "rip off artists", in fact we are aware that most dealers are honest and forthcoming. Although, everyone is in business to make a profit and the topics written about within these posts are for the purpose of assisting "fair" consumers achieve "fair" and honest deals. Why do we keep mentioning "fair". Because equal to us having no concern about a cheating dealership, we also have no concern about the "unfair" consumers who want the good dealers to close down their business and lose money.

"A GOOD DEAL IS WHEN BOTH PARTIES ARE SATISFIED"

As we have mentioned so many times; price is not always the most important issue.

The following is the one and only correct answer to the Rebate vs. low rate debate:

With any issue that causes you to make a decision there are always certain facts in place, those facts make up the "pros and cons". With any decision we make, we weight the pros and cons and ultimately are lead to a decision. Then of course, we hope that decision was the right one.

Remember this rule: There is always a point where the two lines will cross, that point is where you will find the correct answer.

This means; there are variables that create change in every deal. For example: It may be a better deal for me to take the rebate, while it is a better deal for you to take the low financing rates. Let's explain:

You might be financing $30,000 and your finance term is 60 months. The Factory is offering a $3000 manufacturers rebate or 0.00% for the 60 month finance term. Which do you choose?

I might be financing $12,000 - The factory is offering a $3000 rebate or 0.00% for the finance term. Which one do I choose?

Obviously the answers vary; your lines of "break even" will obviously cross way sooner than my lines. The reason: different factors in the two deals will yield different answers.

Here's how you figure out the correct answer based on your factors:

For this example we'll assume that you are considering a $30,000 car with $3,000 rebate or a 0% interest rate, and for the sake of finding an answer, we'll assume that you're putting $3,000 a down payment and you qualify for all offers.

First: Draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper; on one side write Rebate on the other side write 0%

Second: on the 0% side write in the sale price of $30,000 - and on the left side (rebate) write in the sale price of $30,000 as well.

Third: On both sides add in your local tax rate. For instance: if you live in Queens NY add 8.25% as sales tax.

Fourth: on both sides add $300 - this should cover DMV - Inspection and dealer Doc Fees.

Fifth: On both sides - subtract $3,000 for you down payment

Sixth: On the rebate side subtract $3,000 for the rebate

If you did this right, so far you should have the following results:

Both sides: should show Sale Price $30,000 Tax $2,475. DMV $300. Sub Total: $32,775

Rebate Side Should show $6,000.00 Total down payment and an "unpaid balance" of $26,775.00

The 0% side should show $3,000 Total Down Payment and an "unpaid balance of $29,775.00

Assumption: If you chose not to take the 0% - the dealer offered you a 5.5% interest rate.

Compare to see where the lines cross:

Next step - find an auto loan calculator - you can go on any search engine type in "free auto loan calculator"

I am not able to attach a link to this area of the post so I will simply suggest a very user friendly, free calculator (which we have no affiliation) is chase.com just search:

"Free chase auto loan calculator"

Calculate:

REBATE SIDE

$26,775 Amount Financed

5.5% APR

60 Month Term

Answer: Payment $511.43

Total Interest: $3,910.80

Total of Payments $30,685.00

0% SIDE

$29,775.00 Amount Financed

0% APR

Answer: Payment $496.25

Total of Payments $29,775.00

Summery: On your deal, 0% came out to be $910.80 less than the REBATE, so obviously the better deal for you is 0%.

On my worksheet, using the same method, it turned out that the rebate was quite a bit more of savings, (only because I was financing much less) if I chose to finance more money perhaps the lines would cross sooner.

Final notes to remember:

1) If you choose to lower or raise you down payment and lower and raise your amount financed, the out come of "which one" is a better deal will vary. So, keep testing the different scenarios using the method provided above and you will find the best deal for you. Every time!

2) Be careful - No rebate is final, while low financing isn't: Keep in mind this very important consideration: If you choose low financing over the rebate - essentially you just paid more for the vehicle and you can't get that money back. However, you chose to do so in return for free financing terms. (Very smart) You did your homework, you made your decision based on solid factors and you made the overall least expensive decision. EXCELLENT WORK! Though, you must remember you made this comparison based on a 5 year repayment term. If you keep the vehicle for 5 years, and pay as expected you win, your calculations were perfect and you achieved the best deal for you. On the other hand, if something changes and for any reason you decide that you are not going to keep this vehicle beyond the second or third year... Then, you just gave back the benefit of the low financing. The variables have changed once again and the better deal swings back to the rebate. So remember, in the privacy non pressured environment of your own home; carefully consider all your options and likelihoods. For instance, if you know you don't keep a vehicle beyond a couple of years, this must be included as a decision factors.

Long story short: Always compile all the facts first, limit the variables that can change the deal and negotiate with confidence.




The author of this article is an auto industry professional for the past 18 years. Robert has extensive knowledge in automotive finance and specialty automotive finance (bad credit). Having worked as a finance and special finance manger for dealerships in the New York metropolitan area since the early 90's Robert has assisted thousands of clients in achieving auto mobile loans with "less than perfect" credit.

Since 2009 Robert has been working a program which was developed to assist customers in the often confusing issues related to purchasing automobiles. A free service: http://www.BuyerCents.com, assists clients with good or bad credit alike. The BuyerCents program helps people understand the "pit falls" they should avoid, while additionally assisting with the general do's and don'ts that cause many people to over pay or simply get ripped off at the dealership.

While BuyerCents is not claiming that all dealerships try to rip people off, its intention is to see that customers are treated fairly and all parties are "happy" with the deal. BuyerCents motive is not for dealerships to lose money, but simply to exchange aggressive, no nonsense pricing for a higher volume of loyal and able customers. http://www.BuyerCents.com




Thursday, May 10, 2012

RV Financing: Make A Wise Choice


RV financing goes hand in hand with purchasing a new or used recreational vehicle. You will definitely need to take a look at your RV financing options prior to purchasing. RV financing can either help or hurt you in your RV purchase by saving you or costing you maybe hundreds of dollars down the road. In general, when looking at different RV financing terms, you will want to find the best monthly payment. This payment should have you paying the least amount of interest over the life of the RV financing loan. You will have the option to self-finance, dealer finance, online RV financing, or through a bank loan.

Types Of Financing

1. Many people first think of a bank or credit union as the best source of RV financing. If you have been working or have a close relationship to such an institution, you may receive a good deal. It is important to note that this type of RV financing institution may not offer you a wide range of flexibility to the terms, and they typically do not have specific financing for RV buyers.

2. Self-financing is another popular RV financing tool for purchasing an RV. You can use cash, CDs, a retirement policy, life insurance policy, or even a home equity line. Beware of capital gains tax, or early withdrawal penalties for money and the funding base you plan on using for your recreational vehicle purchase. You can also consider your new RV as a second home, if it has sleeping, bath, and kitchen areas. Self-financing can be one of the best, most rewarding ways to finance your motor home purchase.

3. You also have the RV financing option to finance through your RV dealer. Dealers will have access to lending companies and/or loan products that regular corner banking services do not have or are able to offer. Dealers have competitive, flexible terms and rates, which may be more beneficial to you. Typical dealer loans will range from 10, 15, or 20 years, depending on the RV itself. Make sure you read between the lines before signing anything, and make sure you understand all of the terms.

4. A recreational vehicle club can also offer your quality financing for your motor home purchase. These RV clubs have financing lenders and companies they work with on a regular basis. You may find these motor home club financing lenders offer low rates and good terms. If you are thinking about buying a specific manufacturer's make or model of RV, double check to see if the manufacturer offers financing before making your final spending decision.

5. Online options are a great way for you to cost compare different lending options. There are online tools, such as an online RV calculator, which can assist you in figuring out a monthly payment with interest rate, loan amount, and length of term. Loans can also be secured online.

Most importantly, look at the total cost of the loan throughout its life. There are simple interest loans, balloon payments, pre-payment penalties, and more. Do research on your own to ensure you make the wisest, most education decision when financing your recreational vehicle.




By Eriani Doyel. Read more RV [http://www.dscrvs.com] finance resources from dscrvs.com [http://www.dscrvs.com]




The Primary Cause Of Business Financing Frustration


Finding proper business financing is not easy at the best of times for most small and medium sized business owners and managers.

There are a number of reasons that collectively explain why the business financing market can be so difficult to understand and navigate.

But probably the single biggest reason is the lack of useful information about how the business financing market actually works.

Business financing information and education sources predominantly come in two forms: 1) Text books; 2) Major bank advertising.

If you've ever read through a educational finance text book or taken a business financing course, you already know how difficult it can be to apply the theories, principles, and strategies to a small or medium sized business.

Our formal education system provides limited information as to how the market place works, how to plan for financing requirements, how to manage periods of growth, decline, transition, start up, etc.

Sure academic books and courses can go through all these areas in great detail, but is the information practical, real world, something you can relate to and apply yourself as a manager or owner of a small or medium sized business?

In most cases, the answer is a resounding NO.

Most finance text books speak to big business financing dynamics that are not easily transferable to small and medium sized business scenarios.

Outside of the formal education system, the next great source of business financing information is the information provided by the major banks, which they tend to make available to you by the boat load through their broad based marketing campaigns.

Unfortunately, the information by itself seldom helps you determine if a particular institution would be able to provide you with financing, or what would be required to qualify for a loan.

The good news is that business financing sources continue to grow in numbers as more and more lenders carve out a particular piece of the market to service.

In order to take advantage of these alternatives, you need to have a solid approach in place when seeking business financing.

Here's a short list of things to consider

>>> Develop a solid, ongoing, understanding of both your personal and business assets, income, and cash flow.

Regardless of the business financing model, these elements will always come into play to some degree.

Being able to demonstrate a solid understanding of your business financials is also an indication of your ability to manage the underlying business.

>>> Monitor and manage your personal and business credit.

Small and medium sized business financing is focused on both personal and business credit histories.

Regular reviews of both personal and business credit reports from the major credit reporting agencies are important to avoid errors and credit practices that can severely damage your borrowing power.

>>> Develop your marketing position.

Yes, seeking business financing is a marketing exercise.

When applying for business financing, you're marketing your business to lending sources and they in turn are marketing their business financing programs to you.

Think of the lender as a customer to better understand what they're looking for. Then, develop a business proposal that addresses all their potential needs and concerns.

>>> Research Lending Sources

There are lots of business financing sources. But there is also lots of variation in the types of business applications each one is prepared to consider.

Broad based lenders rely on credit history and net worth. As you get more specific in terms of financing application and industry, lender programs become more narrow and can be harder to locate.

You need to consider things like industry, sector, and geography when looking for business financing sources.

Financing consultants and business loan brokers can be an excellent source of information to aid you in this process.

>>> Qualify The Lender

Before you make a formal application, find out if the lender has the programs and lending track record to meet your specific needs.

Too often, the lender is doing all the qualifying.

>>> Compare your options

Depending on the scenario, there can be several financing strategies that could work for your business.

Make sure you take the time to compare before making a decision. The extra time spent could save you considerable time and money in the long run.

>>> Start Today

Regardless of what your business financing needs are right now, you should regularly invest time staying on top of your business financials, monitoring your credit, and researching financing sources that fit your industry and potential future requirements.

When the time comes to acquire capital, your proactive efforts can make all the difference in getting the capital you need with terms and timing that are acceptable to your business.




Brent Finlay makes it easy to understanding business financing. Learn how to locate and secure proper financing for your business. To receive your free 6 part mini-course visit the business financing website




Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Yahoo! Finance - What Sets This Finance Website Apart?


"What Obama Must Say Tonight," "10 Tax Moves to Make in 2010," and "Ailing Banks Favor Salaries Over Shareholders," are all examples of the dozens of articles that could be found today at Yahoo! Finance. Yahoo! Finance is a finance website that offers lots of free information and tools all related to finance. There are many websites today that offers resources and tools related to personal finance and investing, so what does Yahoo! Finance have to offer?

*Free- Although there are some services available for a fee, accessing the Yahoo! Finance website is free and so is the use of many tools.

*Personalized Updates- If you choose to set up an account, you can get personalized updates when you log on about stocks or companies that you're interested in.

*Up to Date- This is one of the best things that sets Yahoo! Finance apart. Market indexes and updates are updated frequently and the "news" is fresh.

*At a Glance- You can see Market index averages for the day including the DOW, NASDAQ, S&P 500 and more, as well as graphs showing the trend in these averages for the most recent working day.

What's Up at Yahoo! Finance?

In addition to the Yahoo! Finance home page, you can find helpful pages on:

-Investing

-News and Opinion

-Personal Finance

-My Portfolios (if you choose to organize your financial information here)

- A Tech Ticker

On the Investing Pages at Yahoo! Finance:

Find out about "Today's Markets," including recent earnings statements, recent stock splits and more.

Mutual Funds, Stocks, ETFs, Options, Industries and Currencies are all explored furher. Find research, converters, calculators, articles and more.

You can also learn more about world stock index levels, world news and exchange rates are under "International."

"Research and Education" offers a business term glossary, personal tutorials on finance and investing and more.

Of course Yahoo! Finance also offer "Community," a section where you can chat, ask questions or join groups.

On the Personal Finance Pages at Yahoo! Finance:

Get your personal finances organized at "Banking and Budgeting." Free trials of online bill pay are available. Frequent offers include free for 6 months and $4.95 thereafter.

More under Personal Finance...

*Insurance

*Taxes

*Loans

*Real estate

* Family and Income

*Retirement

On the News and Opinion Pages at Yahoo! Finance:

Look for articles on...

*Industry news

*New technology

*Top picks by experts

Creating a Yahoo! Finance Account:

Creating an account at Yahoo! Finance is easy and free. Once you've created an account, you can personalize your logon so that the information that is important to you will be displayed including stock prices and relevant news pertaining to companies you are interested in.

The Perks of Yahoo! Finance:

Yahoo! Finance visitors and members enjoy that there's so much financial information in one place and that the articles and financial charts on Yahoo! Finance are kept up to date. They also like that so many of the services available are free. Visitors also applaud Yahoo! for having limited ads.

Popular Tools at Yahoo! Finance:

There are rate charts and calculators for Mortgage, Home Equity, Savings, Auto Loans and Credit Cards for fixed loans and ARMs. You can see rates across the country as well view rates in your area.

What's not to love about Yahoo! Finance?

While many users like the non-nonsense format at Yahoo! Finance, others find the finance web sites look to be drab, boring and unexciting with little more than two colors, black and blue, a limited photos.

Still, Yahoo! Finance is recommended as a finance website that has a lot of helpful tools and resources that are well organized, up to date and more than not, free.




Lisa Carey is a contributing author for Identity Theft Secrets: prevention and protection. You can get tips on Identity theft protection, software, and monitoring your credit as well as learn more about the secrets used by identity thieves at the Identity Theft Secrets blog.