Steve Bush asked:


Buying a business investment without real estate requires specialized business opportunity financing. Although this kind of business financing is available, there are several potential problems which should be anticipated and avoided by prospective buyers.

In order to buy a business, a commercial borrower is likely to need business financing. If the business includes commercial real estate, the borrower will need a commercial mortgage. If the business purchase does not involve real estate, a business borrower must use a business opportunity loan.

When obtaining a business opportunity loan, borrowers will discover that many lenders simply do not provide business loans that do not include real estate as part of the business purchase. There are several other important business financing issues to analyze prior to buying a business without commercial property.

The level of interest for buying a business opportunity investment has increased due to the reduction of activity involving residential real estate investing. However, because there are so many critical differences between financing residential real estate and business financing, it is important for potential business owners to educate themselves before proceeding.

This summary is designed to address the unique business financing requirements involved when real estate is not involved. Our suggested approach to business opportunity financing is provided below.

Prospective business owners should begin business opportunity investment financing plans by formulating a realistic assessment of cash available for a down payment and desired maximum business purchase price. In most business financing scenarios, a total down payment approximating 25% of the purchase price is advisable. Usually seller financing is permissible for a portion of the down payment, but a potential buyer generally needs to plan on investing a minimum of 10% or more of the purchase price from their own funds even if the seller is providing 20% or more.

Purchasers should evaluate whether a Small Business Administration loan is relevant for their particular business financing and investing circumstances. This step is both important and somewhat complicated, and the involvement of an SBA loan expert is strongly advised. Among the issues to explore are whether collateral is available for SBA financing and how important refinancing is to your overall business opportunity financing process.

Buyers should make an early determination concerning the length of lease to be arranged in conjunction with buying the business. As noted previously, business opportunity financing and investing does not involve the purchase of commercial real estate, so arrangements must be made for a long-term lease. The length of the lease is important because the normal business finance terms will restrict the length of business financing to the period covered by the lease (although buyers should anticipate a ten-year maximum for investment business loans). For example, with a seven-year lease, the commercial loan is likely to be for seven years, and even with a fifteen-year lease, the commercial financing will probably expire in ten years.

Even though real estate is not included in a business opportunity transaction, buyers should nevertheless investigate whether including real estate is a viable option or not in order to buy a business. With the inclusion of commercial property, you can obtain a longer business loan and the interest rate will be lower. However, improved business financing terms should not be the sole factor you look at, since the absence of a commercial mortgage can prove to be a significant advantage in a declining real estate market that currently exists in many areas of the country.

Investors and buyers should discuss business finance options with a business opportunity loan expert before making any offers to buy a business investment. These discussions should include issues such as down payment possibilities, potential purchase price, seller financing, tax return requirements, buyer credit scores and collateral options.

As a final precautionary note, in most circumstances the availability of business opportunity financing is more restricted than commercial real estate financing. There are also some problems unique to business opportunity loans, and commercial borrowers should make every effort to avoid these potential business financing complications.

Thomas Husnik asked:


Copyright (c) 2007 Thomas Husnik

The field of corporate finance deals with the decisions of finance taken by corporations along with the analysis and the tools required for taking such decisions. The principle aim of corporate finance is enhancing the corporate value and at the same time reducing the financial risks of the company. In addition to this, corporate finance also deals in getting the maximum returns on the invested capital of the company. The major concepts of corporate finance are applied to the problems of finance encountered by all type of firms.

The discipline of corporate finance can be split into the short term and the long term techniques of decisions. The investments of capital are the long term decisions relating to the projects and the methods required to finance them. On the other hand, the capital management for working is considered as a short term decision that deals with the short term current liabilities and asset balance. The main focus here rests on the management of inventories, cash and, the lending and borrowing on a short term basis.

Corporate finance is also associated with the field of investment banking. Here, the role of the investment banker is the evaluation of the various projects coming to the bank and making proper investment decisions regarding them.

The Capital Structure:

A proper finance structure is required for achieving the set goals of corporate finance. The management has to therefore design a proper structure that has an optimal mix of the different finance options that are available.

Generally, the sources of finance will comprise of a mix of equity as well as debt. If a project is financed through debt, it results in causing a liability to the concerned company. Hence in such cases, the flow of cash has various implications regardless of the success of the project. The financing done by equity carries a lower risk regarding the commitments of the flow of cash, but the result of this is the dilution of the earnings and the ownership. The cost involved in equity finance is also higher in the case of debt finance. Hence, it is understood that the finance done through equity, offsets the reduction in the risk of cash flow. The management has to hence have a mix of both the options.

The Decisions of Capital Investments:

The decisions of capital investments are the long term decisions of corporate finance that are related to the capital structure and the fixed assets. These decisions are based of several criteria that are inter-related. The management of corporate finance attempts to maximize the firm’s value by making investments in the projects that have a positive yield. The finance options for such projects have to be done in a proper manner.

Harrine E. Freeman asked:


A few days after you apply for a mortgage loan your phone starts ringing off the hook with calls from other lenders trying to offer you a better deal. You ask yourself, How did they get my number; I didn’t do business with them? When your credit report is pulled by a lender or broker, the request for your credit report triggers an alert, which informs the 3 major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, that you are a potential lead looking to purchase a home or refinance your existing loan. This process is called a “trigger lead.”

The credit bureaus sell these trigger leads to lenders and brokers who have subscribed to the service and provide them with a list of potential candidates who are looking for a loan and meet criteria such as consumers who have a certain credit score or have never filed for bankruptcy. Contact information such as applicant name, address and telephone number and the number of credit cards a consumer possesses is provided.

Many mortgage industry experts believe trigger leads are helpful. When a lender already has some basic information about you they can develop a plan to their advantage, and although the deal may sound good it may not be the best deal for you. However, you can get a better deal if they shopped around for various offers because you can ask specific questions related to the type of loan you are seeking.

You may feel trigger leads are a violation of privacy. You can request that your contact information be removed from their call list and third party call lists. The company may respond by saying that it will be removed at a later date, so be persistent and request that your information be removed immediately.

When your credit report is pulled you can request that the lender or broker not enter your telephone number, which may reduce telemarketer calls. However, they are phone matching programs available that can be used before the trigger leads are sold. As long as they have your SSN, they can match up your name, address and phone number. To prevent this from occurring, list your contact information as unpublished with your local telephone company.

When applying for a mortgage loan, or filling out any application that requests your personal information, ask the following questions:

1. What procedures are in place to protect customer information if the company goes bankrupt or merges with another company?

2. Has the company experienced any security threats or attacks and if so how were they handled?

3. How can I obtain my personal records when I end my business relationship with the company?

4. How can I get a copy of the privacy policy?

To reduce telemarketer calls, register your telephone number with the Federal Trade Commission’s National Do Not Call Registry at 1-888-382-1222 and register your address with the Direct Marketing Association at 1-888-567-8688. To file a complaint against a company, contact the Better Business Bureau or your state Attorney General’s Office. Protect your personal information as you would your life – handle with care.

Sean Marten asked:


The very terms “software leasing” and “software financing” are confusing to many businesspeople. This is due to the fact that software is typically not seen as something that is purchased over time.

This view is shared by both end-users, and the developers of software. Companies who think nothing of financing a vehicle or a new computer system will stress over how they will pay for expensive new business software. And the producers of software see no need for offering a software leasing or a software financing option.

But times are changing.

Third party equipment finance companies – companies who offer small and medium size businesses equipment financing and working capital – have responded to a need for software financing and software leasing. Thus, they are starting to include software amongst the equipment they finance or lease. There is one big overriding reason for this shift:

The High Cost of Buying Software

The simple fact is this: Software can be very, very expensive. Oftentimes more expensive than the hardware that runs it.

Now, keep in mind that when we are talking about software in this way, we are generally talking about “vertical software”. Vertical software is software that is written for a specific, narrow industry (this can include industry-specific point-of-sale software, ERP systems, specialized databases, etc). It is not software that’s available on the shelf at your local office supply store (the software you see there, even the business programs and operating systems, are “horizontal software” – they can be used across a variety of industries, and are relatively affordable.)

A good, clear example of vertical software is an auto parts store – they use software that’s specifically written for the auto parts industry. Another example is your local jewelry retailer – they likely use a point-of-sale system specifically made for the jewelry industry.

To understand how software financing and software leasing can positively affect a business, it is important to understand the advantages of vertical software first.

For most businesses, Vertical Software usually means far more efficient business processes. In the case of an auto parts store, for example, the software will already anticipate the thousands of automobile makes and models. And will almost certainly be updated every year. The jewelry store’s software will differentiate the subtle differences between two diamonds by any number of categories. And so on.

In fact, these “vertical” software programs are so effective, and become so crucial to day-to-day operations, that businesses often need this type of software to remain competitive. In many cases, it’s not an option to do without.

However, since the software is so narrowly focused, it usually comes with a hefty price tag. The developer will sell relatively few copies as opposed to a word processing program (which will sell in the millions), so they must get a premium for their work. Vertical software can sometimes reach five figures for a single license.

This brings an obvious problem: “Businesses need the software, but it’s very costly to buy outright.”

And that’s where software leasing and software financing come in – business don’t have to “buy” it upfront.

The Advantage of Software Leasing and Software Financing

The advantage of financing or leasing software is clear:

Software leasing and software financing take the huge up-front cost of new software out of the equation. Like most other business equipment, software is now beginning to be seen as a tangible asset (this was not always the case.) This means software can largely be treated as any other equipment purchase in the case of financing or leasing. A business can finance that new ERP system instead of having to budget a huge cash outlay.

This can be very beneficial to the bottom line, as software generally pays for itself over time. In fact, since “vertical” software almost always reduces the cost of doing day-to-day business, leasing or financing said software can actually create a positive cash flow right away.

But Who Offers Software Financing or Software Leasing, and how does it Work?

It’s true that software developers have been very slow to embrace the business model of software financing or software leasing. They would prefer to be paid up front for their software.

Likewise, banks, being part of an “older” industry, are also largely reluctant to finance software.

However, third party equipment finance companies who specialize in small and medium sized business equipment financing often offer attractive software lease and software financing packages. What happens is the equipment finance company pays the developer in full, and then provides the software to the end user under a finance or lease agreement, often at very attractive rates. In all actuality, it’s fundamentally the same as financing or leasing most other equipment.

Of course, like any other financing, the agreements can (and will) vary from traditional fixed rate financing to a “software lease” with a buyout at the end, etc. And the rates and terms also vary – your individual equipment finance company will have more details.

All in all, software financing and software leasing have definitely entered the business consciousness, and because it is so friendly to the bottom line, it is a business model that is here to stay.

Stephen Bush asked:


When obtaining a business opportunity loan, borrowers will discover that many lenders simply do not provide business loans that do not include real estate as part of the business purchase. There are several other important business financing issues to analyze prior to buying a business without commercial property.

Interest in buying business opportunity investments has improved because of serious problems with residential real estate. However, because there are so many critical differences between financing residential real estate and business financing, it is important for potential business owners to educate themselves before proceeding.

In order to buy a business, a commercial borrower is likely to need business financing. If the business includes commercial real estate, the borrower will need a commercial mortgage. If the business purchase does not involve real estate, a business borrower must use a business opportunity loan.

Unfortunately the availability of business opportunity financing is more restricted than commercial real estate financing. There are also some potential limitations and problems unique to a business opportunity loan, and commercial borrowers should make every effort to avoid these business financing difficulties.

Our goal here is to focus on several financing issues that you should anticipate when commercial real estate is not part of the business purchase. Our suggested approach to business opportunity financing is provided below.

Begin your business opportunity investment financing plans by formulating a realistic assessment of cash available for a down payment and desired maximum business purchase price. A down payment of about 25% is suggested for most business financing situations described here. Usually seller financing is permissible for a portion of the down payment, but a potential buyer generally needs to plan on investing at least 10% of the purchase price from their own funds even if the seller is providing 15% or more.

Because Small Business Administration loans are essential for this kind of financing, you should explore whether you will in fact be able to qualify for these specialized business loans. This step is both important and somewhat complicated, and the involvement of an SBA loan expert is strongly advised. Among the issues to explore are whether collateral is available for SBA financing and how important refinancing is to your overall business opportunity financing process.

It is important to consider the lease terms which are possible. As noted previously, business opportunity financing and investing does not involve the purchase of commercial real estate, so arrangements must be made for a long-term lease. A ten-year maximum loan term is likely, and a shorter financing term will probably be required if the length of the lease is for less than ten years. In other words, with a seven-year lease, the commercial loan is likely to be for seven years, and even with a fifteen-year lease, the commercial financing will probably expire in ten years.

When buying a business, inquire about the possibility of including commercial real estate. With the inclusion of commercial property, you can obtain a longer business loan and the interest rate will be lower. Because the absence of a commercial mortgage can actually be an advantage, the improved terms possible by including real estate should not be looked at in isolation.

Before any offers are made to buy a business investment, borrowers should discuss their financing options with an expert for business opportunity loans. These discussions should include issues such as potential purchase price, down payment possibilities, seller financing, buyer credit scores, tax return requirements and collateral options.

Smith & Chen asked:


A bad credit chronicle and a worn car may not be a mutually sole thing – there is a way forwards. You may have been refworn credit from a number of providers, but a worn car finance loan can still be achieveed – if you seek for the right car finance company UK broad.

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However, it may be that you don’t have the vital savings to buy the elemental car and are also agony from a bad credit chronicle. Not an relaxed position to be in if the character of stretchy carryation a car embodys is elemental to get to work to do the job that pays for it – and everything besides.

If you do not have the savings and cannot scrounge from contacts or relatives, you will have to face the possibility of applying for a car finance loan and are expected to find it more strenuous to achieve standard car finance with a bad credit chronicle: strenuous, but not impossible. In devotion a surprisingly broad picking of fonts are presented in the United Kingdom to help you finance your car. However, shoddy car finance might be harder to find.

Looking for car finance in the UK can be a bit of a minefield, eunusually if you are problem a car with bad credit chronicle. However, if you do have a bad credit facts there are still adequate of companies who will greet car finance applications.

A bad credit chronicle can ensue to anybody, regularly through circumstances afar the individual’s influence. Lenders who will submit a car finance loan to those with adverse credit histories do understand this and can be sympathetic as it can regularly also embody good problem to them. There are unusualist contracters geared up to submit bad credit unusual finance car loan brokering solutions from a picking of fonts such as: banks, fiscal institutions, credit unions or even independent brokers.

though there is no guaranteed car finance, or any certainty that in asking for a car loan you will get will get a yes car finance companies are forever looking for new habits to minimise their attempt while maximising the number of people able to access their worn car finance. That is, it is greatly easier to achieve worn car finance than a new car finance loan UK broad, as it makes little wisdom to dissipate money on new cars if you have a scanty credit rating.

At the end of the day – it might just be a project of which car finance company will loan you money at all. Some compnaies have an innovative contact to this broadcast which means that, in universal, more people are accepted than refworn. This is dutiful no subject what font of car you are after – even if it is an up bazaar status car.

Online car finance companies are easier to find and equate than offline ones. This position relation below is witness to that – you can see this from our car finance company UK page where, not only is there a large picking of opening submitings, but you can even add your facts for our brokerage bunch to font the right car finance rate for you.

Perversely, achieveing a bad credit car loan not only helps you to get the car of your picking, but it can also act as a great trick to remake your credit mark. One way to prove (or re-prove) a good chronicle is by with (and paying off) credit to make up your credibility or credit scoring.

This is not such a colossal attempt as it seems. regularly the sort employed by the car finance company is that, what appears to be unheld, credit is regularly held on the car itself. This means that should equipment go insult, the car can regularly be worn to pay off the loan one way or another. (see also my next object: Insider Secrets: How to Buy A status Car On a Bad Credit achieve and the relation below for more car finance information.

Before applying for a Bad Credit Car loan, make assured to verify your credit mark as credit marks are one of the chief devotionors to lessen for best duty. Some of the tips to upsurge your credit mark are:

Ask for a Credit boom from Credit booming Agencies. You can click here to get a unbound credit recount from a credit outfit Resolve any broadcasts with your creditors and embrace a hint of explanation in your credit facts. Pay your bills on time. Many scroungeers suppose that they have no options and have to take what they are submited when it comes to pleasing up a car loan with bad credit chronicle. In devotion, this is far from the devotion, even if they are problem a car after bankruptcy. There are many options presented for bad credit worn car loans. If your credit mark is above 600, you can depart looking at conventional loaners.If you have slash credit marks, confer your requirements with a subprime car finance company that will unusualize in submiting bad credit car loans. Before you have proveed the loaner you would like to use, make assured to invest your time in comparing quotes from numerous loaners which will enhance your risk of achieving the best car finance rate.

The best way to enassured you can safe the best bad credit car loan contract, like something, is of course to educate manually with all the provisos and terminologies of the loaning bazaar (see the lexicon on the relation below). This will allocate you to make an educated judgment and will also enassured you ask the right questions and understand the answers when they come back.

John Pawlett asked:


Homeowners who are considering re-financing their home may have a wealth of options available to them. However, these same homeowners may find themselves feeling overwhelmed by this wealth of options. This process doesnt have to be so difficult though. Homeowners can greatly assist themselves in the process by taking a few simple steps. First the homeowner should determine his refinancing goals. Next the homeowner should consult with a re-financing expert and finally the homeowner should be aware that re-financing is not always the best solution.

Determine Your Goals for Re-Financing

The first step in any re-financing process should be for the homeowner to determine his goals and why he is considering re-financing. There are many different answers to this question and none of the answers are necessarily right or wrong. The most important thing is that the homeowner is making a decision which helps him achieve his financial goals. While there are no right or wrong answer to why re-financing should be considered there are, however, certain reasons for re-financing which are very common. These reasons include:

* Reducing monthly mortgage payments

* Consolidating existing debts

* Reducing the amount of interest paid over the course of the loan

* Repaying the loan quicker

* Gaining equity quicker

Although the reasons listed above are not the only reason homeowners might consider re-financing, they are some of the most popular reasons. They are included in this article for the purpose of getting the reader thinking. The reader may find their mortgage re-financing strategy fits into one of the above goals or they may have a completely different reason for wanting to re-finance. The reason for wanting to re-finance is not as important as determining this reason. This is because a homeowner, or even a financial advisor, will have a difficult time determining the best re-financing option for a homeowner if he does not know the goals of the homeowner.

Consult with a Re-Financing Expert

Once a homeowner has figured out why they want to re-finance, the homeowner should consider meeting with a re-financing expert to determine the best refinancing strategy. This will likely be a strategy which is financially sound but is also still geared to meeting the needs of the homeowner.

Homeowners who feel as though they are particularly well versed in the subject of re-financing might consider skipping the option of consulting with a re-financing expert. However, this is not recommended because even the most educated homeowner may not be aware of the newest re-financing options being offered by lenders.

While not understanding all the options may not seem like a big deal, it can have a significant impact. Homeowners may not even be aware of mistakes they are making but they may here of friends who re-financed under similar conditions and receive more favorable terms. Hearing these scenarios can be quite disheartening for some homeowners especially if they could have saved considerably more while re-financing.

Consider Not Re-Financing as a Viable Option

Homeowners who are considering re-financing may realize the importance of evaluating a number of different re-financing options to determine which option is best but these same homeowners may not realize they should also carefully consider not re-financing as an option. This is often referred to as the do nothing option because it refers to the conditions which will exist if the homeowner does not make a change in their mortgage situation.

For each re-financing option considered, the homeowner should determine the estimated monthly payment, amount of interest paid during the course of the loan, year in which the loan will be fully repaid and the amount of time the homeowner will have to remain in the home to recoup closing costs associated with re-financing. Homeowners should also determine these values for the current mortgage. This can be very helpful for comparison purposes. Homeowners can compare these results and often the best option is quite clear from these numeric calculations. However, if the analysis does not yield a clear cut answer, the homeowner may have to evaluate secondary characteristics to make the best possible decision.

Jas asked:


Car financing has taken a new spin with regard to providing investment for buying a car. So, how do you finance a car? If this question leaves you baffled, then you have to go a long way in the process of buying a car. The term ‘financing’ in relation to buying a car connotes either rendering loan to buy the car or lease the car to you. You are probably concentrating on the former meaning. Many people are in favour of talking car finance from dealership for it seems like a convenient option. It seems easy; you select a car, fill out a credit application, and drive away with your car – all in a day’s work. Car finance through dealership will give you car finance on weekends and even at nights when other banks and credit unions are closed.

Seems convenient, isn’t it? But there is a catch. The dealer will be certainly charging you more for your car finance. Usually car buyers are overcharged by 3% on their car finance. A great number of complaints about car financing are related to dealers. 0% APR is not only attractive but lures the buyers to acquire up car finance not meditating if it is feasible for them. There are very few people who can actually get a 0% APR. Thus car finance deals usually fall midway thereby making car finance experience an extremely distressing one. You are buying a new car and probably for the first time, you certainly want it to compliment your enthusiasm. There are few elementary things that need to be kept in mind before taking that crucial primeval step in car buying.

First and foremost in car buying and financing is checking your credit score before you apply for a car loan. Many people are unaware of the fact that they even have a credit score. You can expediently check your credit score online. So, if you have bad credit history then probably you will be paying more interest rate for your car finance. If your credit score drops below 550, then probably apply for new car finance is not such a good idea. First repair you credit score. Repairing credit score requires little effort, helps you repay your debt and retain your credit report. Online car finance companies can get you car finance loan even if your credit score is lower than required. Your car finance loan can get approved in minutes. Online car finance companies have revolutionized car finance procedure. With lowest online car finance rates, no application fees, or down payments car finance companies provide a formidable competition to car dealers. Car finance companies have set a standard for providing car finance that is worth opting for.

Read more on

http://myfreeinfo4u.com/finance/car_finance_places_you_on_the_top_gear_while_buying_a_car.html

John Ugoshowa asked:


Many homeowners make the mistake of thinking re-financing is always a viable option. However, this is not true and homeowners can actually make a significant financial mistake by re-financing at an inopportune time. There a couple of classic example of when re-financing is a mistake. This occurs when the homeowner does not stay in the property long enough to recoup the cost of re-financing and when the homeowner has had a credit score which has dropped since the original mortgage loan. Other examples are when the interest rate has not dropped enough to offset the closing costs associated with re-financing.

Recouping the Closing Costs

In determining whether or not re-financing is worthwhile the homeowner should determine how long they would have to retain the property to recoup the closing costs. This is significant especially in the case where the homeowner intends to sell the property in the near future. There are re-financing calculators readily available which will provide homeowners with the amount of time they will have to retain the property to make re-financing worthwhile. These calculators require the user to enter input such as the balance of the existing mortgage, the existing interest rate and the new interest rate and the calculator return results comparing the monthly payments on the old mortgage and the new mortgage and also supplies information about the amount of time required for the homeowner to recoup the closing costs.

When Credit Scores Drop

Most homeowners believe a drop in interest rates should immediately signal that it is time to re-finance the home. However, when these interest rates are combined with a drop in the credit score for the homeowner, the resulting re-financed mortgage may not be favorable to the homeowner. Therefore homeowners should carefully consider their credit score at the present time in comparison to the credit score at the time of the original mortgage. Depending on the amount interest rates have dropped, the homeowner may still benefit from re-financing even with a lower credit score but it is not likely. Homeowners may take advantage of free re-financing quotes to get an approximate understanding of whether or not they will benefit from re-financing.

Have the Interest Rates Dropped Enough?

Another common mistake homeowners often make in regard to re-financing is re-financing whenever there is a significant drop in interest rates. This can be a mistake because the homeowner must first carefully evaluate whether or not the interest rate has dropped enough to result in an overall cost savings for the homeowners. Homeowners often make this mistake because they neglect to consider the closing costs associated with re-financing the home. These costs may include application fees, origination fees, appraisal fees and a variety of other closing costs. These costs can add up quite quickly and may eat into the savings generated by the lower interest rate. In some cases the closing costs may even exceed the savings resulting from lower interest rates.

Re-Financing Can Be Beneficial Even When It is a “Mistake”

In reality re-financing is not always the ideal solution, but some homeowners may still opt for re-financing even when it is technically a mistake to do so. This classic example of this type of situation is when a homeowner re-finances to gain the benefit of lower interest rates even though the homeowner winds up paying more in the long run for this re-financing option. This may occur when either the interest rates drop slightly but not enough to result in an overall savings or when a homeowner consolidates a considerable amount of short term debt into a long term mortgage re-finance. Although most financial advisors may warn against this type of financial approach to re-financing, homeowners sometimes go against conventional wisdom to make a change which may increase their monthly cash flow by reducing their mortgage payments. In this situation the homeowner is making the best possible decision for his personal needs.