Cashflow Blog

By Sean Horton

When it comes to taking out commercial finance then a finance broker has many advantages over going it alone. When considering a loan then a lot of thought has to be given to it and you have to understand the technical jargon that comes with the finance. Not only can a broker get you the best deal but they are also able to give you information and advice on the different aspects of the loan.

One of the first things a finance broker can go through with you is the type of loan you are wishing to take. The choices are a fixed rate of interest, a variable, a repayment or interest only loan. There are both advantages and disadvantages to all and you have to decide which is suitable for your needs. Of course these are only just a few of the factors that have to be taken into account when looking for finance.

A fixed rate loan will come with a slightly higher rate of interest but this rate will of course remain fixed for a period of time. This is excellent when it comes to sorting your monthly budget. However, when the fixed period has ended then it will go over to a variable rate and the repayments can shoot up drastically. A loan of this type will usually incur early redemption fees which mean that if you pay off the loan early it will cost you a lump sum of money. However if you choose to go with a finance broker they will search out lenders who offer this type of loan without the fees.

The variable rate loan will be based on the Bank of England base rate and as such when this changes so will the rate of interest attached to your loan. If the interest rate is low then this is to your advantage, however if it shoots up then so do your repayments. The variable rate will only really work out for you if the Bank of England base rates are low. There are good and points to both and the broker will be able to give you all the advice needed to determine which way to go.

A finance broker can also help when it comes to deciding whether to take out a repayment loan or an interest only loan. If you choose to take out an interest only then you will only pay back the interest that has incurred on the loan. However at the end of the period of the loan you will be left with the lump sum which you originally borrowed, which will have to be repaid in full. Lenders will usually ask for proof that you have the means of repaying this amount before they will ok the loan. The repayment loan will take the monthly repayments you make and take off a little of both the interest and the capitol. This means that at the end of the period of the loan you will have paid in full the amount you borrowed. The rate of interest you pay will normally be higher than that of the interest only loan.

Sean Horton is a Director of Enhanced Wealth, a [http://www.enhancedwealth.co.uk/commercial/index.htm]uk commercial mortgage broker and IFA specialising in mortgage advice and the associated areas of income protection, mortgage protection, and mortgage life cover.

 

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A Finance Broker Can Help Save You Money When Considering A Commercial Loan

Last night I happened to catch an episode of “Larry King Live” which included a feature on the current housing crisis along with a panel of participants including Robert Kiyosaki, author of ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’, and Donald Trump.

While the stats by now are known to most people - The Shiller Home Price Index was down 15.5% for April ‘08 vs April ‘07, and over 1 Million foreclosures have been filed with many many more expected, the real overarching questions were a) is this a good time to sell and if you have to sell then what can you do to sell, b) what do you do if you are a homeowner facing foreclosure, and c) is this a good time in terms of opportunities to buy and invest?

The unanimous consent amongst the parties was pretty much as follows

a) This is not a good time to sell obviously and if you do not have to sell then you shouldn’t. If you do have to sell then you can sell if you price your property appropriately. This means first of all IGNORE what other homes are listed for, the only thing that matters is what homes have actually SOLD for recently as a valuation bench mark. If you must absolutely sell then discount your home 20% below current market value and you will find that it sells very rapidly. The bottom line is that it is not that there are no buyers, it all boils down to the numbers.

At our business we have been working diligently for the past 2 years, communicating to our sellers that the one thing that is more important than anything else in determining whether or not a listing will sell is price. We have some listings that have lingered without activity for a year where sellers simply refuse to face the realities of the market, and then other listings that are selling in a week, because in those cases the sellers are realistic and follow our advise. The Sarasota real estate market is what it is and if you ignore market realities then you simply will not sell.

b) If you are a home owner in trouble the resounding agreement was that the very worst thing you can do is ignore the lender when you get your notice. Lenders do not want to own your home, and they are willing to work out loans with home owners and today you have a lot of leverage as a owner in renegotiating your loan. The only predicament today is unfortunately that lenders will not discuss your loan until you are at least a couple of months late. Once you are late however you will find that you have the ability to get the lender to agree to work with you so you do not lose your home.

In our business we are working with a lot of short sales and I do see many lenders making amazing concessions. Some lenders are of course better than others. The worst unfortunately in terms of communicating is Countrywide and it is well possible that Countrywide’s own internal upheaval is contributing to this. Hopefully once the acquisition by Bank of America is finalized this will change.

c) Is this the time to buy? The panelist were in full agreement that we are either at or very near the bottom of the market. And yes, this is a great time to buy, as the best time to buy in any market is when prices are down and everyone is selling.

That being said, the days of real estate as a get rich quick scheme is over. You have to know what you are doing. Just because something is a foreclosure or bank owned property and priced at a seemingly amazing price does not mean that it is a great investment.

I tend to agree. If you are looking to buy a home as your residence then definitely now is the time to strike. Sellers are super motivated and there are a lot of opportunities to snap up a property that simply was unheard of in the past. And 5 years from now your property will certainly be worth more than you are paying today. If you are an investor then you need to understand how to evaluate a property as an investment. If you buy something in hopes of a quick flip then you will get most likely hurt. This is not the time to flip properties.

Overall I felt this was a very informative segment with a lot of optimistic view points. I would love to hear your views on the aforementioned 3 points, particularly with respect to the Sarasota Real Estate Market.

All the best…

Thomas Heimann, President & CEO
Bravo Real Estate Solutions
http://www.bravobrokers.com/

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Housing Market Crisis Opportunity?

By Lara Sawyer

Running a business is not an easy task and the need of financing is a must. However, a business owner wants a cheap source of financing and not rates that eat up all revenue. Unsecured lines of credit are either too expensive or not available for small businesses. Thus, if the business does not have sufficient assets the owner may have to use his own personal assets. Fortunately there is another solution to secure a loan for your business: the use of the business’ income.

Your business may produce money but it probably does not do so at the rate you want and with the exact timing you need. That is why all businesses need some sort of financial source and secured ones provide a cheap source of funds. There are loans and lines of credit provided both by financial institutions and banks that can be secured with the company’s income in different ways and that can provide all the financing your business needs.

Bank Or Financial Institution Line Of Credit

Your current bank or any financial institution can provide you with a line of credit or a loan based on your business’ profits. Of course the loan or line of credit can be either secured or unsecured but secured lines of credit can provide better terms. Therefore, it is a good idea to discuss with your account manager the best options available to you as a business owner to obtain financing through secured loans or lines of credit.

Your bank or financial institution can require assets to guarantee a loan or line of credit. Just like with home loans or home equity loans, if the company or business owns an immovable property, it can be used to secure a loan. However, if your business’ accounts are managed by the bank or financial institution and payments are processed by them too, you can obtain financing securing it with that income.

Credit Card Purchases As Collateral

Some financial institutions that handle credit card payments will offer to provide you with financing securing the loan or line of credit with the revenues generated by your sales. The most common scenario is a line of credit associated with the account where the money from the sales made with credit cards is deposited. Thus, you can withdraw money even when there is not enough cash on your account and when the sales made with credit card are processed the amount owed is deducted from the income as a percentage that has to be agreed beforehand.

This system provides you with all the financing that you need while at the same time it provides security to the lenders who know that as soon as you receive money from your sales, they will be the first ones to collect even before the money is actually deposited into your account. Such low risk implies that the lender can provide very advantageous terms on your line of credit and it is an excellent way to obtain cheap financing for your business.

Lara Sawyer is the author of this article. She works successfully as a financial advisor with years of expertise on [http://www.fastguaranteedloans.com/unsecured-personal-loans-bad-credit-people-welcome.html]Unsecured Personal Loans. Lara publishes informative articles about home loans, credit cards, auto loans, bad credit loans, business loans and others at http://www.fastguaranteedloans.com

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Securing Your Business Loan With Your Business Income

By Weamein Yee

In times of economic distress, investors flock to safety.  The bond market usually acts as a safe harbor for many investors but the precarious financial position of many bond insurers has many shying away from corporate and municipal debt.

Since last summer, demand for treasury securities as well as the Fed’s rate cutting campaign, has steadily driven down yields.  Demand for 1 month T-bills has been especially brisk, with a number of money market funds reluctant to invest in short term commercial paper.

Back in March, in the wake of the near collapse of Bear Sterns, the yields on 1 month T-Bills fell to 0.27%, it’s lowest in over half a century.  Yields recovered slightly in the beginning of this month but are once again below 1 percent.

With many institutional investors feeling that the stock market hasn’t hit it’s bottom yet, the short maturing T-Bill gives them a safe haven to tide their money away until they feel the time is right to jump back into stocks while sacrificing very little liquidity.  The Treasury Department has also decreased the minimum face value of it’s securities to $100, down from $1,000 as of April 7, which makes it viable purchase for a larger number of investors.

Keep in mind that this is all taking place while inflation is on the rise and that the “real” yield is actually negative.  What we have now is an upward sloping yield curve, which is a favorable situation for banks.  Banks are able to borrow short at lower rates and lend long at higher rates.  Depending on how inflation plays out, long term interest rates may even rise further in the near future.

Demand For Treasury Bills Driving Down Yields

By Mike Selvon

Most small business owners are quite eager to find avenues to help their enterprise grow into a thriving business. One key approach to help propel businesses forward is securing additional working capital, in order to get the business to the next level.

Usually, this means that the entrepreneur needs to go to a lending institution to get a small business loan. When meeting with a loan officer for this purpose, detailed business financial information will be required.

The most pertinent financial information that you will need to collect in preparation for applying for a small business loan are the basic financial reports that virtually all businesses of any size generate on a monthly or quarterly basis. These financial statements provide potential lenders with a profile of the financial situation of the business. They are also invaluable in providing the business owner with the management knowledge they need to strategically improve their ongoing business plan.

The most basic form of business financial information consists of a collection of financial statements and reports, which are prepared according to strict, standardized accounting principles. Since accounting practices and principles have long been standardized and accepted worldwide, virtually anyone with even a basic understanding can quickly understand the financial picture of a company that is painted by these basic reports.

The main reports that are generally part of a company’s financial information are the following: the balance sheet, the cash flows statement, the profit and loss report, and the overall financial statements, which include highlights and summarize each of the other reports. While the financial statement provides a review, the individual reports go into specific detail for the period of time that the report covers. Many times, when monthly reports are generated there are also quarterly and yearly reports generated that help to provide insights into the overall, financial trend of the business.

The purpose of the balance sheet is to provide the details of all of the current assets of the business, all of the liabilities that the business is obligated to pay, and the resulting business equity. In order for this financial information to be most useful, it should separate the current assets and current liabilities from the listing of the long-term assets and the long-term liabilities.

The profit and loss part of financial information is the report that most commonly covers longer periods of time, usually per business quarter or year. These profit and loss statements often include comparison charts for the previous time period going back long enough to help to identify the important trends.

Without this comparison, it might be easy to assume a business is doing well simply because it is profitable, yet overlook the fact that it is less profitable than the previous year. These trends will be very important to the lenders as it gives them insights about the success of working capital management overall.

When preparing a statement of cash flows, it can be compiled by either using the indirect or the direct method. Generally, this kind of business financial information is better with more detail because the fuller the detail, the clearer the view of the business’s financial situation. Most loan officers agree that for the purposes of obtaining financing, the more detailed the information the better because it shows that the business has nothing to hide.

Enrich your knowledge further by reading more great [http://assetmanagement.akainfoportal.info/Business-Financial-Information.php]business financial information articles from Mike Selvon portal. We appreciate your feedback at our [http://www.mynicheportal.com/financial-services/proving-your-business-financial-information]financial planning blog where a free gift awaits you.

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The Business Financial Information You Need For Funding