recruiting-and-training-fundraiser-volunteers

January 2, 2008 · Posted in Finance · Comment 

Recruiting and Training Fundraiser Volunteers

Writen by Michelle Pearson

Volunteers are an essential part of your fundraising group. They should help you motivate and inspire people to participate in your cause and help you organize your event. But how do you approach a new volunteer and convince them to become involved with your group and selflessly give their time and effort? Below we have some tips that will help you recruit new fundraising volunteers.

Where to Recruit Fundraiser Volunteers

There are a few tactics and different places to check out for recruiting fundraiser volunteers. You can advertise in your local newspaper or simply by using word of mouth. An essential part of all fundraisers is networking and talking to people - you can use this same tactic when recruiting volunteers. Talk to supporters at your events and ask them if they’ve ever thought about supporting the cause with time instead of money. Talk with current volunteers and see if they have friends or family who would also like to get involved.

You can also advertise at places like high schools and colleges. Most students are very eager to have volunteer work on their resumes - it’s a win-win situation for both of you. Some cities have volunteer bureaus that match up volunteers with volunteer opportunities. This is a great way to find potential fundraiser volunteer recruits.

After You Have a Few Interested Volunteers

After you have met with a individuals that are interested in volunteering, it is important to explain to them exactly what they can expect from your group. You should explain your fundraising plans and how volunteers are essential to your fundraising success. Ask for their feedback - it will help you learn more about what participation level they would like to have and their knowledge about fundraisers in general. Volunteers should be energetic, motivating and full of useful information.

Training Fundraising Volunteers

Training your new fundraiser volunteers doesn’t have to be hard, but they should be on the same page with you. Start by showing them your fundraising plan so they can see the big picture. Then allow them to ask questions and fully understand how they fit into your fundraising expectations. Tell them about your past fundraisers and what your new goals are for this fundraiser. All volunteers should have a specific task they are assigned but it would be a good idea to train volunteers to do all tasks so jobs can be switched and backed up if needed. Remember most importantly to praise and thank your volunteers for a job well done. They need your appreciation and thanks as much as you need their help and support.

Michelle Pearson is a former fundraising consultant who currently is a writer for the Fundraising Know How Magazine at fundraisingknowhow.com - a site that specializes in helping fundraising coordinators offering information on sample fundraising letters, cheerleader fundraising ideas, brick fundraising and more.

quotwill-that-be-cash-or-creditquot

January 1, 2008 · Posted in Finance · Comment 

"Will That Be Cash Or Credit?"

Writen by A. Raymond Randall, Jr.

From Bangkok to Edmonton, credit card statements stuff mail and email boxes with payment deadlines. Every bill reminds the giver that gifts given freely do not come free. Giving and buying often exceed generosity and need as a brittle piece of plastic becomes an avaricious spoiler of hopes and dreams.

During this week, two families emailed me about credit card debt. One family lugs $12,000, and $50,000 shackles the other. Each family wants relief; however, debt accumulation comes easily while debt relief sucker punches emotions and wallets.

Consumer debt burdens the workers of all economies. Highways jam with the doldrums, “I owe…I owe…It’s off to work I go”. . Truly, as an ancient proverb reminds us, “The debtor is servant to the lender”.

Nearly every government graphs consumer debt. The U.S. Federal Reserve’s January report set U.S. consumer debt at 2 trillion dollars; the highest level in U.S. history. Canadians report an all time low savings rate (when debt goes up, savings goes down). Thailand consumers pushed debt levels up 25% last year. United Kingdom families might be forced to reduce their spending or sell their homes if interest rates ratchet up just 1%.

Debt management resources can guide consumers to the high ground of debt relief as many credit management companies discover the need for debtor assistance and education. However, consider these steps before doling out more money to a credit assistance agency.

1. Manage your feelings. Take some time journaling your emotions about money by asking yourself where you learned personal definitions for fear and greed. Have some fun taking the innovative surveys found at Emode.com.

2. Push-off the weights of procrastination. Take action; do it now. This work requires sweat and concentration, but the rewards assure you of freedom and achievement.

3. If you learned to spend, you can master saving (ultimately, it’s all about saving). However, before spending more money on reducing your debt and increasing your savings, educate yourself. Go to Myvesta.org, a non-profit consumer financial education organization. You will find “how to” books, such as “How to Eliminate Your Debt Like a Pro” along with many other self-help resources. Don’t let someone else do for you what you can do for yourself. Working through your debt as a fascinating experience allows you to own your choices by changing your viewpoint.

“Creditors have better memories than debtors.” - Benjamin Franklin

4. Myvesta may not suit all your needs, therefore add the Alexa.com toolbar to research other similar sites.

5. If married, discuss credit card management with your spouse. Two issues undermine romance: money and…well, you know the other one.

6. Don’t take a consolidation loan whether personal or home equity unless you find this the very last alternative. If you accept a loan, “shop…shop…shop ’till you drop” the interest rate.

7. If behind on payments, call credit card companies NOW…today…this minute. Find the right person for you to discuss your circumstance. If greeted with putdowns and parental tones, end the conversation, wait awhile and try another person. When you must, request a supervisor. Be gracious, professional and persistent with a plan of action.

Most Americans carry 5 or more credit cards around. Take four of them and bury them in the backyard. Keep one for emergencies. Diligent efforts now will guide you toward financial freedoms in the future. Best wishes; if you act on this or similar recommendations, you will stand in a small crowd. Best wishes; if you act on this or similar recommendations, you will stand tall in a small crowd.

About The Author

Ray Randall serves clients as a registered investment advisor with his firm, Ethos Advisory Services, Essex, Massachusetts http://www.ethosadvisory.com . He has wide experience within the financial services industry, writes a weekly newsletter for Ethos Advisory Services, and coordinates the developments at Echievements . Ray holds a Masters Degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Hamilton, MA. You may email him or call (877-895-3756).

rayrandall@echievements.com

Nutrition, Health Supplements And Other Scary Words

January 1, 2008 · Posted in Health Supplements · Comment 

No more running away from a boring diet- here’s an easy way to maintain your health.

Vitamins, nutrition and health supplements are no more scary words. These are needed for good health and mind. Vitamins nutrition and health supplements can be called as nutritional substances, which provide significant health benefits. Researchers and medical practitioners have already approved these benefits.

Nutritional multivitamin supplements: The best way to get all required vitamins is through balanced diet. But it is not easy in today’s life. So with the help of multivitamins your body will produce the required vitamins. Mainly these multivitamin supplements include Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Group B vitamin are suggested for heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and even for osteoporosis. Good nutritional multivitamin supplements are not only minerals and vitamins. The human body needs a wide range of nutrition, vitamin and health supplements as like antioxidants, amino acids, neuronutrients, bioflavanoids, and alpha lipoic acid.

Herbal nutrition supplements: These supplements can be used in place of hormone replacement therapy that is mainly helpful to restore hair growth and even in some skin disorders. Using herbal supplements you avoid further hair loss.

Vitamin C and skin care: Vitamin C helps in collagen formation, which keeps skin looking plump and young. Human body cannot make or store it. The only solution for the problem is to use citrus foods. It is mostly found in Citrus fruits like strawberries, berries and some vegetables. For external use you can take creams containing Alpha hydroxy acids and vitamin C.

Mineral supplements: As like vitamins, minerals are also necessary for normal body metabolism. Different types of mineral supplements perform different functions:

1.Calcium: Helps in nerve conduction, bone formation and blood coagulation.

2.Iron: Helps in carrying oxygen to various body cells.

3.Iodine: Helps in normal functioning of thyroid gland.

Roughages: Like any other nutritional supplements roughages are also necessary for normal body function. They prevent us from constipation.

Thus vitamin ,nutrition and health supplement prevent us from serious health hazards.

We have made the most comprehensive research to find the best nutrition supplements and the best places to buy them from. Find the results only on the Custom nutritional supplements research. Find all about diets on the Healthy weight loss supplements site

[tags]vitamin nutrition and health supplement, nutritional multivitamin supplements, mineral supplements[/tags]

financial-help-for-single-mothers

January 1, 2008 · Posted in Finance · Comment 

Financial Help For Single Mothers

Writen by Peter Emerson

Financial aid for single mothers is available either through federal welfare services or through private organizations.

Who is qualified?

Not all single mothers can take advantage of special financial help packages. Only those whose earnings fall below a certain level are considered low-income individuals and qualify for welfare benefits. To find out if you qualify for and may avail yourself of federal welfare services, you must complete the application form available at your local welfare office.

Each program has its own income limits. Whether or not your income falls within the limit depends on the type of income you have, your family’s expenses, and any other special circumstances your family may have. Each program also has resource limits. Things that can be converted to cash (bank accounts, stocks, and other properties) are considered to be resources. Only certain non-U.S. citizens may receive welfare benefits. Check with your local office for details.

What happens if you are not qualified?

If you do not qualify for welfare benefits, or if your needs are not covered by any specific welfare program, you may take advantage of grants offered by the U.S. government to single mothers. In exchange for the grant, you must perform some service or task required by the grant terms. There are 900 grant programs offered by 26 federal grant-making agencies. Some grant categories are agriculture, art, and education. You may visit www.grants.gov and www.neh.gov for details on grant application.

Other sources

Many schools offer scholarships specifically to single mothers. In order to find out about these, you may visit the financial aid office of the school you are currently attending or wish to attend.

There are also some private organizations that give grants and financial assistance to single mothers. Singlemom.com has a “financial gifting program.” It awards cash grants to deserving single mothers every month. Many other similar organizations have grant and financial aid information on the Internet.

Financial Help provides detailed information on Financial Help, Financial Help For Single Mothers, Free Financial Help, Temporary Financial Help and more. Financial Help is affiliated with Independent Financial Advisors.

top-10-misconceptions-on-asset-protection-planning

December 31, 2007 · Posted in Finance · Comment 

Top 10 Misconceptions on Asset Protection Planning

Writen by Carlos Lee

After many years of answering asset protection questions from the public, I’ve come across a number of common misconceptions on the subject. I’ve compiled a Top 10 List of these common misconceptions and I’d like to share them with you.

  1. I’ll wait until someone threatens me with a lawsuit - This is probably the most common mistake. When a lawsuit has been filed or is expected, it is too late. No asset protection plan will work. The judge will most likely rule that any structures created or assets transferred after the fact as fraudulent. An asset protection plan has to be put in place long before the threat of a lawsuit to be effective. It’s like life insurance. When you are lying in the intensive care unit in the hospital, you can’t buy a life insurance policy. You have to plan ahead.
  2. No one will sue me - You better think twice on your exposure. With over 19 million lawsuits filed each year in the U.S., just about everyone with assets is at risk of a lawsuit. According to the American Bar Association, there are close to 700,000 lawyers in practice in America. That’s one lawyer for every 400 men, women and children! Many of these lawyers make a living solely on suing others for part of the winnings. So, if you own a business or practice a profession you have a one in three chance of being named in a lawsuit THIS YEAR! Do you want to win or lose in this lawsuit lottery?
  3. I don’t have much to protect so I am not worried - Unless the equity you have in your home is lower than the homestead exemption provided in your state, a creditor can come after the equity in your house. Collection attorneys know that the best way to get you to pony up money is to threaten a foreclosure on your home. If you have a sizeable equity in your home, you are vulnerable. Just because your net worth is not in the millions doesn’t mean that you don’t need protection. Someone with a $3 million net worth can probably absorb $250,000 of loss from a lawsuit but someone with a $200,000 net worth can ill afford the same loss.
  4. Only a lawyer can help me do this - Lawyers are knowledgeable on a number of subjects but asset protection is not usually one of them. Asset protection is not taught in law schools and most lawyers have not even traveled overseas. Therefore, unless a lawyer has a great deal of experience in collection or offshore planning, he/she is almost as clueless as the general public on this subject. As a matter of fact, many attorneys, knowing their lack of experience in asset protection, actually refer clients to Asset Protection Consulting Group to take advantage of our expertise.
  5. A trust is what I need for asset protection - Many people have been told that trusts can provide all the asset protection necessary. Well, they are wrong. trusts are primarily estate planning tools. They do not provide asset protection in most cases. There have been too many cases where trusts were busted by lawsuits and assets were lost. So they are unreliable as asset protection tools.
  6. I will just transfer my assets to my spouse or relatives - This is probably the worst thing you can do. Any competent collection attorney will sue you as well as your family members to collect the debt. In addition, your relatives or friends could refuse to return your assets when you want them back. Worst yet, they can be sued for their own liabilities such as a car accident and your assets are therefore exposed to their lawsuits as well as yours. Transferring assets to relatives is no protection at all and increases your risks of losing them.
  7. It costs a lot of money to set up an asset protection plan - This is true when you talk to a high priced attorney and he recommends forming very complicated entity structures and asks for upwards of $25,000 to $50,0000. Affordable asset protection planning can be done with very experienced asset protection experts using simple but battle-tested strategies and entities that cost only a few thousand dollars.
  8. With an offshore corporation, I can avoid paying taxes on my income - Anyone thinking about evading taxes with an offshore corporation is in for a big surprise when the IRS knocks on the door. So many law-abiding people are sucked in by illegal tax schemes that they end up losing much more than they try to save. If there was any legal way of avoiding taxes, every one would be doing it! Therefore, if anyone tells you that you can avoid paying taxes with an offshore corporation or trust, etc. run the other way!
  9. Offshore planning is too risky - Offshore planning is not risky if you do it properly. Now there are many illegal schemes out there so you need to do your due diligence before you entrust your money to someone. Not everyone needs offshore planning. However, for those with high net worth, taking your assets out of the jurisdiction of the United States provides you with maximum protection from judgments handed down by U.S. courts. Most asset protection firms have no offshore planning experience, so using one that does is paramount to an effective asset protection plan.
  10. This can’t be legal. The government will go after me if I do this - The U.S. Constitution guarantees every citizen the rights of liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Setting up an asset protection plan is perfectly within these rights. We have never heard of anyone getting into trouble with the government for setting up an asset protection plan as long as it is not used to illegally evade taxes. Hiding gold bars in the ground is a form of asset protection even tough it might be a bit primitive. It is perfectly legal, isn’t it? So why wouldn’t an asset protection plan using Nevada or offshore corporations to make your assets invisible be legal?

Whatever you do to protect your assets, it must be done long before any legal problems surface. So get moving before your hard-earned assets are threatened.

Carlos Lee, MBA, is the senior consultant for Asset Protection Consulting Group.

Visit Asset Protection Consulting Group to learn more about how to bulletproof your assets against future lawsuits.

how-to-evolve-a-financial-success-system

December 31, 2007 · Posted in Finance · Comment 

How to Evolve a Financial Success System

Writen by Roy Thomsitt

More often than not, people associate success with money and wealth. While that is a lopsided view of success, it is true that success often brings with it financial rewards; it is also true that many people who aspire to success are thinking of the financial rewards that will follow when they succeed. But what if your idea of success is purely financial? In that case, it could be that you are looking for a financial success system that will help you achieve your financial objective.

In two other articles I discussed the use of project management techniques in achieving personal success. In that case, we looked at “Project Success” and how we could plan for it. Why not apply more business techniques, this time to money, and develop a financial success system or plan?

In most respects, your personal finances are no different to a business’s finances. The underlying principles are the same. As a former professional management accountant, I can assure you that the way a company’s or organisation’s finances are, or should be, run is fundamentally similar to the way your own finances should be run.

Every company will have systems in place that are designed to further the success of the company, as well as protect its assets from misappropriation. In effect, they put in a financial success system that should enable them to run the business profitably and by so doing build assets.

The main elements of a company’s financial system can quite easily be recognised as good practice in your own personal financial system. The statutory requirements are quite different, but from a financial management point of view there are some helpful similarities an individual can learn from.

If you apply some of the following business finance fundamentals to your own approach to personal finance, then over time you will develop a finance success system that will grow your wealth for the rest of your life.

1. Budgeting

Setting and managing budgets is a routine part of any business; they are a key tool in financial control. A home budget is vitally important too. Get into the habit of setting and monitoring your personal budget of income and expenditure, and you will have the foundation of a financial success plan.

2. Investment Appraisal

Whenever a company decides to spend money on a large capital item or new product, for example, it may carry out an investment appraisal. You will not have such large spending decisions to make, but the important thing is to consciously assess the expenditure. Will it build your financial success or hinder it? For example, if you are buying a car, which will depreciate, there is a high risk it will diminish your personal assets significantly and set back your finance success plan. When it is time to indulge, be sure it is the right time.

3. Building Assets

A company builds assets by consistently being profitable, investing wisely, and developing the business at a sensible and sustainable pace. Being profitable is earning more revenue than you spend in expenditure. The same is true of you as an individual; always ensure you earn more each month than you spend. The balance (savings) goes into your spare assets, which can build over time, especially with sound investment.

4. Balance Sheet

Creating a balance sheet in a large business can be quite complex. A simplified version may help you keep an eye on your own asset status. Preparing a rough balance sheet once a year, showing your assets on one side and liabilities on the other, will give you an idea of your personal worth, in financial terms. By comparing year on year, you can ensure you are making progress.

If you use a home budget software program, it may have a balance sheet facility to help you.

5. Regular Financial Reporting

Companies have a legal obligation to produce accounts each financial year. Your legal requirements are for your personal tax purposes only.

However, a business does not rely just on annual accounts, and nor should you. It is likely they will have management accounts on at least a monthly basis, to allow management to keep track of the way business is progressing. You should also follow that example, and keep a close watch on your budget each month, and react accordingly.

6. Cash Flow Forecasting

Even a profitable company can have problems keeping going if it does not manage its cash flow properly. In fact, it is a common reason for companies to cease trading. As part of your budgeting, ensure you incorporate cash flow forecasting, that way you can allow for peaks and troughs in income and expenditure without hitting problems with paying bills on time.

Missing payments can prove expensive to your overall wealth, so is best avoided at all times.

7. Investment and Treasury

If all goes according to plan, you will have surplus cash. A company will have a treasurer for that, but in your case that treasurer is you. Take that role seriously, and over time you will be a financial success. If you have a partner, it makes sense to involve them in this, and other parts of your plan for financial security.

Investment is a fascinating subject, so if you can learn about it, you will be well placed to do better than an average investor. Investment is about balancing risk and return, and if you can master that without taking silly risks, you should do well financially.

On top of those purely financial aspects, there are other key areas to a business that will affect finances that you could learn from:

1. Marketing.

Keep an eye on the market place for the type of success you are seeking and your areas of expertise. Try to anticipate how that market may develop and prepare yourself ahead of everyone else. You are worth more if you are ahead of the game, whatever field you may be. For example, when I was 20 I decided it was a good idea, long term, to learn as much about computing and finance as possible, as eventually they would be key in every organisation. That was before pc’s existed, and it proved a sensible decision, even though my main aim was to be a writer.

2. Education and Training of Key Personnel

As an individual, the more you educate yourself about many aspects of life, both personal and commercial, the better placed you are to become wealthy. Never become complacent about your own knowledge; over time it will decline in importance, so you need to refresh it constantly. Train yourself, educate yourself, continuous.

Those are just a few ideas of how you may use business finance practices to build your own financial success over the long term. Follow those, and you should not go far wrong, and prepare yourself for a rebound should anything ever go wrong, such as redundancy or divorce, which can scupper even the best of financial plans.

This financial success system article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner and part author of the Routes To Self Improvement website.

Want to learn how to succeed? It is possible. Start your success journey here.

is-banking-online-as-safe-as-the-vault

December 31, 2007 · Posted in Finance · Comment 

Is Banking Online As Safe As The Vault?

Writen by Michael Russell

With technology changing as fast as the weather, would it not be nice to know that your hard earned money is safe and secure. In order to properly insure your online banking accounts and protect it from any watching eye, you need to know how to protect yourself. None of these is difficult however; in time, you will know what to look for so you can sleep better at night. You do not need to do each one of these but the more the better.

The first is perhaps the most popular way to steal your information. Its called phishing and people fall for it all the time. It comes in the style of a convincing email trying to mislead you. They try to convince you that they are the bank or a financial institution. They use fear in most cases to get you to reveal precious information or even a link to a site that looks like your bank. They may ask for passwords of account numbers, anything that could prove useful as the phishers try to gain access to you accounts. The first rule is, never give your password out to anyone. The bank will not even ask you for it. If someone does, run. Stay away from emails or anyone who tries to get your passwords from you.

Speaking of passwords, they are one of the best tools to use to protect your account. Some people use popular passwords like God or password. If your password is PASSWORD, that is easy to guess. You are more protected if you use characters and numbers. Try not to have something easy, for example, the road you live on followed by the year you were born. Center1964 is predictable since anyone can search online to find that information. The most secure passwords are ones that contain numbers and characters as well as special characters. Is you use a @ symbol and a # sign these are almost impossible to break. You can further strengthen your password by capitalizing some characters. This could make it more difficult to remember but you will not have to worry about some person on the other side of the world trying to break in.

If you are about to enter your password or other sensitive information, get in the habit of looking at the website address. Most sites have an http in front of them. That stands for hypertext transfer protocol. A more secure protocol is https that is the secure hypertext transfer protocol. Even if you do not understand the jargon, it is much safer. However, your Internet browser could limit that safeguard if it is out of date. Most browsers use 128-bit encryption. If you update your browser, do your banking on https sites you will be on your way to safe guarding your personal information.

The last two points I want to commit on is where to do your banking and firewall/antivirus programs. If you install a firewall and an antivirus program, you be even safer from attacks. Buy a reputable program for each and make sure to look for updates on a monthly basis. Even if hackers get smarter and find a way around those safeguards, these programs will be updated to deter any future attack. Since your computer contains all of these updates, does it not make sense to do your banking with your own computer? Going to Internet cafes and using their computers is not nearly as safe. You could go for years completely disobeying any of these recommendations and be fine but you are taking a chance with no possibility of reward. If you use your own computer you KNOW the safeguards that are in place, why take a chance?

Of course, there are more ideas if you want to go even further. Most of the above ideas take upfront time but most programs will install updates automatically so you do not ever have to think about it again.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Online Banking

what-is-cash-flow-the-basic-concepts

December 30, 2007 · Posted in Finance · Comment 

What is Cash Flow? The Basic Concepts

Writen by John Mussi

Ever wondered what is cash flow? Understanding the basic concepts of cash flow will help you plan for the unforeseen eventualities that nearly every business faces. Although poor management is normally given as the main cause for business failure, poor cash management is running a close second as a common stumbling block.

Cash is ready money in the bank or in the business. It is not inventory, it is not accounts receivable (what you are owed), and it is not property. These can potentially be converted to cash, but can’t be used to pay suppliers, rent, or employees. Profit growth does not necessarily mean more cash on hand. Profit is the amount of money you expect to make over a given period of time. Cash is what you must have on hand to keep your business running.

Cash flow refers to the movement of cash into and out of a business. Watching the cash inflows and outflows is one of the most pressing management tasks for any business. The outflow of cash includes those cheques you write each month to pay salaries, suppliers, and creditors. The inflow includes the cash you receive from customers, lenders, and investors.

There are two types of cash flow, positive and negative. Positive cash flow means, if its cash inflow exceeds the outflow, a company has a positive cash flow.

Conversely, negative cash flow means, if its cash outflow exceeds the inflow, a company has a negative cash flow. Reasons for negative cash flow include too much or obsolete inventory and poor collections on accounts receivable.

Cash flow can be broken down into three sections:

Operating cash flow: often referred to as working capital, is the cash flow generated from internal operations. It comes from sales of the product or service of your business, and because it is generated internally, it is under your control.

Investing cash flow: is generated internally from non-operating activities. This includes investments in plant and equipment or other fixed assets, nonrecurring gains or losses, or other sources and uses of cash outside of normal operations.

Financing cash flow: is the cash to and from external sources, such as lenders, investors and shareholders. A new loan, the repayment of a loan, the issuance of stock, and the payment of dividend are some of the activities that would be included in this section of the cash flow statement.

Good cash management is simple. It involves:

Knowing when, where, and how your cash needs will occur

Knowing the best sources for meeting additional cash needs

Being prepared to meet these needs when they occur, by keeping good relationships with bankers and other creditors

The starting point for good cash flow management is developing a cash flow projection to help them develop the necessary capital strategy to meet their business needs.

You may freely reprint this article provided the author’s biography remains intact:

John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help UK homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.

what-is-bridging-finance

December 30, 2007 · Posted in Finance · Comment 

What is Bridging Finance?

Writen by Darren Yates

Once you understand what the term, “Bridging Finance” means, it’s easy to understand how it got its name. The purpose of a bridging or bridge loan is to provide short term cash for a real estate transaction until permanent financing is secured. Bridge loans are commonly used to “bridge the cash gap” when completing commercial real estate transactions.

Everyone knows it’s difficult to time the sale of one property to coincide with the purchase of another property. The slightest delay can wreak havoc on the transactions and create obstacles that are difficult to overcome. Having to pay two mortgages, whether for residential or commercial purposes, for any length of time can spell financial disaster. This is where bridging finance helps.

The goal of a bridge loan is to remove this financial obstacle so that a commercial transaction can proceed. In the majority of situations, “bridging finance” provides additional funding so a company can continue to pay the lease on its existing commercial property for as long as it remains on the market.

There is a process to go through before a bridge loan is approved. If you’ve already developed a relationship with an institution, that’s a good place to begin. If not, it’s time to start looking for a lender with which you feel comfortable. Go through the bridge loan pre-approval process to see how much of a loan you qualify for. With pre-approval in hand, you can act quickly once a desirable commercial property becomes available.

One general requirement for obtaining a bridging loan is collateral. Most applicants will be asked to secure the loan with some sort of significant collateral. Examples of collateral include heavy machinery, business equipment, inventory, other commercial or residential properties owned by or the applicant and even properties involved in the purchasing process.

Having a great credit history, for both your business and your private life, and a solid relationship with a lender always helps when applying for a bridging loan. There have even been situations where bridge loans were approved with only a signature - no collateral necessary!

Even with good credit, however, expect to pay a slightly higher rate of interest for this type of short-term bridge loan. One-half of a percent or more is typical. The maximum length of a bridge loan is usually twenty-four months. The lender has to make some money on the deal and the higher interest rate is where the opportunity lies. Other factors are also involved in determining the interest rate. The applicant’s calculated credit risk, the value of the items being used as collateral and the amount of time the loan is needed all factor into the equation, too.

If you think applying for a bridge loan makes sense for your situation, work with a US Commercial Lending organization that specializes in this type of loan. They’ll help with all the steps necessary and they’ll offer advice along the way. Don’t be afraid to shop around for better rates and terms! The commercial lending market is very competitive and it’s to your advantage to do business with a lender that will work with you and not against you.

Commercial Lifeline are Commercial Mortgage and Bridging Finance specialists.

Download our free Commercial Mortgage guides by visiting our Commercial Mortgage Guide page.

This article comes with reprint rights. Feel free to reprint and distribute as you like. All that we ask is that you do not make any changes, that this resource text is include, and that the link above is intact.

what-is-liquidation

December 30, 2007 · Posted in Finance · Comment 

What Is Liquidation

Writen by Neil Parnham

This involves the liquidator selling off all the assets of the company in order to raise some finance from the company, once the items have been sold the debt will be paid off and any remaining finance will go to the share holders of the company if applicable. When the process of liquidation has been completed the company ceases to exist and will be struck off the company register. There are three forms of liquidation

Compulsory Liquidation

This occurs when a company is wound up by an order of the court

Creditors Voluntary Liquidation

This is an arrangement where the directors ask the creditors to approve the winding up of the company because they have decided that the company cannot continue to trade and cannot pay its debts in full.

Members Voluntary Liquidation

This form of liquidation is used where the company is able to pay it’s debts in full, but the members wish to realise their investment. If you would like further assistance in financial matters please do not hesitate to call us, to find out more information please visit our website and we will be able to offer you a free initial assessment to see if we can help you in your situation.

Neil Parnham - Webmaster
CRG Insolvency
http://www.crginsolvency.co.uk

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