Archive for January, 2008

Should I Get A Financial Advisor And What Should I Look For?

The Changing Advisor Need

Wealth strategies that address this altering future are also changing every day, bringing a greater level of complexity to the decision making process. With the advent of at-your-fingertips technologies, we live in a global society rich in information and knowledge.

Financial advisors must have increasingly sophisticated methods for synthesizing the information into high-quality advice. Before web-based information, most individuals had a “Do it for me” approach.

During the 1990’s, there was a dramatic shift with more people wanting to “Do it myself,” approach that worked for some and was fatal to many. Recent studies show that today, the emerging model is more of a “Do it together” approach.

What it means is that people want an advisor with financial prowess who understands them individually. They also want one who realizes that the decision-making process includes an ongoing dialogue with their advisor so they understand the decisions they are making.

However, with the interactions of various complex financial products, professional help is very useful and it’s worth paying an advisor to ensure you get it right, especially on the following:

  • Annuities (pensions)
  • Endowments
  • Financial and tax planning and structuring
  • Investments
  • Mortgages
  • Protection products (life assurance, critical illness, etc.)
  • Pensions and pension transfers
  • What Kind Of An Advisor To Look For

    Advisers are legally divided into one of three types.

    Independent Financial Advisors: These people can advise and sell products from any provider right across the market and are obliged to give the best advice.

    Tied Advisors: These are the type of advisors you will usually find in high street banks and doing door-to-door sales. The “tied” means they can only sell and advise on products from one bank insurer’s own range. In other words, their job’s to try and sign you up to one of their companies’ products.

    Multi-tied Advisors: This is a new type of an advisor and they are starting to be more common especially in banks. They are allowed to sell and advise on products from a limited panel of firms. While better than tied advisers, it’s still not your best choice.

    If you are going to get professional advice, always check to make sure you obtain an Independent Financial Advisor. These advisors are able to look at products from the entire market, unlike tied or multi-tied advisors who can only sell from a limited range.

    Since they are independent they do not have the pressure as much to “sell” because they are working for themselves and not involved with a company or other people. And it has been revealed independent advisors are usually less expensive because of this situation and their own commission.

    Other Advisors To Use

    Tax accountants: They are often crucial and unavoidable if you’re self-employed, have complicated tax affairs and especially for inheritance tax advice.

    Mortgage brokers: This is one area of getting advice for you who will look at all of the mortgage lenders to pick the best for you.

    And last, it is advised not to use a bank manager for money advice. They have proven to be uncompetitive, limited in range and often try to persuade you to purchase products totally unnecessary.

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    Some Important Tips For Capital And Small Business Loans For Women

    Women Entrepreneurs Versus Male Entrepreneurs

    Some important tips for women in small business are to compare the routes between how men and women access capital, achieve revenue, and deal with company and employee growth and their choice of direction.

    By pointing out the many differences does not imply that one aspect or plan is superior over another. However, by looking and comparing the diverse ways may be helpful to each other.

    The National Foundation for Business Owners conducted a survey among business owners, 602 women and 592 men. Only 39 percent of women who own fast-growth firms have a commercial bank loan compared to 52 percent of men.

    One third, approximately 32 percent of the women owners use personal credit cards to finance their firms compared to only 21 percent of men who used credit cards for the same purpose.

    The study observed the women’s reliance on personal debt is holding women business owners back. Those women who understand how to leverage debt have a greater chance of becoming owners at a faster pace.

    If you are a women business owner, then you know that there are many things for you to focus on. It is especially important on how to find money for your business so it can grow and thrive. There are more and more sources out there specifically targeting women entrepreneurs.

    Women Need A Solid Plan And To Be Well Prepared

    Business plans by women just don’t get funded easily. Due to the many new organizations out there such as Count-Me-In, The Women’s Funding Network, One Women’s Finance, The Ladies Club 2000, The Ada Project for Women and so many others the tide has begun to change.

    Statistically, over 600 business plans presented by women owned businesses won venture capital last year, and thousands more business plans presented for SBA financing achieved it.

    That sounds like a lot, and it is. However, it is less than ten percent of all business plans that were funded. With all of the advances we have made still today, women entrepreneurs are granted only about 7 percent of the venture capital money that is invested.

    Little does it seem to matter that women are leading new ventures twice the rate of men. Women need to keep foremost in mind in the money hunt the following:

  • Demonstrate how your business plan will succeed better than any others
  • Present yourself as a professional, with corporate status established
  • Create your own advisory board
  • Also, where the geographical and marketing sectors women have had the most success: (Knowing that this is not always a possibility!)

  • An early-stage project
  • Located in the West or Northeast
  • In computer hardware/software business, health care or communication sectors
  • If you are looking for financial backing there are options out there, and keep looking and do not let discouragement beat you. No matter what the statistics say don’t be hesitant to search because of what your dream for a business is.

    Another important tip, gather information on The Law of Attraction. It is wonderful how our minds can control our destiny. Do not take ‘no’ for your answer from anyone, most of all from yourself.

    How Are Student Loans Different In The USA Compared To Canada Student Loans?

    An Overview Of The Canada Student Loan Program

    The Canada Student Loans Program (CSLP) is an essential element of the Government of Canada. Through the agenda, the Government is working to ensure that the Canadians have the necessary skills to be able to compete with all countries in the future.

    By providing loan monies to Canadians enrolled in full or part-time post-secondary education studies, the CSLP is able to offer individuals the opportunity to participate in the process of lifelong learning.

    The Government has assisted over 3.8 million students with over $16 billion in loans since the CSLP was founded. The CSLP was created in 1964. However, up until July 31, 2000, the Government of Canada and participating financial institutions worked together to finance the loans.

    Rules were changed and as of August 1, 2000, the Government of Canada formed the new National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) and they now directly finance all loans. There are two divisions of the NSLSC, one to manage loans for students attending public institutions and the other to administer loans for students attending private institutions.

    As a result, these student borrowers have one student debt and make a single payment when repaying their student loans. Already, integrated certificates of eligibility are in use for borrowers residing in all integrated provinces.

    These borrowers also benefit form a single loan consolidation form and process and a single interest relief application for their student loans. Also, they maintain a separate consolidation and repayment process for their risk-shared and guaranteed loans.

    They were having problems and decided to reform their system. They began improving program results, reducing costs per student, reducing defaults, decreasing loans written off, enhancing tracking data, improving on-line services to students for study, repayment and collections.

    A Quick Overview Of The USA Student Loan Program

    The most favorable student loan would be a Federal loan. They have lower interest rates, options to postpone payments, longer repayment terms and easier credit requirements. Eligibility for some of these loans is need based, while others are not.

    The Federal loans in which a student can choose from are the Federal Perkins Loan and the Federal Stafford Loan. Both types of these loans can be either subsidized or unsubsidized due to your qualifications.

    Next, is the Federal PLUS loan (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students). Once again as stated, the Federal loans are preferable in several aspects to the private student loans.

    Private loans are designed to supplement Federal loans and are available from schools, banks, credit unions, and education loan organizations. They are usually used to cover education costs that cannot be met by Federal aid.

    On terms for private loans, interest rates and fees vary according to the lender and your credit history and their rules of their individual company. They are not run nor governed by the Federal Government.

    As you can see, students attending college here in the US could have many options, good or poor, without having a strong voice in the situation. It is usually dictated from their family’s financial background and how they were encouraged to prepare for college.

    What Is SME Finance For Small Business Loans?

    Where Does SME Finance Program Fit?

    Commercial banks mainly have provided loans to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Most of these loans are given to enterprises that have a relatively solid bottom line and sufficient financial data.

    On top of this, collateral (being most important) is required for these loans in principal. Therefore, this type of loan is only available to some of the higher-performing SMEs. Consequently, many are disillusioned by the name and definition when looking for help with a small business loan through SME.

    There is another financial system, Microfinance. Microfinance is generally defined as micro loans for realizing poverty reduction. It targets low-income groups. Microfinance has such features as non-collateral loans and mutual guarantee.

    Here you can see there is a financial gap that is not covered by the two financial systems. The enterprises, which belong to this gap, have a potential to grow their businesses and create employment and grow in size.

    How SMEs Finance Program Work

    The economic and social importance of the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector is well recognized in academic literature. It is also recognized that these actors in the economy are underserved, largely in terms of finance.

    This has led to significant debate on methods to serve people and/or groups. Although there have been numerous schemes and programs in different economic environments, SME finance can be summarized by two main approaches which are stated here.

    Collateral based lending is offered by traditional banks and finance companies, make up a combination of the following:

  • Asset-based finance
  • Contribution based finance
  • Factoring based finance using reliable debtor or contracts
  • Information based lending:

  • Financial statement lending
  • Credit scoring
  • Relationship lending
  • Viability based finance is offered by venture capital
  • A substantial portion of the SME sector doesn’t have sufficient collateral required for collateral based lending and does not have high enough returns to justify the risks taken by venture capitalists.

    In addition to these regulatory issues, there is ample evidence that SMEs are significantly under financed. A study of other countries SME programs, report that only 3-18 percent could obtain financing from banks.

    The public sector, as well as the non-governmental organizations, tend to focus their attention on more prominent enterprises that individually pose a greater environmental risk. But their lack of engagement with SMEs ignores an equally important and widely dispersed threat.

    This is mainly because of the logistical difficulties inherent in lending money to small businesses. Banks tend to offer loans to SMEs on unfavorable terms because of the high-fixed costs associated with these transactions.

    Finally, SMEs are considered to be at a greater risk of failure, partially because company directors may have less collective management experience of business expertise than larger companies.

    Also, many investors often shy away from investing in emerging economy SMEs because of unfavorable investment climates and the uncertainty of sufficient returns. The result is that often they secure financing only by agreeing to a high amount of collateral and shorter payback periods while the rest must rely on their personal networks or high interest rates.

    Why Would I Have An Adverse Credit History And What Should I Do?

    What Is Adverse Credit History?

    An adverse credit history can come under a number of different headings. It can also be known as a poor credit history, non-status credit history or impaired credit history. Credit companies when judging one’s credit history use all these terms.

    A consumer or business credit history is regularly tracked by credit rating agencies. The data reported by these agencies is provided to them by creditors and includes detailed records of the relationship a person or business has with the lender.

    The information includes account information, payment history; credit limits, and high and low balances, any aggressive action taken to recover payment and all irregular activities.

    Next, is credit scoring which is the process of using a mathematical system to create a numerical value to total a picture of an applicant’s creditworthiness and their risk. Since lending money to a person or company is a risk, credit scoring offers a standardized way for lenders to assess that risk rapidly and without prejudice.

    Credit scores allege the likelihood that a borrower will repay a loan or credit obligation. The higher the score, the better the credit history. Here are some points that are considered influencing your credit score:

    Payment record: a record of bills being overdue will lower the credit rating.

    Control of debt: lenders want to see the borrowers are not living beyond their means. Experts estimate that non-mortgage credit payments each month should not exceed more than 15 percent of the borrower’s after tax income.

    Signs of responsibility and stability: lenders perceive things such as longevity in the borrower’s home and job (at least two years) as signs of stability. Having a respected profession can improve a credit rating.

    Re-aging: through re-aging a credit history is re-written and you are given a fresh start on that particular account. This can dramatically improve the credit score. In 2000 the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council clarified guidelines on re-aging accounts for delinquent borrowers.

    Credit inquiries: an inquiry is a notation on a credit history file. There are several kinds of notations that may or may not have an adverse effect on the credit score. Soft pulls don’t affect the credit score and are characteristic of a creditor’s report, counseling or fraud check. However, all credit cards, loans, banks and other lenders are all considered negative on your report.

    How To Repair An Adverse Credit Report

    There are many ways to change your adverse credit history and credit score. Obtaining help from a debt counseling service, or debt consolidation service if you are in debt can eventually return your credit score to normal.

    You should also be aware that an adverse credit history might not always be your fault. A credit agency may still show you as having an adverse credit history even if you have paid off your debts.

    You should obtain a copy of your credit information file to verify your standing. Many people have found that the information on a credit agency report is incorrect. At times there are debts that have not been removed from the report for many months and years and yet have been paid off.

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