Car Finance–3 Great Financing Options

If you’re thinking of buying a used or new vehicle, there are a few different ways in which you can finance your purchase. 

 

Although you can pay cash when you buy a car, almost 80% of the people buying cars today use a car financing option. This is more affordable because you are able to break the car payments down into monthly expenses, instead of having to spend a big amount of cash at once.

 

Of course, there are pros and cons to each different option of car financing. You should consider these carefully before you decide which one you will use. 

 

0% financing is one of these options. 

 

0% financing allows you the option of extending the amount of time in which you can pay the car finance loan back. This is without the interest that you often have to pay when you take out a loan. This option is what the car retailers like to use to interest customers and bring them in. 

 

It’s difficult to qualify for this loan though, as your credit score needs to be quite high. Also, the amount of time in which you are expected to pay the loan back is a lot less then with some of the other car financing options. You could be asked to pay the whole loan back in 36 months, instead of making smaller payments over a longer period of time. 

 

The second option is one which offers you a cash-back incentive. When you look at the two options, the 0% APR financing option and the cash back offer, you can compare which one is more suitable for you. 

 

You do this by working out the amount of interest you will have to pay during the whole length of your loan when you choose the cash-back option. If you find out that you would have to pay more interest than the amount of cash-back you would receive, you would be better off choosing the 0% APR deal. 

 

The next car finance option is having the opportunity of getting into your dream car without putting any money down.

 

For many people a great incentive is not having to pay a down-payment. Many people simply do not have a lot of extra money to put towards a down-payment. 

 

You may end up paying much more in interest in the long run, and monthly payments will of course be higher, but the advantage to this option is that you can get your car without paying as much upfront. 

How Many Steps Are You from Getting Car Finance?

It is a pretty easy process to get car finance approved, but it can seem complicated if you don’t know what to expect. Many people don’t get the car that they wanted because someone else got money together and bought it first. This can be a big disappointment. 

These 5 steps should help make the whole process run more smoothly for you and help you get a quicker settlement. 

 

Step 1: Find Your Car

 

If you haven’t yet decided on which car you want, you should try to at least have an idea of what you. This is because finance companies base their final approval on the car you buy. If you find a model that is similar to the car you will eventually buy then it won’t matter if the car you actually do buy is just a bit different.

 

Step 2: Be Prepared

 

No matter what finance company you choose, you will need to give them a lot of information about yourself if you want them to approve your loan. You should make sure to bring all the necessary information with you. This includes; your address details, your employers/work details and driving license numbers. You will also be asked whether or not you have previously borrowed money. If you there is a partner involved, you will need to produce that person’s information too. 

 

Step 3: Be Available

 

You might be asked to send papers or documentation. At this point, the only person who could slow the process down is you. You should try to have a scanner or a fax machine at your disposal so you can send the necessary papers immediately. Be sure that you are available to sign any documents if need be. 

 

Step 4: Read Carefully

 

It is important to read everything very carefully. You should watch out for that small print, but also remember that these are legal documents, you have to be sure to sign and put the date at the right places, otherwise the document becomes invalid and you’ll have to make a whole new one. 

 

Step 5: You Are Approved

 

Now that you are approved, you can see the amount of money you have borrowed. It’s time to act. If you haven’t already found the car to buy do it now. You can use the fact that your loan has been approved as bargaining leverage. Certain documents from the car dealer are also required to be sent to your finance company. Then comes settlement. 

 

If you work well with your finance company and follow these steps, it should be a pretty easy and quick process. 

How to Choose a Car Finance Broker

Buying a car is one thing, but financing it is another thing. The financing part is the most important. As a matter of fact, financing of cars has gone to the next level with the introduction of finance brokers to the trade. These individuals have made the whole process easier than it was in the past. To start with, they help people acquire secure car loans. Secondly, they help one budget when planning to purchase a vehicle. Generally, finance brokers help car buyers have an easy time when buying a car as well as acting as consultants.

 

A good finance broker is one who gives you tips on how best to approach loaning institutes when applying for a car loan. He or she should have experience in this particular sector in order for him to know how to go about the whole process. As a matter of fact, experienced finance brokers have built good relationships with loan lenders. Therefore, lenders can even give you advice on a particular finance broker, his qualities and if he is as open as he claims to be. However, there are other key factors that one should critically look at when choosing a finance broker. Remember that fraudsters are all over the place and it is important for you to consider these factors.

 

First, check for his credentials. He or she should be a member of COSL (Credit Ombudsman Service Limited). Alternatively, he or she can also be a member of FBAA (Finance Brokers’ Association) or even both. This applies to those based in Australia. These are the leading finance brokers associations. To check if you broker is a member of any of these associations, simply go through their list of members. WA Finance Broker License is another very important credential document for any good license broker. This license just proves that the broker has reached the required education limit plus is a recognized broker.

 

Accreditations are also a considering factor for finance brokers. Preferably, go for a broker that has a wide range of accreditations since this gives you a wide variety of lender options. Another very important factor is experience. Look for a finance that has several years of experience. As they say, experience is the best teacher. An experienced broker offers quality services. Lastly, look for one that offers services outside the box. This simply means one that is quite versatile in the finance field and can help you in each and every step of the process. 

4 Smart Tips to Using Credit Cards

Plastic money, which comes in form of credit cards, is really loved and highly used. There is nothing you cannot purchase with one swipe of the credit card. Credit companies make a multi-billion dollars kill every year on credit card users. This kill is made when they deduct their charges and when they fine you for late payments, transfers and over-limits. However, a credit card can be a good servant if used wisely but a bad master when used unwisely. As a matter of fact, you can even get bonuses when you learn how to wisely use your plastic. The following tips will be of great help to you.

• There are many credit card companies to choose from; choose the best. The best credit card you can have is one that has good rates of interest and an open bonus system. Some credit cards usually have rewards for you, if you use it wisely. The rewards range from cash back to college fees for your kids. You can have a look at the customer reviews on a credit card before choosing it to be your plastic. Such reviews will give you the best image of the credit card, and the experiences of other customers will help you make the right choice.

• Avoid carrying balances on your plastic. Credit card companies reward those who have a clean record when it comes to having balances in their credit cards. Paying off the balances usually relieves you of the burden of paying huge amounts of interest. Make it your aim to pay off any balance in your credit card ever month.

•  Learn how to communicate with your credit card company. When you have a balance that has been forwarded to the next month, pick up your phone and talk to your credit card company and see whether it is possible for the interest rate to be cut down. However, you can only benefit from such a step if you have previously kept a clean record of clearing balances with the company.

• Avoid cash advances like plague. As a matter of fact, use cash advances only when you are faced with an emergency and there is no other way out. It is very easy to ask for a cash advance, because when you get it you feel as if you have been given free money. However, such advances usually attract heavy interests and charges when you delay payment. 

Use these smart tips when you use credit cards and then you will not feel them to be the monster that they are usually touted to be.

Small Business Merchant Loans and Other Alternatives

One very common way to begin your business is by becoming a merchant. Being a merchant is by no means easy however. There are always a lot of things which you need to pay attention to. One of these things is the liquidity of your company/business.

 

Often what causes merchants to fail is simply a case of not having enough capital or insufficient access to extra capital. 

 

When you have access to extra capital, it could mean two things; you are either a very rich person or you have learned the different options available to receiving funding for the small business you are running. 

 

It’s clear that the second option is the best. These days it doesn’t matter so much if you have a lot of money today. There may be a time coming when you will have to resort to different types of merchant loans.

 

There are two different types of financing solutions for funding your company/business. Merchant loans and small business loans are some of the popular choices, as they can generally approve you for borrowing a large amount of money. 

 

This is good, because you are able to start your own business or you can buy out a business. Money which you have borrowed from the bank could be used to re-finance some of your other various business depts. It could also be used to buy other kinds of capital such as, inventory, commercial real estate or necessary equipment. 

 

Besides small business loans, you can choose for a cash advance. This is somewhat similar in regards to merchant loans, except you are not required to pay fees upfront. The application process is much simpler then applying for a normal business loan, they typically do not ask for details for credit card agencies. 

 

A business cash advance has the big advantage that there is no fixed collection time and the scheduled repayments are a little more lenient. The money you are borrowing is unsecured, so you don’t have to worry yourself about collateral. With a cash advance you as an applicant don’t need especially good business credit score. 

 

SBA loans generally will satisfy your needs for funding, but it is not as easy to get additional capital like this. That’s why there are other alternatives. It would help you if you turned more attention to the other options. Unsecured loans/cash advances usually cover the higher risk by higher rates; they can still be a good last resort. 

 

It could save your business. Learning more about merchant loans and also funding alternatives will help you understand your options. 

Small Business Franchise Loans

Running your own business, whether it is a big or small business is a lot of hard work. It’s never easy. There are so many things that you need to attend to, and running the whole operation yourself can be difficult. 

 

Thankfully there are some ways to lighten your workload. Besides getting a few business partners another way is to choose to run a franchise business. This will save you from having to develop your business plan yourself. 

 

But it is true that it will always be difficult to finance a small business operation. Even a franchise has its pitfalls and it can be tricky. So how do you go about making it all a bit easier?

 

People would rather run a business through a franchise these days, this means they are already provided with the main things they need to start their business off well. 

 

When you own your own franchise, you are required to make an upfront payment. Besides this, you also need lots of capital in order to fund the marketing and build-out costs.

 

In this instance, you would do well to study a bit more about the different forms of financing which are available to smaller business. But most of the time, franchises will try to qualify for franchise loans. 

 

Some good news here, it is much easier for the banks to approve financing for a franchise then it is for them to finance a new start-up business. The reason for this is that franchises already have a good track record, also with money.

 

The franchisers would also be able to supply the necessary money for the business owner. The type of financing very much differs from one franchisor to the other. The amount also varies between different franchisors. Financial firms also offer funding to smaller businesses by using their retirement funds.

 

This is made possible because of a financial structure which has been developed. This structure enables the franchisors to invest retirement money straight into their own franchise, they can do this without having to pay taxes. 

 

A small business administration person provides the franchises with all sorts of different types of funding. What you should do is learn about the different ways in which you can increase capital. 

 

There are many different ways for you to increase the amount of capital you have, for your own personal franchise. It is very important for you to keep watching your finances. That way you can determine whether they are being wisely spent and invested. 

Qualifications Necessary for Receiving a Franchise Loan

These days, people who are in need of money to use for the franchise businesses they are planning take out a franchise loan. Franchise businesses can be very lucrative right now, even despite the fact that they can be very expensive. 

 

A benefit to a franchise business is that you don’t need many promotions or advertising in order to let people know about your services. This is because your business will already have an established name. With a franchise business you don’t have to buy many materials to start with. Ingredients, devices and other materials would be included in a franchise package.

 

Aside from that, a franchise business gives you a head start against your competitors, because your business will be on par with an original business. 

 

But, because of the established name and its popularity, a franchise business will prove to be expensive. It has been said that in this type of business you are just paying for the name and the trademark. But many people still decide to go for a franchise business because it does have good business opportunities. If you decide on a franchise business you can get a franchise loan from a financial institution.

 

It is possible to get funding for a small business, like a franchise enterprise, through a financial institution. These institutions do have specific qualifications which you need to have in order to be eligible for a loan. 

 

The first qualification which the financial institution looks for is whether or not you will be able to pay off a loan like this. Obviously, this is a basic qualification which you need at any financial institution, private lender or bank. 

 

Something to keep in mind is that financial institutions cannot risk losing large amounts of money, such as with franchise loans. As the creditor you have to have good capacity to pay off the loan and a good credit history. This will help your loan to be approved. 

 

The financial institution will pay the most attention to these two things. They consider your capacity to finish paying off the loan and credit history. The financial institution also considers your qualities as an entrepreneur, and whether or not you will be able to make the business succeed. 

 

When applying for a loan, particularly one for a large amount of money, your personal qualifications will be thoroughly checked. 

How to Apply for Commercial Loans

The application process of getting a commercial loan can be quite daunting, especially if you aren’t sure what you’re getting yourself into. People always assume that it’s the same as the process you go through to get personal loans. But it is quite a different process all together.

 

Waiting can be frustrating, there is lots of paperwork coming and going and it’s a long time before you can get your loan approved. 

 

One common way to do it is to use a broker. So read this:- 

 

When you submit your loan application, the reviewer, who is usually called a loan officer, will check all the paperwork you have submitted. He will check your credit history, income statement and collateral. If you need to submit additional paperwork the loan officer will let you know, you will then have to resubmit the application. 

 

Usually loan applicants have to provide extra information when it comes to certain types of loans such as, a loan for purchasing commercial real-estate. For this you will need to submit things like area environmental reports, area maps and appraisals. 

 

When all the necessary paperwork is gathered together in a loan packet, it is sent to a number of leading institutions, who will check the documents and decide if they should be approved.

 

This process can be made easier if you use a broker. A broker may be able to make things proceed more speedily for you. You application will then be checked by loan committees or underwriters. They will provide you (the applicant) with a letter. 

 

This is called the ‘letter of intent’ it is just a preliminary-document which helps you (the applicant) and the potential money lender to decide what exactly is desired by both parties. This is an underwriting process. Extra paperwork might be needed, but it depends on the situation. It usually takes about a week for the decision to be made. 

 

The underwriter is always the best person to contact when you need to negotiate important offers and terms. Things like, interest rates and the repayment period. 

 

After the money lenders make their offer, you will need to go through the offers and choose the one which is the most attractive in regards to your business. Once you have chosen an offer that you like, you will need to sign your name to the ‘letter-of-intent’ from the bank you have decided on. Extra fees and deposits may also be necessary to finish the process of your loan application. 

 

If your loan has been approved a closing agent takes over and guides you through the many necessary formalities in order to close the deal. Once all the paperwork is finished, you’ll get your loan money as a check or it will be made over by direct debit, depending on what you have agreed on. 

Get an SBA Loan to Finance Your Startup

SBA (Small Business Administration) is a 7(a) loan program. Out of all the different financing options which are available, SBA loan program is amongst the very best. 

 

SBA 7(a) loan program is focused on helping small business-owners with a bank loan when they need financial assistance.

 

Getting your business started with bank financing is a very good way to start out, if you are able to get it. It’s recommended that you check out this 7(a) loan-program when you’re finding ways to finance your new business. 

 

It’s recommended for two very good reasons: 

 

• Compared to most other options it’s much cheaper. 

• The bank will not try to tell you how you should run your own business, so it’s a lot less restrictive than other forms financing. 

 

How the 7(a) Loan Program Works

 

• First you need to apply at your bank for a business starting loan. 

• If your banker does not recommend it, you should ask for an SBA 7(a) loan. 

• You have to fill out the 7(a) loan application form. You’ll also need to provide a business plan.

• The bank will then check your application form and the business plan. This will help them decide whether or not you are eligible under the SBA guidelines, for a start-up loan. 

• Once you have been approved, your bank will receive a loan guarantee from the SBA. SBA guarantees up until 85% of loans that are $150,000 dollars or less. 

• To get the loan guaranteed, the bank must accept the SBAs guidelines. Loan terms with SBA are longer and the interest will be lower than anywhere else. Whether or not you have started a business before is not irrelevant. 

• You will be happy because of the fact that you’re getting the financing for your business. Your bank is also happy because 85% is guaranteed so they are not running a high risk by lending you money. It’s a satisfactory end result.

 

Some Other Things You Should Remember 

• Financing for starting businesses which need $150,000 or less, have very high rates of approval (If you want to buy a business you could go until $250,000 while keeping a high rate of approval).

• Your business plan needs to be carefully thought out. You should also have income and expense projections. Business experience is a big help. You’ll need a good credit history in order to be approved. 

• You should plan a couple of weeks (roughly 4-7) in between the time you start your loan applications until you receive the money. 

• If your credit scores are under 600 or if you have had a bankruptcy in the past 7 years, you won’t be approved for the loan. 

 

To sum it all up, the SBA 7(a) loan-program will be ideal for any business owners who are just starting out and need to borrow money.