Financing FAQ

Posted on Monday, 18th October 2010 by Vanessa Miller

If you think the debate about Internet taxes has gone away, think again. Taxing sales made on the Internet – an idea that’s been proposed many times in the past decade or so – is still being deliberated by lawmakers in some states.

The current state of Internet taxation came about when the 1998 Internet Tax Freedom Act was signed into effect “to promote and preserve the commercial, educational, and informational potential of the Internet.” It also prohibits federal, state and local governments from taxing Internet access and assessing “Internet-only” taxes, but it did not exempt sales taxes on Internet-made purchases.

Similar to phone and mail-order purchases, when customers make online purchases in states where the selling company has a physical presence, they must pay their local sales tax. Some states r

Read more…

Tags: Internet Taxes, Taxes
No Comments »

Posted on Saturday, 16th October 2010 by Emily Smith

Bankruptcy filings continue to rise, according to the latest numbers from the American Bankruptcy Institute. This may be grim news, but it’s hardly surprising.

With the national economy continuing to struggle, many U.S. residents are left with little choice but to file for bankruptcy protection. Filing for bankruptcy is no easy decision: It causes serious damage to consumers’ credit histories, but for many, it’s at least one way to deal with rising credit card debt.

According to the institute’s numbers, bankruptcy filings rose again in September. The total number of personal bankruptcy filings for the first three quarters of 2010 has now neared 1.2 million. That’s up significantly from 2009. In fact, it’s the highest this number has been since the first nine months of 2005. Back then, the bankruptcy numbers were inflated because Congress had approved changes to the bankruptcy code designed to make it harder for people to file. Many consum

Read more…

Tags: Bankruptcy Filings, Filings
No Comments »

Posted on Saturday, 16th October 2010 by Emily Smith

Believe it not some cars are more likely to get a citation than others. Is your car one of them. Read here which cars probably will get a ticket.

Contrary to popular belief, drivers in red cars don’t get ticketed more often than their less-flashy comrades. Middle-aged males with a thing for foreign brands, on the other hand, had better watch out.

Men who drive a Volkswagen GTI or Mercedes-Benz CLS-63 AMG are twice as likely to get a ticket than the average driver. If they’re in a Hummer, they might as well plan on it–drivers of the Hummer H2 face more than triple the chances of a citation.

“It’s the combination of the male driver driving the big old Hummer and a mid-life kind of person feeling good,” says Bob U’Ren, senior vice president at Quality Planning, a San Francisco-based company that validates policyholder information for auto insurers. “That’s the magical combination that drives some of these things.

Our list of the cars most likely to get a ticket includes only two autos manufactured by Detroit’s Big Three, both of them discontinued: the Hummer H2 and the Pontiac Grand Prix. Drivers of GM

Read more…

Tags: Ticket
No Comments »

Posted on Saturday, 16th October 2010 by Vanessa Miller

I’ve been interviewed more times in the last two weeks than I was in the last six months. Financial news outlets such as Kiplinger, Entrepreneur, Inc., Money, CNNMoney, FoxNews, MSNBC, DowJones, and many others have called me, asking for my opinion of the current small business credit market. Everyone wants to know the truth.

Last week the writers interviewing me were asking question such as:

“Why is it so difficult for small business owners to get financing now?”

“Will anyone be able to get financing based on what’s happening?”

This week the questions began to change. Now they are asking:

“Is there really a credit crunch for small business owners?”

Not only have I had lots of calls from the media, I’ve also heard from prospects looking to hire us to work with them – all with questions about what’s really happening out there.

So here’s the truth. Some of you may be read

Read more…

No Comments »

Posted on Sunday, 10th October 2010 by Emily Smith

Nobody has said it in so various words, but we are at the conclusion of the recession. In a time when the economy is going to rise and fall as it stabilizes, it is important to know when a stock is about to falter. Everyone knows the basics. Avoid investing in companies that generate sub par earnings, has weak cash flow, or a less than adequate balance sheet. However, there are other unpleasant characteristics a stock can hold that will drop it into the toilet in inclement economic weather. Keep an eye out for these other symptoms that show an avalanche ahead.

It is not uncommon for a company to lower their earnings guidance. That can happen for a number of standard reasons that happen in the cycle a company goes through: slightly dropped earnings, a weakened economy, etc. Just make sure that the company in question clears the bar they set in that quarter. Why is that? Of course you’re more worried about the value of the stock than the revenue earned from them. U

Read more…

Tags: Going, Going Tumble
No Comments »

Posted on Sunday, 10th October 2010 by Emily Smith

The importance of getting the right, or best student loans cannot be overstated: when you do this, you will be much better off after graduation, where it can be tough when you’re just starting out in the work world. The last thing you want at that time is to be worried about a bunch of bad debt, while trying to make ends meet if you don’t get that great job right away.

Of course, you should get what you can from the government in the way of low interest student loans, as well as checking to see what grants and scholarships, etc. that you might qualify for. This is a great first step to securing financing for your education, but typically it will not be enough to cover all of the costs associated with your time in school. In that case, you will need to look for other sources of financing, and you want to be sure that what you decide to add to your debt is both wise and cost effective.

Sizing up Personal Loans

To supplement any monies that you receive from the government for your student loans, this can be a really helpful addition. How

Read more…

Tags: Loans, Student Loans
No Comments »