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Showing posts with label Bankruptcy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bankruptcy. Show all posts

Beware Of Bad Credit Payday Loans

by: Jeff Schuman

Could bad credit payday loans be the answer consumers with low
bank accounts have been looking for? Is there any harm in using
these services? Aren't they better than using credit cards or
going hungry?

Have you seen the commercials? Cute characters promise financial
prosperity. Happy, professional individuals appear to regularly
visit their corner pay day loan shop as proudly as cashing a
check at the bank. Customers at the grocery store all recommend
pay day loans as the easy solution for a lack of funds.

WHY USE A PAY DAY LOAN?

Some individuals reason that paying a bill with borrowed money
is better than receiving bad credit marks because of not paying
the bill. This is understandable. However, some financial
institutions are willing to make the occasional exception if
contacted about the situation. Or there may be a small fee, but
not a credit report made.

Using it for groceries or other items? Consider the true cost
before making a decision. Compare the cost of using a pay day
(or cash advance) loan to the fees charged for taking a cash
advance on your own credit card. Can family help? Often those
who are forced to use pay day loans are not able to repay the
loan by the next pay check and that can lead to a cycle of debt
and stress.

WHAT IS THE COST?

Several sources, including a consumer report by the FTC (Federal
Trade Commission) and the CFA (Consumer Federation of America)
state that usual the usual APR is between 350 - 650% with some
as high as 780%.

A loan of $100 ranges in cost between $15 - $30. If the loan is
not repaid by the pay date then it can be renewed with another
fee due at each renewal. A loan of $100 can cost $60 in fees
after 3 renewals.

WHO BENEFITS?

Based on the warnings issued by federal and consumer
organizations it is clear that using pay day loans or cash
advances from these businesses can often lead to more debt and
problems. Some sites were reported to automatically roll over
the loan and only withdraw the renewal fee on the pay date.
Other sites surveyed by the CFA required customers to agree in
contract to not participate in class action suits or to file for
bankruptcy.

For those who are having debt problems it is recommended to seek
no- or low-cost credit counseling from a local non-profit
organization. These organizations can help with reducing current
interest charges and lowering monthly payments. If the problem
is budget, you should look to a financial planner who can help
you to manage the money you do have and avoid using credit at
all.

About the author:
Team-Schuman.Com contains the best make money online and make
money websites available today. If you want to make money check
us out here: http://www.team-schuman.com/bad-credit-payday-loan.html

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Bankruptcy 101

by: Mansi gupta

‘Bankruptcy’ the term that can raise the goose bumps of almost every individual who hears it and even a nervous breakdown to those who confront it. Bankruptcy stands for the situation when a person runs into huge debts and there is hardly any money left with him to repay those debts. The clouds of bankrupt situation can hover over anybody’s life be it a successful business man who has never ever fathomed it or any greenhorn entrepreneur who had thought of going a long way ahead.

There are several reasons behind this insolvency

Indebtedness-people usually take big loans from the banks and private companies in order to run successfully their business or company. However, since the economy is constantly fluctuating, one might not be able to incur expected results or profits. So, the loan debt with interest rates gets piling on. The loan can also be taken to pay off a bill that you missed paying. The loan is taken instantly in this case without an assessment of the interest rates. This can be cause snags later.

The credit card bills are also a source of trouble. They are charged with good interest and at the end of the month when the expenditure has chewed your month’s income; the credit card bill can make you bite the dust.

In the world today where fraud and betrayals are considered to be the bets virtues, any partner or shareholder or director might connive to pitch the company or business to bankruptcy. Here the reasons can be mutual squabbles and vengeance.

Gradual denouncement from the market- the commodity you sell today at price X, may be sold tomorrow by some other company at a much cheaper price Y. This can oust or eject your product from the market replacing it with a relatively cheaper one.

However, where there is a will, there is definitely a way. Just as there are two sides of a coin, there are two aspects attached to everything. When you glare at the negative side of the situation, its positive aspect is lurking behind according to which bankruptcy can be seen a situation that provides you a golden chance to start things afresh.

This is done by filing your application for bankruptcy, in a way seeking help from the government to help you overcome the disaster. Once you forward your application and it is accepted, the government repays most of your debts. This becomes possible by taking hold of your assets and dividing them amongst the creditors in an organized manner. But the debts that are associated with embezzlement or those huge ones that cannot be covered up via one’s assets can be problematic. In case of businesses filing for bankruptcy, certain procedure has to be followed up.

Besides this there are a few debt consolidation services that advertise themselves through television, print media etc. Debt consolidation signifies using a loan provided by that service to repay other debts. This loan is comparatively at a lower rate of interest and it often becomes easier for many to repay one loan instead of five to six ones.

In any case, if you are seeking financial aid from the government, banks, services etc., there stands the barrier of qualification. It is that you should be able to prove the service or the bank that your case is authentic and not a fraud. In order to escape future troubles, the government has formulated strict laws and eligibility criterion in this area.

However, in any case it is better to seek the advice of an advisor before seeking help to make up your crisis. This will not just educate you about all the related terms and conditions but also the possible legal and financial consequences. Just keep in mind that help always comes to those who are look for it with a true heart.

About the author:
Mansi gupta writes about bankruptcy Learn more at http://www.bankruptnomore.com

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Are Corporate Awards and Corporate Gifts Beneficial for your Business?

by: Brock Boser

With the increased challenges that all companies are faced with, many corporations have implemented various initiatives to continue to grow corporate earnings and shareholder value, some have discovered the strategic value of corporate awards and corporate gifts.

From the boardroom to the frontlines to the client across the country, corporate awards and gifts offer many benefits to enhance performance. Not only are you showing your appreciation to the employee or customer, you setting a standard of thanks for the hard work and dedication.

Corporate Awards Benefits: A company’s success depends on its employees and their abilities. With the incentive of a corporate award or corporate gift you attract and retain current employees to pursue for more in the workplace. Corporate awards are great for:

_ Direction
_ Talent Retention
_ Sales Goals
_ Public Relations
_ A Direct affect on the company’s bottom line.

Things to Consider when giving a Corporate Award: How many times do you give the award? Most companies have an annual corporate dinner or function where the years corporate awards are given out. This would be the best time to show your appreciation.

What type of recognition do you want the award to represent? You definitely want to make this award stand out and make it represent the kind of hard work that was accomplished. What kind of statement do you want to the corporate award to make? You want it to make it so that everyone else will strive for that award next year. A statement shows gratitude but also envy.

From the small business to the major corporation, corporate awards will have an increased performance level. No company should underestimate the power of corporate awards. Your business will gain a critical view of your operations and challenge to improve the business and company as a whole.

Benefits of Corporate Gifts: As major holidays are approaching, many companies will be thinking about giving your customers (and possibly employees) corporate gifts. Sending corporate gifts does not always have to be thought about during the holidays. Many other occasions such as referrals, completion of a project, customer’s birthday or even a business anniversary can be acceptable times to send a gift. When sending the gift, make sure that you add a personal touch, as this can go a long way. Include a hand-written note, or wrap the gift yourself. You can even present the gift in person to give it that extra touch. There are not a lot of do’s or don’t when sending a corporate gift but the key is to make sure that the added touch is there to show the person that you are grateful for what has been accomplished.

Companies should not underestimate the power of business awards and gifts. Not only do corporate awards show true appreciation, it makes other employees strive to become a standout in their field. Sending corporate gifts also reassures your thanks to the employee or client that you appreciate the hard work and dedication that it takes to run the business. These kind gestures will not only build your relationships but it will help you build the company by utilizing its maximum potential.

About the author:
Brock Boser writes about corporate awards & corporate gifts.
See http://www.crystaloccasion.com for more information.

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Alternative Venture Finance: Shell Corporations

by: Dave Lavinsky

A shell corporation is a company that is incorporated but has no significant assets or operations. These corporations may be formed as an alternative venture financing mechanism.

Shell company financing works in two ways. In many cases, the shell corporation is created from scratch. The purpose of these shells is to raise money and to get a number of shares outstanding into the public’s hands. In most cases, the shares are sold in units. That is, the shares are sold as one share of common stuck plus warrants at the current offering price.

The “empty” shell is then merged with the operating company. The merged companies begin to report operating results and when the results are good, existing stockholders exercise their warrants and provide needed capital into the company.

A second type of shell corporation is formed when the company seeking capital identifies an existing shell or inactive public company (IPC) as a candidate for a reverse acquisition. This typically occurs after a public company emerges from bankruptcy. At this time it may be void of assets other than cash. In fact, the principal asset of the IPC is its often its public registration and a roster of shareholders from which new capital may be raised.

Shell corporations are a quick and cost effective way of taking a company public and raising public capital. However, typically bridge capital is required to finance the process and take the company to a point where investors are interested in exercising their options.

About the author:
GT Business Plans has developed over 200 business plans for clients that have collectively raised over $750 million in financing, launched numerous new product and service lines and gained competitive advantage and market share. GT Business Plans is the sister site of GT Venture Capital

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Achieving Financial Security in an Unreliable Economy

by: Shannon Lavenia
Copyright 2005 Shannon Lavenia

Financial Security is a false concept that developed in American society based on the idea that security comes from the perceived reliability of a regular or planned paycheck. Many people, believing in the commitment of their corporations to their well-being, have found themselves downsized, layed-off, outsourced, transferred, or, in some cases, even fired. The immediate reality becomes harshly apparent and sadly disappointing.

The bottom line is that Corporate America will always be focused on the bottom line. As a dependent corporate employee, you are subject to the whims of the corporation. You have absolutely no control over how much you earn, where you work, the longevity and reliability of your income, or your position. You are simply a number. At any given moment, some nameless pencil-pushing number-cruncher, can deem that you are no longer an asset to the company and, rather, have become a liability. At any given moment, it can be deemed that you no longer factor into the profitability of the corporation - and your OUT. They don't care if you have a mortgage to pay, 3 kids in college or a new shiny car with a hefty payment. They don't care that you've come in early for the last 9 years or given 20 years of your life to them. The bottom line is that you don't effect the bottom line in a positive way...so you're OUT.

Corporations no longer hold value in employee commitment or dedication. Each day, companies are choosing to cut costs by outsourcing to less expensive countries with cheaper labor, downsize, and reduce costs by eliminating cost of living increases, benefits and retirement guarantees. Recently, the media has been focusing on the deliberate actions of corporations that cost employees each year. The Christian Science Monitor, on November 7th, 2005, featured an article, “Workers Face Paycheck Pinch”. In the article, the author, Mark Trumbell, details the lag of Corporate America to maintain pay increases with inflation:

"For all its strength, the current economic expansion is not boosting the American worker's paycheck. Wages have been rising nominally: Average pay rose 8 cents last month to $16.27 an hour, according to a government report Friday. That's not fast enough to counter inflation.

By one common measure, average pay for an hour's work has less purchasing power than it had four years ago - when the current growth cycle began. It's a pattern of weak wage growth that's now several years old, but the trend has worsened in recent months. Wages for the most recent quarter were 2.3 percent lower, after inflation, than workers received a year before"

Time Magazine recently featured an article entitled “Broken Promises”

"It was part of the American Dream, a pledge made by corporations to their workers: for your decades of toil, you will be assured retirement benefits like a pension and health care. Now more and more companies are walking away from that promise, leaving millions of Americans at risk of an impoverished retirement."

"Corporate promises are often not worth the paper they're printed on. Businesses in one industry after another are revoking long-standing commitments to workers." (Bartlett and Steele, October 31, 2005, p. 32-33)

So, how do you achieve Financial Security in this changing global economy? Employers aren't even keeping up with inflation and are doing everything in their power to reduce benefits and retirement income. The days of being rewarded for loyalty to corporations are long gone – it’s now every person for themselves. In addition, loop holes in corporate law enable companies to restructure, file bankruptcy and maneuver their way out of promises to employers to provide benefits.

In reality, true Financial Security is belief in yourself and your ability to instinctively create income for yourself at any time, anywhere. Entrepreneurs understand true Financial Security. They’re self-reliant, creative, independent and solution focused. We know that at any given time, regardless of the economy, trends, timing, etc. that we have the skills, know-how, and guts to create our life. Entrepreneurs refuse to be dependent on or subject to the whims or decisions of corporate America, rather establishing themselves as corporations, producing their own incomes through commitment, service and sheer motivation. We are responsible for our own retirements and count on the promises of no one. Entrepreneurs ARE financial security and as such we reap the rewards.

There are many opportunities for people to become successful entrepreneurs. Thousands of people have made fortunes on the internet alone. Decide what type of business you want, what your ultimate goal is (time, money, leisure, etc) and go from there. A common misconception is that businesses take thousands of dollars to start. It is true of some, but there are many lucrative opportunities available for nominal start-up costs. Once you make the decision to be self-employed, do your research, find the right business for you and move forward from there.


About the author:
Shannon Lavenia is a premier trainer and business educator in the field of wealth creation, entrepreneurism, and internet marketing.
She can be contacted at http://www.trueprosperitynow.com

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