Finance Guide

Purchasing a new car is one of the biggest decisions a household can make, and one that can have long-lasting financial implications. Therefore it is important to make sure the financial planning behind the purchase is sound and able to deal with unforeseen incidents that could require a shift in resources to other expenses.

There are two main options to new car financing; either a traditional loan from a bank, building society or dealership or a hire-purchase agreement.

The biggest decision regarding a loan is the interest rate – dealerships can provide finance deals but often their interest rates compare less favourably than banks or building societies. Compare the APR offered from the different potential lenders in order to effectively compare how much you will end up paying back each year.

If you find it hard to make sense of the different options, the Office of Fair Trading can provide free resources, such as the APR and rebate calculator, to help make comparison easier. A longer repayment period will cost less month to month, but more in total over the term of the loan. In addition to the loan itself, it is important to calculate related costs such as road tax and car insurance before negotiating the terms of a loan.

If the repayment period is fairly lengthy it may be worthwhile looking for a lender that offers repayment holidays. Though it’s not advisable to repeatedly delay payment, a one-off deferral may be useful should unexpected household expenses arise. Payment holidays should be agreed upon during the initial term negotiations, as lenders frown upon renegotiations during the repayment period to ask for it.

A hire-purchase agreement is generally a more complex form of car finance, and requires more attention to detail when agreeing on the terms of repayment. Hire-purchase agreements essentially differ from loans in that ownership remains with the lender until all payments have been made. The agreement should therefore contain all the details on the number of instalments and the full hire-purchase price of the car.

There are also a number of pitfalls to watch out for. For instance, interest-free credit offers might sound appealing, but failing to make all the payments in the stated period could result in significant interest rates being imposed on the loan.

So if you’re looking to purchase a new car in the near future, keep in mind the aforementioned points to make sure your car is financed by terms that suit your household budget and can accommodate any unforeseen bumps in the road.

So, you’re contemplating purchasing a used car?  Whether the dealership calls it a pre-owned vehicle, a used car or a “new to you” vehicle, it amounts to the same thing.  These can be fantastic deals, giving you a needed vehicle, without the depreciation that strikes a new car the second you drive it off the lot.  However, now that you have decided to look at what’s for sale, you’ll need to know a bit about financing options.  For instance, how long can you finance a used car?  Is an extended warranty included in the financing?

When choosing financing for a used car, there are several things that you must look for, prior to making any decision (whether on the car or the financing option).  First, is the car worth financing?  Obviously, the car has some value, or the dealership would not be selling it, but will it hold its value throughout the loan?  To determine this, you’ll need to consider the brand of the vehicle, as well as how many miles it currently has on the engine.  There are other factors in the equation as well, but many of those are out of your control, such as the state of the auto market when the loan is finally paid off.

Another area of concern when financing a used car is the extended warranty.  Many used cars have the remnants of a manufacturer’s warranty on them, depending on the make and mileage on the car.  However, once that manufacturer’s warranty runs out, there will be no coverage offered, other than your insurance.  You can, however, add an extended warranty to the vehicle and tack the cost of the warranty onto the auto loan.  Of course, this will raise the monthly payments and increase the cost of the loan by a significant amount.  However, this can be a very smart decision to make.

Of course, there are many other considerations to make.  Most of these apply to financing a used car or a new car.  For instance, you will need to know your credit score prior to applying for financing.  You will also need a copy of your credit history, so that you know there will be no nasty surprises waiting for you in the financing office. Finally, you will need to know your monthly budget.  How much can you afford in monthly payments?  How long will it take you to pay off the vehicle with the minimum monthly payments?  Remember that the total cost of the car is just as important as the amount you have to pay each month.

As a final piece of advice, never expect to pay “blue book” value for a used car.  You will finance the vehicle for the price the dealership asks, minus whatever amount you are due from trade-ins, your down payment and tough negotiating skills.  Remember that almost every part of a car sale is negotiable, right down to the amount of interest charged on your auto loan.

Of all the issues relating to TIC exchanges, TIC financing is one of the most important. Individual tenant in common finance implements separate financing for each owner after all, and so it is important for each owner involved here to be aware of TIC financing issues.

TIC financing is a concept that has actually existed for many years now, and whenever there is a title held by multiple owners but only one of the owners has signed the mortgage, then the individual TIC financing is created automatically as a result.

Dos and Don’ts

If you want to make the most of your TIC investment and put yourself at the lowest possible risk, then there are a few dos and don’ts here that you are going to want to be aware of. Getting pre-approved before you buy for instance is very important and something that you want to make sure to do.

Regardless of the particular type of property that you are looking for, you will need to show the seller involved that you are going to be able to support your share of the group financing. You are going to need to provide them with adequate proof to ensure them that you will be able to be financially responsible.

It is also imperative that investors here expect to make a down payment of at least 10% towards the purchase. Lenders tend to require larger down payments for loans secured by multi unit properties than loans that are secured by a single-family home or condominium.

A few things that you do not want to do with TIC financing include not using your interest rates as your sole criteria when searching for a TIC loan. This is important because you need to consider what is going to happen when one of your TIC partners needs to sell, and not just look for the lowest rate.

It is also best to avoid putting yourself in any situation where you would need to close quickly. Also never base your purchase decision on the expectation of converting your TIC unit to a condominium. This is important because if you get the chance to do so then fantastic, but know that this is not always going to be an option for you.

These dos and don’ts will be very helpful to any potential investor, and should always be kept in mind before deciding to go through with this investment. Speaking to a financial advisor or tax consultant will also be a good idea.

With so many different types of loans and financial packages available on the marketplace it can be quite confusing to decipher the difference between them and to work out the unique advantages and disadvantages of each. This article aims to explain what each of these loan agreements are for and how they can be used to your advantage, as by picking the wrong loan agreement for your needs could end up costing you a lot of money.

Secured Loan
A secured loan is a type of personal loan that is secured against your home or property. This means that if you fail to repay the loan then you could be in danger of loosing your house. Generally people tend to take a secured loan if they want to borrow a large amount of money, over many years (generally from 5 years up to 20 years). Secured loans tend to be unpopular as they are secured against your property, however for some people who have a less than rosy credit history, a secured loan may be the only option available to them. It is generally considered that a secured loan is a lot easier to obtain then other types of loan due to it being secured against a high value asset. If you are looking to borrow a large amount of money, for example over £25,000 then a secured loan again may be the only option open to you.

Unsecured Loan
If you are looking to borrow a large amount of money, up to £25,000 with a long term repayment plan from 5 to 10 years then you will most likely want to take out an unsecured loan agreement. The main advantage to taking out an unsecured loan is that you do not need to own a property to be able to get the loan. However this means that you will need a better credit rating to take out an unsecured loan as lenders tend to run more checks on applicants for these types of loans. You should remember that if you are a homeowner and you default on an unsecured loan agreement you could still jeopardise your home as lenders can still take you to court to reclaim outstanding money. Courts may well take your assets into consideration, including your home, which may be sold to pay off your debts.

Repayment Mortgages
When you are looking to buy a house and you need to borrow money to buy it then you will most likely be looking for a repayment mortgage, although there are other types of mortgage available that you could consider (discussed below). With a repayment mortgage once the agreement has run to the end of its term then you will have completely paid off the mortgage- this is not necessarily the case with other types of mortgage. The term ‘repayment mortgage’ covers a wide range of different types of mortgages so you should do some research into the different types of mortgage that are available as each has advantages and disadvantages associated with them.

A tracker mortgage closely follows the ‘base rate’ set by the Bank of England. This means that if interest rates go down, the mortgage repayment that you have to pay are reduced. Obviously the opposite can also happen and you may end up paying more money. A capped mortgage is similar to a tracker mortgage, but the interest rates are set somewhat higher than the Bank of England Base rate. Therefore these mortgages cost more. The advantage to these mortgages is that if the interest rate goes up a lot then there is a point at which the interest repayment rate is ‘capped’. Another type of mortgage is a ‘fixed rate mortgage’. These mortgages have a pre-determined set interest rate. The advantage of a fixed rate mortgage is that you will always know what your repayments are going to be as these mortgage payments do not follow the Bank of England base rate.

Interest Only Mortgages
In contrast to a repayment mortgage, an interest only mortgage allows you to only pay off the interest on the mortgage initially. At the end of the mortgage, you then pay off in full the rest of the loan. These mortgages were also called ‘endowment mortgages’, as you would pay the mortgage interest monthly, whilst investing money in either an endowment account or pension package. Whilst these types of mortgages used to be popular as they were considered a cheaper option many people found that when they came to repay their mortgage their investments had not lived up to expectation and a short fall of money remained owing on the mortgage. For most people a standard repayment mortgage is the preferred method of borrowing money for a property.

Bridging Loan
A bridging loan is a short-term loan that is used to ‘bridge’ between selling one home and buying another. These loans are generally used because you have run into problems in selling your home and the property that you are looking to buy is in danger of falling through due to the delay. Generally these loans should be only considered as a last resort option as it means that you end up paying off two loans at the same time- the bridging loan and your existing mortgage.

Debt Consolidation Loan
A debt consolidation loan is a loan that combines multiple loans together to consolidate your multiple outgoings into one ‘easier to manage’ loan. When you have multiple debts, such as personal loans, overdrafts and outstanding credit-card bills then there is a temptation to take out a further loan for use as a debt consolidation loan. As it can be hard to manage multiple repayments which may need to be paid at different times of the month it certainly does seem easier to use a debt consolidation loan to simplify this process. However, when you take on extra debt you are likely to end up paying more money in the long run as debt consolidation loans generally run over a longer term and may have higher interest rates than your other loan agreements. Check interest rates carefully and research debt consolidation before you decide to go down this route.

Overdraft Loan
An overdraft is a loan agreement that provides you with a buffer of money you can use on your bank account. Some overdrafts are temporary, so you will have to make up the shortfall over the loan agreement, but more often than not overdrafts tend to have an unlimited run loan agreement meaning that the extra money is always available to you. Whilst it can feel good to have a safety buffer on your bank balance in case you go overdrawn, the temptation is that you constantly live in your overdraft month on month. This means you constantly pay interest on your overdraft. Although overdrafts are a fairly cheap way to borrow money (generally), individuals are better off only using an overdraft facility on your bank balance as a last resort. When considering a debt consolidation loan you should look at your overdraft interest rate carefully as most likely it will be much lower than any other loan you are likely to take out so consolidation this loan will mean you end up paying more money.

Credit Cards
A credit card is simply a loan on a piece of plastic, allowing you to buy things on ‘credit’ as and when you choose. You will need to make monthly payments against what you buy on the credit card, however you do not have to pay off the entire balance each month, so if you are looking to pay for something over a number of months, then a credit card allows you to do this. Managing your credit card spending is important because if you cannot afford to pay off your credit-card’s balance regularly then you will end up paying a lot of interest on the money you owe. Credit cards are one of the more expensive forms of loan agreement. Individuals should ideally try to save for things that they want to buy instead of putting things on credit. However having a credit-card can offer you a safety net in case things go wrong and you need to make an emergency purchase. Such as car repairs, etc.

Payday Loan
A payday loan is a type of loan that is a short term loan that gives the borrower a small cash loan until their payday cheque arrives. These loans are generally low in value and run over a very short term, therefore have a fairly high interest rate to compensate for this. These loans are useful in case of emergencies and you do not have access to funds, however they can leave you short of cash after your pay cheque as you normally have to pay the loan back in full from your next salary. This means you might run into problems after payday, which isn’t ideal.

Cash Advance
For those who run into financial difficulties and are looking for a short term loan which runs over a short period of time, but unlike a payday loan does not have to be paid back from your next salary then a cash advance loan may be the solution. Similar to a payday loan, a cash advance loan is generally low in value, under £1000 and have a fairly high interest rate to compensate for the normally short duration that the loan runs over. These loans can be helpful if you run into financial difficulties and you do not have access to other lending means, such as credit cards or overdrafts. However unlike a payday loan you will not have to pay this loan off completely from your next salary, this allows you to budget better and pay off the loan in smaller amounts over a longer period of time.

Have you recently started your own home business, but aren’t sure how to handle the finances?  Are you nervous when it comes to business debt, budgeting for the future and balancing your gross/net figures?  Below are some helpful tips to guide you through some of the most difficult tasks of business finance. You can accurately and consistently manage your business finances without a lot of stress if you’ll implement the simple principles below.

Finance Starting Point

In order to manage your home business finances, you need a definite starting point.  This will be a summary of your entire financial assessment for your business. Note of Warning:  Often, a home business finance plan mingles with personal finances.  Try to keep these as separate as possible for tax purposes and to avoid confusion.  Even if you buy something personal with business money, write it down so you’ll be sure not to include it as a business expense.

Your Starting Point Assessment Should Include the Following:

*Most Current Gross Profits/Loss of the Business

*Most Current Net Profits/Loss of the Business (your bottom line)

*Cash on Hand

*Checking Account Balance

*Debts/Loans for the Business (include payments due and balances)

*Assets

*Advertising Funds

*Miscellaneous Items having to do with your business finances

Once you have an assessment of where you stand financially with your home business, you can move forward.  The assessment is not your budget, but it allows you to create a budget based on realistic figures.  Budgeting on a dream is not wise with a business.  You might reach your goals, but what if you don’t?  Set your goals, but only budget for those amounts when you’ve actually reached them.

Creating a Home Business Budget

Most home businesses have a tremendous advantage over larger businesses because operating expenses are normally much lower.  There’s no building rent to pay, additional utilities, etc.  If you stay at  your desk most of the day, you will save on gas, car maintenance, etc. For this reason, it’s usually easier to budget for a home business. Based on what your business has profited over recent months, or your start-up cash if your business is brand new, write down all of your business expenses that need to be paid for each month or year to get a monthly estimate. What about your salary?  The salary must be determined only after your expenses are paid.  If there’s any left, you’ll still want to keep extra cash in your business account for emergencies or unexpected slow times.  You should determine your salary on the low end at first while building your business and stick with your salary amount to maintain a steady budget. For example, if you’re able to take a $350 per week salary in a brand new home business, that’s great!  Many home business owners work a full time job while building their business and take very little (if any) salary. If you have a business checking account or some form of online account for finances, you should deposit all funds into this account and pay your salary out of the account as well as your expenses.  Checking accounts make budgeting a simple process if you keep your checkbook well balanced at all times.

Create a Budget Based on the Following Categories (more if necessary):

Some of these items will be broken down into weekly figures, some monthly and some yearly.  However, you should calculate a monthly average in order to create a general monthly budget.

*Business Expenses (include supplies, equipment, phone, etc.)

*Insurance (business and personal health insurance can be included)

*Taxes (estimated figure from your accountant based on profits)

*Debt Repayment for any business loans

*Advertising (amount will vary, but you can set a minimum or maximum amount)

*Your Salary

Once you have a list of expenses for each month, write down due dates for each, and pay bills as they come due.  Pay on time, but not too early. Your money can sit in your bank account and draw interest in many cases while waiting on due dates.

Budget with Slow Times in Mind

Just because you have tremendous profits one month, this doesn’t indicate that you can raise your salary.  Leave money in your account for those slow times.  Also, budget in advance for payments which are due yearly.  It’s much easier to save a little each month than to be surprised with a large bill later. Following the simple budgeting guide above will enable you to keep an even pace while managing your business finances.  Handle your finances with care because this is the lifeline of your home business.