Posts Tagged ‘bills’
Too many small business owners spend money because they have a positive bank balance or because they think they have a positive bank balance. This can be a very dangerous practice to the health of their business.
When a business makes a big sale or gets a large upfront deposit on a new order the owner of the business may begin to spend the money to pay various bills, take the spouse out to an expensive restaurant or even buy a new boat. The owner first needs to know how much “free” cash he/she really has available to spend, before it is spent. If you are a contractor of some kind, you may need that money to buy materials for that specific job or to make payroll on that job. Just because cash is there does not mean it can be spent without a plan.
Every business needs to have some kind of “cash needs” analysis to know what is due, when it is due and how much is due. An employee may see a large check come in and think, “well, the owner has a lot of money, I am going to ask for a raise”. The employee may not realize that the job is only a break even job and all of the available funds will go to pay labor, materials and overhead on the job. There will be no profit on this certain job. Many do not realize that things like insurance, rent, utilities, etc. need to be paid every month.
Several years ago there was a contractor who received a large deposit on a job. Because he had so much money in his bank account he made a few purchasing decisions that cost him his business. He spent some of the job deposit on, yes you guessed it, a new boat. But it was only a down payment. He later lost the boat to repossession, the job was never completed and he later lost his whole business.
All business owners need to find a workable system that will help them know what to pay, when it is due and how much is due, so they will have an accurate accountability for their cash. As a wise person once said, “cash is king”. That is still a truism today. Be very careful with your “free” cash. It may mean the difference between survival and the alternative. Good luck with your business!
Credit cards for bad credit are one of the best methods available to overcome your financial black marks. Having a poor score for whatever reasons can be a serious problem for individuals trying to re-gain financial stability and secure loans for mortgages or other long term financial investments. Hundreds of thousands of people in the UK suffer from negative credit ratings with 6% of the population having to make rent or mortgage payments using these cards in 2010 alone. The average UK adult has over 30 thousand pounds of unpaid debt and more than four million people missed a monthly card payment in 2010. With such dramatic figures it is not surprising that more than 10% of the adult UK population has some form of bad credit rating in their financial history. The good news is that there are credit cards for that are specifically designed to help those with poor credit ratings get back financial stability.
A poor credit history is likely to prevent individuals from getting most unsecured loans, credit cards and also will often prevent an individual from successfully applying for a mortgage. Due to the recession increasing the cost of living, prepay cards for bad credit are becoming increasingly prevalent as a means to repair ratings as they offer a number of advantages in building credit history.
Credit cards for poor scores are the best way to repair credit ratings, provided you keep up with the payments, as they show that individuals have regained control of their finances and are exercising good financial monitoring on a regular basis. There are of course downsides to using cards for bad credit which will become apparent as we discuss the pros and cons of these cards.
The advantages of credit cards for bad credit
The key advantage of cards that aim to improve your rating is that you can show a financial stability history to future creditors. This allows you to slowly improve your reputation over the course of months, or years, if you have a particularly bad credit rating to begin with. Gaining a good repayment reputation will encourage creditors to trust you with in the future and therefore you are much more likely to receive mortgages and other unsecured loans.
Other advantages of cards aimed at those with poor credit history are that they are essentially the same as those for normal cards. You get the freedom to make payments immediately for purchases and bills, and get to spend money you otherwise wouldn’t have. In this respect cards for bad credit work in much the same way to normal credit cards.
The disadvantages of credit cards for poor credit history
Cards for poor credit obviously come with severe disadvantages as the companies providing them must secure debt against the risks of non-payment that bad credit entails. For this reason cards for lower scoring citizens will typically have a very high APR (Annual Percentage Rate). The average rate is typically over 20% so if for any reason you fail to make a payment you need to be prepared for a large additional fee. The other disadvantages are that you typically do not receive any of the benefits that other cards offer which takes away some of the advantages of having a credit card.
So should I use credit cards for bad credit?
Cards for bad credit are one of the easiest ways to absolve yourself of bad credit so should consider applying for one if you are secure in your current finances and will predominantly be using it as a means to improve your credit rating; rather than as a means to support yourself or cover unpaid bills.
Obtaining help from an attorney debt settlement company can be a decent option to avoid bankruptcy. In the present time it is a very useful way to clear liabilities.
It is strenuous to have much impending debts. A lot of liabilities mean a lot of paperwork to deal with. Some people simply ignore the notifications from the bank and in the end they do not know their standing amounts of debt. It is not good to hold off your payments of debts as it would worsen your economy.
It is advisable to pay loans back by any means. Bankruptcy is not a favorable option to accept. However it is not a good idea to spend all savings to clear liabilities. Money could be saved for a better purpose.
Accepting help from a settlement service would be a very profitable option for those who suffer because of unsecured bills. These companies can reduce debts by about a 50 percent legally. They would negotiate with the banks in order to get a discount and naturally they succeed in securing a discount between 50-70 percent from the total debt.
Then they would complete payments to the banks if the deadlines are near to be overrun. The customer can take time to pay the company instead the bank via minimum installments within a longer time.
If the customer is careful to choose a registered company he can be certain of a reliable service. Settlement methods are a fast and effective way of clearing debt if it is handled prudent.
You know you’re in financial trouble. You’ve thought about talking to a Minneapolis bankruptcy attorney but are things really that bad? Is now the time to file for bankruptcy? Here are 10 indicators that could mean the time is right to take a closer look at bankruptcy protection.
1. Your expenses exceed your income. If your money is gone before the bills are paid and the next payday arrives, you’re probably in trouble. If you routinely run out of cash and end up putting everyday expenses on your credit card, or getting cash advances, you need to think seriously about your situation.
2. You cannot make more than the minimum payment on your credit cards. Making minimum payments gets you no closer to eliminating your debt. You’ll never pay the card off that way.
3. If you pay one credit card with a cash advance from another card. This is a clear sign that your financial status is shaky.
4. Are creditors harassing you? If you are afraid to answer the phone or check your mail because you know there’s going to be harassing messages from bill collectors, you are probably in financial trouble. It is time to look for a solution to the problem.
5. Do you and your spouse argue about money more often? Financial problems are one of the leading causes of divorce. Frequent fights about where the money has gone, who spent what and bills that must be paid are obvious indicators that your financial situation is taking a toll on your happiness.
6. Your car is worth less than you owe on it. When you are in this situation it is said that you have an upside down car loan. It is very difficult to acquire another car under those circumstances and you should talk to a Minneapolis bankruptcy lawyer about how you can best remedy the situation.
7. Are your credit cards maxed out? This becomes a real problem if you have been relying on your credit cards to get you through the month. Where will you turn when you have reached the limit on all your cards?
8. Do you fear surprise expenses? Because you are never able to save any money, there is no way to pay for unexpected expenses like car repairs or broken appliances. Whether your inability to save is caused by unwise money management, an overabundance of debt or you just don’t make enough money, you are walking a precarious line.
9. Have you been turned down for a loan recently? If so, it could be because your debt to income ratio is getting out of balance. Check your credit score and see where you stand in the eyes of lenders.
10. Do thoughts of bankruptcy enter your mind more often? That is the number one sign that you should consult an attorney familiar with Minnesota bankruptcy law to discuss your options.
Many attorneys offer a free consultation. If you’re worried about your financial situation, find out if bankruptcy could be a viable solution for you