Finance Meaning

Big purchases like boats, homes, and cars are not just for the rich. Instead, if people learn how to save and finance such purchases, it is possible to afford luxury. Really, people need to be focused on their goals to find the best deals and figure out how to finance this purchase. The following are some tips for how to buy such items.

Look for 0% Finance Options

0% finance means that people will not have to pay interest on a loan for quite some time. This helps one buy everything from cars to boats. The low monthly payments and 0% interest makes big ticket purchases more attainable. This is why it is important to not only look to see how long the 0% interest lasts but how much the rate will go up upon expiration. There are specific 0% car finance options available from many dealerships.

Check Dealerships and Businesses for Sales and Promotions

Often, dealerships and businesses will have sales and promotions. Another great way to finance a bit ticket item like a new boat or piece of machinery is to take advantage of such deals. This could mean no down payment will be needed, that mail-in rebates could save people hundreds of dollars, and there will be price cuts as the seasons or weather change. Buying a boat during the winter is smart since they are used far less than in the summer.

Compare Area Rates and Negotiate

New cars are sold in a number of places. This is why it is important to look at the going rate for a vehicle and to see which dealership has the lowest price. You can always use the given Blue Book amount plus local deals and promotions to negotiate better deals. After all, a dealer wants business. This is why educated shoppers can grab great deals if they know that the market looks like.

Consolidate Debts

One of the best ways to afford a big purchase is to apply for a consolidation loan. Thus, old debts are paid off, monthly bills are lower, and people have a better chance at affording finance options on big ticket items. This not only means lower monthly payments but also means people will have to pay fewer interest rates, too.

Use Direct Transfers

When saving for a big purchase, be smart about saving money. Often, one can direct a certain percentage of his or her income to be automatically placed into a savings account. This means that one can save without having to put much effort into it. Smaller options, too, can help: adding a change jar at the office and at home and using coupons. Every little bit counts when trying to invest in a big purchase like a car, boat

High street banks are often the benchmark for clients looking to borrow money. This is true of personal mortgages, loans and no less so for funding building projects. Most would agree that they provide the cheapest rates and all builders and developers are looking for the cheapest construction finance.

The problem is that for most clients the high street are simply not an option at the moment, and from news I have had, nor will they be for the foreseeable future. I have dealt with clients who should be able to obtain bank funding, having clean credit, a good track record and years of experience in the sector. They are still being declined for various reasons, such as the loan amount is too low, the type of build is not what the bank wants, they have other loans that would need to be repaid first – the list goes on.

However, just because your current bank will not give you construction finance does not mean that there are no options available to you. It does mean though that you should not judge quotes we, or others give you, on the basis that the rate of interest or fees might be more than you are used to or were expecting.

Off high street lenders are NEVER going to offer building finance as cheap as the big banks. They are specialists filling a gap in the market, and to be frank, they know that your options are limited. Lenders such as this are mostly funded by investors who want to see a return on their money and the lender themselves need to charge a margin to stay in business. The market has set the rates that others are prepared to pay and so you have a stark choice – pay the higher rates or do not borrow the money. For those that are cash rich there is no issue but for the majority that want to leverage their capital it is the difference between building or not building.

Of course, paying more for the construction finance means less profit for you, the developer, but it does mean you are making more profit than not doing any work at all. If you cannot get a project funded at a high street rate then the rates you have in mind or might want to pay are not applicable for comparison. A bank may have given you funds at 1.5% above base in the past but that is irrelevant now. The past is not today.

The fact that building finance is available is good news but now is as crucial a time as ever to use a broker with experience and knowledge of the market. Making the wrong choice could cost you thousands in unnecessary fees and interest.

Going through the internet looking for lenders directly is possible, of course. But how long will that take you? Hours or days? How do you know they will be the best fit for your project? Will they give you all the information you need day 1?

Working with an experienced broker can make the process much easier as they will have a real understanding of how each lender works, the process they go through and what costs you can expect, before you get too far into an application.

So, construction finance is out there but for your own sanity don’t automatically compare it to what you are used to and what you think should be available.

I have been in the finance industry for over 10 years and can help you find the right finance package for your project. We have links with the lenders that are active in the market and can assess your project very quickly, often within a single phone call.

Nobody wants to be the dumb buyer in a car buying deal. You have to be smart or you end up losing more money than you ought to. It is a very common scheme among car buyers to first get money in order to buy a new car.

The term is called “auto financing” and it simply means how you pay for a vehicle. You can finance a car by taking out an auto loan to own a car, in which case, you have two options: You either use the money from the loan to buy the car, or use it for lease.

If this isn’t your first time buying a car, you might already know that the salesman or your car dealer will be checking your credit report before starting with the negotiations. But this is not the only way you can go to get that new car of yours. The seller will try to sweeten the deal and offer you special car finance situations in exchange for throwing yourself totally at his mercy. That is not a path you have to choose.

The key is preparation. Knowing what auto financing options you have before you get to the dealership will mean that you can take charge of your credit and take charge of your car loan.

Just remember, when you negotiate with the salesman for the most favorable auto loan, nothing is permanent until you have it in writing. So haggle and then haggle some more. Once negotiations seem to be over, that’s when the sales contract is prepared.

Inflated Interest Rates

To have the deal agreed upon by you and the salesman be put in writing in a binding contract is top on the list of the things you must do involving auto financing. Often involved at this part of the procedure is to determine monthly auto loan payments based on an interest rate. Now, as you well know, the interest rate varies from car buyer to car buyer. Your credit is only one of the factors and if the interest rate a car buyer qualifies for is inflated, then the dealership can make extra profit off your loan. That’s just one of the pitfalls in auto financing.

Independent Auto Financing

When you have the approved auto financing option on hand, you can then proceed with the deal as a “cash buyer” so to speak as you already have the cash in hand from the loan and you are just buying the car from the dealer with that money. Car salesmen prefer customers to be “monthly payment” buyers as this makes it easier for them to obscure the total cost of the vehicle, to the detriment of your savings. So wizen up and take that independent auto financing option available.

Set a Price Range

Having a budget is the sensible thing to do. If you set a sensible price range for yourself, then you have less reason to go beyond that range and succumb to the temptation of overspending. If you’re really firm on that budget, no amount of sales talk can sway you. One good tip is to ensure that your monthly car payments and related expenses do not exceed about 20% of your monthly net income.

Discounted Financing vs. Rebate

Here’s the dilemma to car buying: Many dealers offer an option between discounted financing or a rebate, but not both. Discounted financing means that you get zero-percent financing while rebate means that you get a certain amount of cash some time after purchase. The common error many car buyers make is that the zero-percent loan will deliver the most savings. But will it really?

Get the Cash Rebate

In most cases, it’s better to get the cash rebate and apply it against the purchase price of the vehicle. If you already have a pre-approved car loan, then that’s even better because you have positively no need of extra financing from your dealer. Just use your car loan to finance the car and let the rebate handle some of the charges.

You will have to choose how long you want your lease to be and how much you’re willing to pay upfront. The obvious choice, of course, would be to pay as little as possible, but be sure to weigh other options as well. After that, the car is yours for the period stipulated in the lease contract.

There are several other different plans those car buyers like you can adopt in order to make the most out of your money and reduce costs at the dealership. Understanding the credit process is just one way of being a smart buyer.

The word finance has the sane connotations wherever it is used. It means liquid funds or cash reserves to be utilized for various purposes. For a very poor man, finance has only one meaning and that is to be able to generate enough to get him two meals a day. For a common man, it means to be able to pay off all his loan installments, his kids school fees, and his and his wife’s requirements depending upon their social circle.

For a small shop owner, the word finance means the funds he needs for his next purchase for the big occasions like Christmas and New Year. To an industrialist, the same word means his ability to complete the ongoing projects and to sign off new contracts with other companies. For a country, finance means reserves to be spent on the development of infrastructure, imports, healthcare, research and development agriculture and all other essential sectors. But in all situations, the essence of the word remains the same. It’s only the degree and magnitude that change.

Finance in itself is a big subject that is taught in business schools according to scientific rules. These finance schools produce youngsters trained in the principles of finance that go on to hold the reigns in big multinational companies. People having knowledge of sound principles of finance make the financial policies of the companies and they are accountable if any financial irregularities are found in the balance sheets or the accounts of any company.

Banks and other financial institutions are the backbone of any economy and they serve the financial needs of the people by making available loans and other mortgages to let them carry on with their projects like buying a car, electronics, home or any other thing. Banks even provide finances to let a person complete his higher education.

If you read the newspaper or watch TV, you can’t help but feel that everyone in the US is in debt up to their ears. With the economy still struggling to recover, we hear of more and more people becoming mired in more and more debt.

I have heard from many people who are just paying the monthly minimum, but keep on using the card. The result is that the debt just keeps growing and growing and every payday a larger part of their salary is being used to service their debt. These people want a path toward financial freedom, a place where they control their finances, instead of their finances controlling them.

The problem so many of these people have is that they want very badly to gain control of their finances, but they lack the motivation to keep on track, to keep taking the steps they need to take to make that dream happen.

For those people I offer in this article, five steps to financial freedom, steps by which you can seize control of your finances. These steps are based upon the model for self motivation. They serve the dual purpose of not only helping you get back on track, but also keeping you motivated to stay on track.

Step One: The first thing you need to do is to understand why you want to seize control of your finances. The more valuable a goal is, the more likely you are to achieve it. So write down all the positive reasons for why you want to regain control of your finances. What will you gain? reduced stress? the ability to buy things you need? a feeling of pride at how responsible you are? Also write down what will happen if you fail to make this change. Will you have to file bankruptcy? Will you lose your house? Will you be miserable and depressed and disappointed in yourself?

Step Two: Determine exactly what regaining control of your finances means in your situation. Clarity is motivating, so the clearer you are on exactly what you are moving toward, the more likely you are to get there. Here are some issues you need to get clarity on. How will you know when you have regained control of your finances? Does it mean reducing your debt? Does it mean living below your means so you can be paying off your debt? Write down what will be occurring in your life when you have succeeded. Every success you have will motivate you even more to achieve another success.

Step Three: Write down a clear description of how you are going to make this change happen. Make a plan. Write down all the steps you can think of that will help you make this change. Will you cut up your credit cards? Will you track your spending for a certain period of time? How long? Will you make a budget? Will you set aside a set percent of each pay check to use toward your debt? Will you need to take an additional, part time job for a while to catch up on your debt? Will you contact your creditors to try to work out a payment plan? Step Three provides two very important motivational impacts. Clarity, as we saw in Step Two, is motivating. But also, a big goal, like gaining control of your finances, is less scary when it is broken down into its component tasks. The less scary something is, the more confident you will be that you can succeed. Nothing is more motivating than confidence in your competence. That’s why it’s factor number two in the model for self motivation.

Step Four: Be in charge. Suze Orman says in The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom, “True financial freedom is not only having money, but having power over that money as well.” Make a conscious decision that you control your financial life. You are the boss! Power is motivating. Acting intentionally is motivating. Being a helpless victim of the economy is NOT motivating. Take charge and you will stay in charge.