6 Benefits To Financing A Small Business With A Credit Card
March 13, 2010
Starting a small business without the aid of a credit card can be quite stressful. Since business expenditures can be add-up to significant tax deductions, it is imperative to separate personal expenses from work-related charges. Aside from the tax savings, a business credit card represents expanded options; particularly with the right card.
As with any financial product, not all business credit cards are the same. An annual statement is a popular feature of most business credit cards. Tallying up business related products and services are made simple with the convenience of recorded statements. Nevertheless, a good business credit card should have other features besides a balance sheet. Here are other features, to look for in a small business credit card:
· An exceptional credit line
· A low preferred business APR
· Extra business credit cards for employees
· Customizable business checks
· Custom cards with your business name
· Complimentary online account management
All of the above features can be mission critical to starting and conducting business. Review the following six benefits to finance a new company on a business credit card:
1. Easy Expenditure Tracking
Depending on the credit card company, a record of all transactions may be available annually or by request only. Small business credit cards offering free online account management is an important feature. The ability to check transactions and manage online payments simplifies bookkeeping. The same record can be used during tax-time to calculate profits and earnings.
2. Finance Business Needs With a Low APR
A low preferred business APR can ease the transition of being paid by new clients and covering unforeseen expenses. The financial stresses of starting a new small business can hinder productivity. Be it the cost of renting or buying new equipment, immediate expenditures can wreak costly distress on any business. A business credit card with a low APR can help offset the pangs of paying a balance over time versus right away. The best business credit cards offer a 0% introductory APR.
3. Control Employee Spending
To ensure that employees are conscientious about the company budget, additional business credit cards may control their spending. A business credit card with online management and additional credit cards enables a small business owner to track spending, maintain records and receipts. During conventions, Bill Amato’s sales representatives put in long hours. To compensate and track their meals, each of his employees has a company credit card. Bill uses Advanta business cards because it allows him the ability to control employee expenditures by tracking their spending transactions online.
4. Manage Client Expenses
For simple account management, small business owners can pay for products and services using a business credit card check. For instance, Jane Brody, proprietor of an event management company uses business credit card checks to pay for additional client expenditures. Since the checks are customized to her business and then made payable to the supplier for a specified job and client, she is able to track and tack on any additional fees to each customer’s invoice. Not to mention, each client is billed for late payment transaction fees.
5. Ensure Business Productivity
An exceptional credit line is useful for the fast growing small business that has to cover travel, new technology and other expenditures. A robust credit line can be the difference between staying in business and going out of business. The inability to access a line of credit without depending on a small business loan, can bring a growing company to a screeching halt.
In the case of new franchise owner, Jim Denko his new small business was just beginning to return an investment. On the down side, Jim required a line of credit so that he did not have to dip into the family’s money market account and emergency reserve. Because Jim was qualified for a small business credit card, he was approved with a generous line of credit. The availability allowed him the freedom to test out new inventory for his franchise.
6. Take Advantage of Extras
The ultimate business credit card can be found in the “extras.” For instance, certain business credit cards come with amazing discounts and special incentives. These advantages can add up to savings. Perfect example, Advanta business credit cards, not only come with a healthy credit line, the credit card is devised for small business owners to be successful. Many popular business credit cards feature generous cash back and travel rewards.
Small Business Advice: To minimize confusing your personal cost with the costs of starting a new business, apply for a business credit card that provides you with the tools to run a profitable business.
Getting A Credit Card If You Have Bad Credit
March 12, 2010
If you have a bad credit score because you have defaulted on your mortgage or other loans too many times, you may despair of ever getting the credit you need again. However, there is hope. You need a bad credit credit card and indeed you can most likely get one, even if you have no credit history at all. Most adults with regular lives find that they need a credit card to make major purchases at least, so you need to make sure you can obtain a credit card. If your credit is bad, you will still benefit from getting a credit card for those with bad credit.
There is nothing to worry about if you have to apply for a bad credit credit card. It is easy. These applications work pretty much the same way as any regular credit card. Even with bad credit you should be able to get your hands on a secured credit card. With these, all you do is deposit some money in the credit card account and you are ready to use it. No-one will know that you are buying things on this type of card because they look exactly like the regular ones do. No-one but you – and anyone you may tell, of course – will be aware of the restrictions placed upon your bad card. It’s important that you familiarize yourself with the fine print on the credit card agreement for which you want to apply to make sure it suits your needs. Look out for the fees which are charged – some of them are astronomical!
Bad credit credit cards have a lot of the same pluses that any credit card does. You can still pay your bills online with these types of credit cards, get online statements on your account and have very good support from customer services. None of these things are affected just because it is not a prime credit card that you use.
These days, a lot of people enjoy the benefits of online shopping. You will need a credit card to enable you to take advantage of these convenient services. Even if you have bad credit, this perk of shopping online is available to you, with a credit card designed for those with a poor credit history.
Perhaps the best long-term advantage of getting a bad credit credit card is that it allows you to build up your credit score again so you will find it easier to borrow money and get credit in the future. This works because the credit card company will usually report to the credit bureaus on what you used your card for and how well you kept up with your repayments. If you are careful about your spending and repayments you won’t have any trouble at all building your credit score back up.
Therefore, you don’t need to worry that having a bad credit score now – or no credit score at all – will blight your chances of getting credit. A bad credit credit card makes this easy and can be a great way to build your future financial stability with a better credit score.
Managing Student Loan Debt
March 11, 2010
Consolidating student loan debt is the best way for a person to manage their money and debt right out of school. Typically a person will have a large amount of debt collected through college. This might include car debt, credit card debt, and student loans. In order to keep track of it all and to make timely payments, the student should consider consolidating student loan debt to minimize the amount of worry each month. By getting a student loan consolidation, students can take advantage of the lower interest rates on their student loans. Consolidating student loan debt is the best way for a student to learn about money management in the “real world.”
When a student chooses to consolidate student loan debt, they are basically combining all of their student loans into one. The interest rates of the loans are also combined and averaged to become the interest rate that the student will pay on the student loan consolidation. By lowering the interest rate on the student loans, a student can focus on getting all of their debt lowered and plan out their budget every month. Being able to manage finances and other debts in addition to student loan debt is a good practice, and will benefit the student in future financial dealings. By making timely payments on a student loan consolidation, the student is making their credit report that much better.
Often times, student loan debt will have the lowest interest rates of any other type of debt that a student will have. While many people suggest paying off the higher interest debts first, it will affect the student’s credit history if they do not pay their student loans. When a student misses multiple student loan payments, their student loans become defaulted. A defaulted student loan will put the account on hold until the student can get their loans current. When a student has a defaulted student loan, their credit history will get flagged. There are ways to get the credit history back to normal; however, when they go to apply for future finances like a mortgage or a car, their credit report will show the default student loan.
A student loan consolidation helps students to get control of their debts and finances when they are out of college. For many people, a student loan consolidation helps to make paying student loans back easier with less hassle. Most students get their student loans consolidated within their grace period, which is beneficial for many reasons. Interest rates always go up in July of each year. So when a student consolidates their student loans, they can take advantage of lower interest rates.
For more resources about Loan consolidation or even about School loan consolidation and especially about Student loan please review these links.
Are You A Credit Card Tart?
March 10, 2010
Some people use the word tart as an insult; others as a bit of friendly banter. Either way, it’s not the sort of term you associate with financial matters, especially not with credit cards. A credit card tart is someone who moves from credit card to credit card, taking advantage of the best offers. In the process, that person can save hundreds, and perhaps make money as well.
Being a successful credit card tart takes a bit of knowledge and a lot of organisation. The knowledge has to do with finding out which preferential rate deals are available. The organisation comes in remembering when you need to switch from one card to another.
How It Works
Many credit card companies offer incentives to get customers to sign up. Some incentives are low balance transfer rates. These allow people to transfer balances on which they are paying a high rate of interest to credit cards with a lower rate of interest. Sometimes this interest rate is as low as 0%, though this is usually available for a limited period of between six months and one year. Other balance transfer incentives offer a low rate for as long as the balance transferred stays on the card.
Credit card companies hope that people who take advantage of these incentives will remain with them even when the preferential period runs out. Many people do, but credit card tarts use these incentives to their advantage. Instead of keeping their debt on the same credit card forever, credit card tarts move their balances from card to card, taking advantage of the best offers. This is also known as ‘rate surfing’.
Making The Most Of Rate Surfing
Rate surfing can save hundreds as people who are enjoying a low or nil balance transfer rate are able to pay off some of the balance when making their payments.
To make the most of rate surfing, look at the small print to see what transactions the preferential interest rate applies to. There may be a different rate for withdrawing cash, using credit card cheques or making purchases.
Keeping A Good Credit Rating
The key to being a successful credit card tart or rate surfer is to make all the credit card payments on time. Late payments will affect your credit rating. A poor credit history will make it harder to get a new card the next time you want to take up an offer.
Credit card companies have now got wise to rate surfers and credit card tarts. Many of them have introduced a one-off balance transfer fee. This is usually a fixed percentage of the balance transferred. In some cases, there is no cap on the fee, so transferring a large balance could incur a huge fee. This is a way for credit card companies to make rate surfing less attractive, as the practice costs them hundreds of thousands in lost interest each year.
Credit card companies are also becoming very selective about who gets their credit cards. This is another way of clamping down on credit card tarts, so if you’re a credit card tart, enjoy it while it lasts.
Home Equity Loan – Understanding the Basics and Advantages
March 9, 2010
You may have heard the term home equity loan but are not really sure whether this type of loan will work for you. The first step is to understand the concept of home equity. Equity is the difference between the current appraised value of your home and the amount that is owed on the home. So, for example; if your home has recently appraised for $200,000 and you only owe $100,000 on it then you have $100,000 in equity in your home.
Many homeowners like the idea of taking out a home equity loan when they need to fund a home improvement or make some other type of purchase because they can often obtain the money they need at an interest rate that is lower than charging it to a credit card. In addition, there are also possible tax advantages as well.
When you take out a home equity loan you are taking out a second mortgage that gives you the ability to convert the equity in your home into cash. You can then spend that cash on any number of expenses including college education, medical expenses, debt consolidation, home improvements and much more.
You will generally need to decide whether you wish to take out a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit. These two terms are different. A home equity loan provides you with a one time lump sum of money that you will then pay off over a specified period of time at an interest rate that is fixed. It is much like your first mortgage.
A home equity line of credit, commonly referred to as HELOC, is more similar to a credit card. Instead of receiving the sum of money at one time, you will then have the ability to borrow up to a specified amount of money for the duration of the loan. That time period is set by the lender. As you pay off the principal amount of the loan, you can once again use the credit. In this regard, a HELOC is much like a credit card.
There are advantages to both a home equity loan as well as a HELOC. Many homeowners prefer the flexibility of a line of credit over a fixed rate equity loan. If they do not need all of the money up front, they are able to maintain control over how much money they draw down from the loan. The disadvantage to a line of credit is that it frequently features an interest rate that is variable. This means that the payment amounts will vary based on the prevailing interest rate.
In most cases, the draw period for a line of credit is between five and ten years while the repayment period ranges between ten and fifteen years. You will usually be able to access the funds of a line of credit with a credit card, check or electronic transfer that can be ordered by phone. Typically, an initial advance is required when the loan is set up.