Financing properly is more important in financing a used car than when buying a new car. Most problems that occur in buying a used car are due to there being a problem connected with the financing. Getting the used car financing worked out properly is the key to a successful used car purchase.

Most buyers aren’t aware of how important the paper work is to making the deal a successful one or a failure. They view it as paperwork that should be completed as quickly as possible so they can drive away in their new car.

To start with, it’s very important to get the deal agreed upon by the salesman to be put in writing in the contract. This often involves determining monthly auto loan payments based on an interest rate. Sometimes, the interest rate a customer qualifies for is inflated so the dealership can make extra profit.

This headache can easily be avoided by obtaining independent vehicle financing before going to the dealership. This means the consumer can proceed as a “cash buyer” and negotiate only the price of the car. Car salesmen prefer customers to be “monthly payment” buyers because, in this way, it is easier to obscure the total cost of the vehicle.

Independent car financing can be obtained from a bank, credit union or on-line lender. With the popularity of the internet, applying for used car refinance is proving to be simple and very easy to do. Many on line lenders respond very quickly – sometimes as short as 15 minutes by email or telephone. If the application is approved, the borrower is given a credit limit at an established interest rate. Sometimes a blank bank check is issued with no obligation to use it.

“For the majority of consumers, even if you know you have good credit, there is a little apprehension and tension around applying,” one lender said. “So instead of going into a dealership and giving them your information and being sent to the coffee machine to wait for an answer, you can apply on-line, 24/7.”

Most people familiar with how used car dealerships operate confirm that obtaining independent car financing is beneficial to most consumers.

The most common problems that have a negative impact on a person trying to finance a used car –and their solutions – to ensure that things go smoothly are the following:

Problem #1: Many consumers don’t know what their credit rating is when they apply for an auto loan. The strength of their credit score largely determines what kind of interest rate they will receive. Therefore, it’s critical to make sure your credit report is in the best shape possible before shopping for a car.

SOLUTION: Order a copy of your credit report and look for items that may stand in the way of you getting a good rate. Correct any issues or errors promptly. Are all of your lines of credit in good standing? Are there any signs of identity theft? The credit bureaus will tell you how to correct errors when they send you the report. The following numbers and Web site addresses will assist you in checking your credit.

Problem #2: Many consumers are tempted to overspend once they get to the dealership.

SOLUTION: It’s a good idea to set a sensible price range for the car you want to buy and stick with it. Experts suggest that monthly car payments and related expenses should not exceed about 20 percent of your monthly net income. You can even bring a printout of your budget to the dealership as a reminder.

Problem #3: Most consumers arrive at the dealership without having researched the current interest rates being offered in the marketplace, so they have no idea if they’re being offered a competitive rate.

SOLUTION: Use the Internet as a research tool to compare rates. Check out Web sites like bankrate.com for national averages, and the Web site of your own financial institution.

Problem #4: Most consumers arrive at the dealership without approved auto financing in hand. This is either because they are not aware of all the financing options available, or they assume they will qualify for a low rate at the dealer. This approach deprives the consumer of bargaining power when it comes to negotiating the lowest possible interest rate.

SOLUTION: Become an “empowered buyer” by getting a no-obligation loan before visiting the dealership. Having your own loan could save you significant money.

Problem #5: Many dealers offer a choice between discounted (or zero-percent) financing or a rebate – but not both. Consumers may erroneously assume that the zero-percent loan will deliver the most savings.

SOLUTION: Sometimes it’s better to take the cash rebate and apply it against the purchase price of the vehicle – and then use your own pre-approved car loan to finance the vehicle. The savings chart below shows how a low-interest rate and a rebate can “beat” a zero-percent deal.

36-Month Car Loan Comparison

APR………………………………….0%…………….3.99%

Cost of car…………………..$20,000……….$20,000

Less equity in trade………..$4,000……….$4,000

Less rebate……………………$0………………$2,000

Amount to finance………..$16,000……….$14,000

Monthly payment………….$444.44………..$413.27

Total cost……………………$16,000………….$14,877.85

Savings……………………………$0……………$1,122.15

Source: Capital One Auto Finance

Problem #6: By the time they get to the finance department, many consumers are mentally worn out and don’t review the contract thoroughly before signing. As a result, they may agree to buy things they didn’t plan on (such as an extended warranty, rust-proofing, etc.).

SOLUTION: Before you sign any papers or hand over any money, check the figures in the contract and understand all the charges. The sudden appearance of extra fees should be questioned. Sometimes dealers add extra fees – so-called “junk fees” – to retake profit they have lost by selling cars at invoice.

PITFALL #7: The consumer feels rushed, pressured and confused by the dealership’s staff. In some cases these buyers have second thoughts about completing the deal – but sign the documents anyway.

SOLUTION: Consumers who feel out of their comfort zone should walk away. The buyer – not the seller – should be the one in control of the process. Remember, the federal “cooling off” law does not apply to cars.

If you do your homework ahead of time, and know what to expect before hand, the paperwork process can go quickly and easily. But more importantly, you will receive a deal on your car loans that you can feel good about for the life of the car.

iness owners develop their small business loan plans for future financing and refinancing throughout the United States, there is an increasing awareness that there have been significant business finance changes that cannot be ignored. Some of these measures are likely to end up being permanent, and even the temporary commercial mortgage loan and working capital loan changes are expected to be in place for an extended time due to the severity of the current financial climate.

The net result from business finance changes has been a reduction in commercial lenders as well as stricter standards for acquiring commercial loans and commercial mortgages. Unfortunately there has also been no shortage of misinformation about the availability of commercial funding.

A significant reduction in business lending activity overall is perhaps the most dramatic change. This has been due to several events occurring almost simultaneously. Several major commercial lenders have gone out of business altogether. Even though they have continued consumer lending, many banks have stopped commercial finance lending. Numerous business lenders have enacted stricter standards for the commercial financing transactions they are still willing to consider.

It remains to be seen how many changes will be permanent or temporary. But from a practical perspective, commercial borrowers are left with no choice but to adapt to the changing business finance environment. Business owners must be prepared to operate within a more complicated climate for commercial mortgage loans and small business loans regardless of how long the changes might be kept in place.

What should borrowers do about this? A primary option that business owners should explore involves looking beyond their local market area for help with commercial loans. A commercial financing expert operating throughout the United States should be helpful in improving upon this situation.

In addition to fewer business lenders to choose from, there are two other significant changes which must be anticipated by business owners before seeking new commercial loans. First, commercial lenders are increasingly demanding more collateral for virtually all business finance funding. Second, most lenders have cancelled or are about to eliminate unsecured lines of credit (usually called working capital loans) for many businesses.

Considering a business cash advance program based on future credit card processing transactions is likely to be an effective commercial financing strategy for overcoming the combined obstacles of more collateral, reduced unsecured credit lines and fewer lenders. This is proving to be one of the few sources of business funding that has not been adversely impacted by recent events. It will be productive to discuss the potential with a business finance expert who can provide advice about small business financing solutions including business cash advances and other financial options.

It is increasingly obvious that many banks will continue to modify their business lending programs in response to changing conditions. This means that another key change issue for working capital financing and commercial mortgages is the likelihood that more changes will be forthcoming in the near future.

To adequately prepare for future commercial finance changes that might (or might not) occur is a daunting task for a business owner. A commercial financing expert familiar with Plan B contingency financing for small business loans will prove to be a valuable resource for any borrower wanting to seriously deal with both current and future changes impacting the financial health of their business. By having a candid conversation with a commercial loan expert, business owners should be more capable of implementing an appropriate strategy for the vast changes which have recently occurred or are about to become effective for most business financing and working capital finance funding.

The goal of business finance is to raise sufficient capital at the least cost for the level of risk that management is willing to live with. The risk is that a business will not be able to service the debt and be forced into bankruptcy.

Broadly speaking there are 5 main ways of funding a company’s needs:

? Receive credit from suppliers

? Obtain lease financing

? Obtain bank loans

? Issue bonds

? Issue stock

Supplier credit

This is the easiest way that companies obtain funding. Companies buy goods and services and have anywhere from seven days till 6 months to pay for them; when companies need more credit from suppliers the financial controllers will negotiate longer credit terms or larger credit lines. The payment terms can also be stretched and this can work well because the creditors do not want the customer to go into bankruptcy taking their money with them.

Lease financing

Instead of buying equipment, many companies choose to lease equipment – this is a form of franchising.Cars,computers and heavy equipment can be financed for short periods or indeed longer periods.

If it is a short period it is referred to as an operating lease and at the end of the lease the property is still useful and is returned to the finance company.

Long term leases are, in substance, ways are ways of funding a purchase rather than buying the temporary services of a piece of equipment. These are often referred to as capital leases.

For capital leases the leased assets and the financing liability are recorded on the leasing company’s books as though the company had bought the equipment outright.

Bank financing

The next level of financing involves banks. If a company has a credit line or revolver with a bank it draws down and pays back up to set limits of credit as cash is needed and generated by the business. The credit is often secured by assets of the firm however if a business runs into trouble it may not be able to pay the bank and go into bankruptcy

Bond Insurance

Bonds have fixed interest rate contractual payments and a principal maturity. The risk comes to the firm’s owners if they cannot be serviced. The principle bond owners can then exchange them for ownership of the company and oust the owners.

The After-Tax cost of Borrowing

Interest payments for borrowing from vendors, bankers or bondholders are tax-deductible, while dividends to shareholders are not. The after-tax cost of borrowing is the interest cost less the tax benefit.

Stock Issues

Stock issues have non-contractual, non tax deductible dividend payments. Stock represents an ownership in the business and in all of its assets. If additional shares of stock are issued to raise cash, this is done at the at the expense of the current shareholders’ ownership interest. New shareholders share their ownership interest equally on a per-share basis with the current shareholders – this is why analysts say that the new shareholders dilute the interest of existing shareholders.

Summary

In summarising, the higher the percentage of debt to total capital, the higher a company’s value, to a point. At the point where the risk of bankruptcy becomes significant, values fall. The cost of financing decreases as a company adds lower-cost shielded debt to displace the higher returns required by equity investors.