A guide to Property and attractions in Languedoc Roussillon

A guide to Property and attractions in Languedoc Roussillon
Languedoc Roussillon is a region of incredibly varied
landscapes from the Pyrenees Mountains, to the vineyards
and the beaches. It has also been affected by many
different civilisations over the last 2500 years and offers
a rich history, culture & architecture. It is less densely
developed than Provence and the Cote d'Azur giving it a
natural and rustic feel while also having property for sale
at about 60% of the price of Provence and the French
Riviera.

Location

The Languedoc Roussillon region borders Provence-Alpes-Cote
d'Azur to the east, Auvergne & Rhone-Alpes to the north &
north east and Midi-Pyrenees to the west and north-west. It
comprises five departments which from east to west are
Gard, Lozere, Herault, Aude & Pyrenees Orientales.

Transport links This southern region is easily accessed by
road, air or by train. It has no less than five airports in
the region at Perpignan, Carcassonne, Montpellier, Nimes
and Beziers all operated by low cost airlines with frequent
flights. Alternatively you can take the Eurostar all the
way to Avignon or to Perpignan in 2009 which should boost
property prices, business and tourism in the area.

Attractions

The Languedoc Roussillon has many attractive beaches and
seaside resorts which compared to the Cote d'Azur are far
less developed and more casual. These include the likes of
the Sete which has quite a casual and natural feel to it to
La Grande Motte with its Casino and nightlife, Palavas les
Flots which is a relatively quiet fishing village. Further
east and you reach the area known as the Cote Vermeille
whose landscape becomes more rocky and cove-like with
resorts such as Banyuls sur Mer and Collioure epitomising
this. This area near the Pyrenees also has a distinctly
Catalan culture and ambiance. Many people are also
attracted to the vibrant city of Montpellier with its
historical town centre and abundance of boutique and
fashion shops. Nearby Aigues Mortes has the best example of
medieval architecture today whose town centre and ramparts
stem from the 13th century. Carcassonne with is medieval
castle and Nimes with its Roman Amphitheatre are two cities
which also have many interesting spots to visit and there
are many smaller towns and villages like Pezenas which
offers more rustic charm with its stone built houses and
winding streets. You cannot ignore the strong presence of
the Roman Empire here from Arles with its amphitheatre
which is still in use to the Pont du Gard aqueduct. Equally
the Cathar religion has also left its mark on this region
notably seen in the fortresses they built in the Corbiere
hills.

Activities

There are too many activities available here to list them
however main ones include skiing and hiking in the
Pyrenees, walking or horse riding on the Montagne noir or
the Cevennes Natural Park with its many mountains, lakes,
rivers and forests and visiting the Camargue with its vast
wildlife from wild white horses to pink flamingos. This
area also has many vineyards 2nd only in wine production to
the Gironde and you can go on wine tasting trails as you
visit its many quaint villages or travel along the Canal du
Midi in a barge. There are also many festivals held
throughout the year across the region and the excellent
choice of shops, bars, restaurants and cafes in the main
towns will keep you coming back for more.

----------------------------------------------------
Nick Dowlatshahi is the Managing Director of Leapfrog
Properties who are a property agency specilaising in
helping the British & Irish buy property in France. Visit
http://www.leapfrog-properties.com to see our vast
selection of French property

5 Tips to Save For College and Retirement

5 Tips to Save For College and Retirement
The list of hard choices and sacrifices parents make for
their children is endless. Send them to soccer camp or
little league, enroll then in private or public school,
give them a 10p.m. or midnight curfew - the list goes on
and on. One thing that shouldn't be on that list - save for
college or retirement.

It might sound harsh, but parents shouldn't sacrifice their
own financial security for the sake of their children. What
they should do is figure out how to save for their
children's college education and for their own retirement
at the same time. The sooner they figure this out, the
better.

Unfortunately, saving usually ranks lower on the list
compared to other priorities. People in their 20's may be
focused on paying off student loans and credit card debt.
People in their 30's may be focused on raising a family and
juggling the costs that come along with that, such as
buying a first home, paying two car payments, etc. When
people reach their 40's and 50's they are concerned with
saving for their children's college education and their own
retirement. And this is where the problem lies.

Getting a late start can be a challenge, but it shouldn't
stop you from being able to retire at a reasonable age and
send your children to school. Here are 5 tips you can use
at any age!

1) Think Realistically - Most people don't have a concrete
idea of how much money it takes to retire. Since the
financial needs of each person will be different, try to
imagine what you want your retirement to be like. If you
want to maintain the lifestyle you have now plus travel,
chances are you will need 100 percent of the salary you
earn in your working years to live comfortably. If you plan
to live a much simpler life in a less expensive area, it
might be possible to get by on 60% of the salary you earn
in your working years. If life expectancy is about 80 years
and you retire at 65, you have 15 years to fund. Do the
math.

2) Start Early - And if that's too late - START NOW! This
applies to college and retirement saving. The sooner you
start saving, the more interest your money will earn. Don't
wait until it's easier to save, that will never happen. If
you think it's impossible to save, trick yourself. Your
bank can set up automatic allotments to your savings
account. Start with $200 a month. You won't see the money,
so it's easier not to spend. If you feel comfortable
without $200 a month, increase the allotment to $300 and so
on. We tend to adjust to what we have. Ever wonder how
millionaires go broke?

3) Look at all the options - There are more paths available
for financing a college education than there are for
retirement. For Example: You can't get a retirement loan,
but there are many types of student loans. Scholarships and
Grants are another great source. Many students will assume
they won't qualify. Encourage your children to always
apply, because many times acceptance is based on more than
grades and income. Compare the costs of community college,
public and private universities. With loans, scholarships
and grants, sometimes the difference between the school of
choice and the school of second-choice isn't as much as you
thought.

4) Take Control - Companies are starting to drop pension
plans in favor of employee contribution plan, such as
401(k)s, primarily because they're less expensive. So
employees are left responsible for figuring out how to
invest. Don't just follow what your co-workers are doing.
Start researching, find out how to monitor the performance
of your company to bring in a consultant to give an
investment seminar.

5) Pass on responsibilities - Before and after your
children start college, it's a good idea to give them
certain financial responsibilities. Whether the
responsibility is as small as paying for groceries and
books or as big as paying rent, a car payment and insurance
- it can be extremely beneficial. There are many jobs that
allow time for school and studying. Encourage them to seek
out paid internships, part-time jobs on campus or seasonal
work during winter and summer breaks. Many times
entry-level jobs will teach your children good work ethics
and making financial decision will allow them to have more
confidence in their abilities.

It is possible to save money for college and retirement
simultaneously. The key is to set goals and start now.

----------------------------------------------------
Daniel Wansten is the Author of Cash For College, and
founder of Professional Education Services. PES is an
independent education consulting firm providing expert
financial aid advice to college-bound students and their
families. For more information and help on how to pay the
college bill go to http://www.howtoaffordcollege.com .

Investing in Commodities

Investing in Commodities
If ever there was a time to invest in commodities it would
be now. For those of you who are not familiar with
investing, the best definition of a commodity is something
from the earth. This could be metals, gases and oils, or
even foods. People buy and sell these items on contract
with much speculation.

An example of a commodity which is on the rise and has been
for quite some time, is gold. Surprisingly enough, silver
is also on the rise. By investing in the gold or silver
market, a person can build a nice portfolio showing good
gains. When the market starts to level off or even
decline, the investor will sell. There are signs to tell
when the market may increase or decrease to better alert
the investor.

For example, much of the orange juice commodities increased
greatly when the cold snap hit California. With the fruit
being ruined, orange juice began to become in demand. This
drove the price up drastically. The smart investor sold
during the peak of this demand. As the new crops were
starting to produce more juice, the price dropped. Thus
anyone holding on to the juice commodities may have lost
money.

There is always a great risk when you choose to invest in
commodities. Many investors thrive on this risk factor.
They are constantly speculating how a certain market may or
may not do. There is much research which goes into
investing in commodities. Even the weather has much to do
with what a commodity will do. The last thing anyone wants
to do is get caught holding a worthless investment because
a drought took out the wheat fields in the mid west.

One such incident occurred with precious stones. There was
a mine which was closed do to dangerous conditions. This
led everyone to believe the garnet would increase
dramatically in price. However, another mine had been
opened previously. Although the mine had not produced a
significant amount of gems, speculation was abounding as to
what it could produce. Many investors bought the garnets
thinking the mine had not produced so far and probably
would continue to do poorly. This was not to be the case.
The miners struck pay dirt, and the garnet was no longer
the hot commodity everyone had hoped it would become.

When you invest in commodities, you are taking a chance.
It is not like the standard stock market where you hold
onto the investment for years. The commodities market is
constantly changing from month to month. It is a way to
make some money quickly. It is also a way to lose money
just as fast. By investing in commodities, your chances
can be as good as the next person's. You can gain a
fortune in a split second with a storm hitting the coffee
plantations of Latin America. There is no rhyme or reason
as to what your commodity investment may do. You can only
go on speculation. Yet the experience can be exhilarating.

----------------------------------------------------
Gary Giardina. For More Information on Investing in
Commodities, please visit:
http://www.investcommoditiesonline.com

Mortgage Interest Deductions - Get Your House In Order

Mortgage Interest Deductions - Get Your House In Order
In order to maximize your mortgage interest deduction, you
need to first get your house in order. Many people
recognize that the deduction for home mortgage interest is
one of the most potent tax breaks available today. Most
people are surprised at how complex and full of pitfalls
the mortgage interest deduction rules really are and more
are surprised about how big of a role their house plays in
their wealth strategy.

How to get your house in order depends on how your loan
will be categorized.

CATEGORY 1: Did you obtain your loan to buy your residence?

Usually the interest paid on a loan if the proceeds are
used to buy or build a residence (a main home and one
vacation home) is fully deductible. This type of financing
is called acquisition debt. There are two important rules
to remember:

1. The acquisition debt must be less than $1.1 million in
order for all interest to be deductible

2. The acquisition debt must be secured by your home

If your acquisition debt exceeds the $1.1 million limit,
then your mortgage interest deduction is limited to the
interest on $1.1 million.

In most situations, any points you pay to the lender in the
year you get a mortgage loan to buy your main residence are
fully deductible.

How to get your house in order for Category 1:

If your acquisition debt exceeds the limit, then taking
advantage of other tax deductions will be even more
important in your tax strategy.

For example, using a portion of your home as a home office
will maximize your deductions because the home office rules
do not have a maximum acquisition debt rule.

If you own business or real estate investments, you may
consider getting a loan within the business or real estate
investment to provide you with cash to pay down or
refinance your acquisition debt. This will lower your
acquisition debt. Even though your overall debt balance
between the acquisition debt and the business or real
estate investment debt is the same, this strategy maximizes
your interest deduction by:

Reducing the amount of acquisition debt, which in this
example is over the $1.1 million threshold so the interest
on the excess is non-deductible.

Increasing your business or real estate investment debt,
the interest on which is usually deductible. The interest
may be currently deductible or deductible in future. Both
are a better result than non-deductible.

You may also want to consider this "debt shifting" strategy
if your itemized deductions are subject to limitations,
which turns a portion of your deductible mortgage interest
into a non-deductible expense.

CATEGORY 2: Did you refinance your loan to remodel?

If you refinance your existing loan to pay for an expansion
or remodeling of your home, all of the interest you pay on
the new loan usually will be deductible as acquisition debt
and subject to the same rules in Category 1.

Follow the same tips to get your house in order as Category
1.

CATEGORY 3: Did you refinance for better rates or terms?

If you pay off the loan you got to buy your home with a new
loan carrying a lower rate of interest or more favorable
terms overall, all of your interest on the loan usually
will be deductible as acquisition debt and subject to the
same rules in Category 1 - EXCEPT any points you pay on the
new loan will be deductible over the loan term and not all
at once in the year you refinance.

Follow the same tips to get your house in order as Category
1.

CATEGORY 4: Did you refinance to raise cash for a personal
asset or expense?

Interest paid on a consumer loan to pay for a personal
asset or expense, such as buying a new car, or paying
medical expenses, is not deductible. However, you can
transform that non-deductible expense into fully deductible
interest if you use your home as collateral for the loan,
and the total amount of such home-equity loan doesn't
exceed $100,000. The loan can be a first mortgage, a second
mortgage, or a home equity type loan.

How to get your house in order for Category 4:

You will want to make sure the debt related to the personal
asset or expense doesn't exceed $100,000. If the debt does
exceed this limit, then your interest deduction is limited.
Be sure to keep track of the loan balance related to the
personal asset or expense and provide that information to
your tax preparer.

CATEGORY 5: Did you refinance to raise cash for an
investment or business asset or expense?

Interest paid on a loan to pay for an investment or
business asset or expense is usually deductible as an
investment or business expense. This portion of the loan
is not considered acquisition debt.

How to get your house in order for Category 5:

In most cases, you will need to "trace" the portion of the
loan that was used for acquisition debt and the portion
used for investment or business assets or expenses. This
enables you to properly allocate the portion of interest
that is related to your home and the portion that is
related to the investment or business. Keeping proper
documentation on this is key because in many cases a
greater interest deduction is taken.

Proper documentation includes proof of the portion that was
used towards the business or real estate investment or
expense, the calculation of interest on that portion, and
how the business or real estate investment paid its portion
of the interest. Be sure to provide this information to
your tax preparer.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, many
people are surprised at how complex and full of pitfalls
the mortgage interest deduction rules really are and even
more are surprised about how big of a role their house
plays in their wealth strategy. This all means opportunity
- opportunity to increase your overall interest deduction
and opportunity to turn taxes into wealth to add velocity
to your wealth strategy.

----------------------------------------------------
Tom Wheelwright is not only the founder and CEO of
Provision, but he is the creative force behind Provision
Wealth Strategists. In addition to his management
responsibilities, Tom likes to coach clients on wealth,
business, and tax strategies. Along with his frequent
seminars on these strategies, Tom is an adjunct professor
in the Masters of Tax program at Arizona State University.
For more information, visit
http://www.provisionwealth.com.com .

The Biggest Mistake You Can Make About Paying For College

The Biggest Mistake You Can Make About Paying For College
Each month when we conduct our free workshops, "How to Pay
for College Without Going Broke," Pete and I hear this
question in some form or another:

"We were told we make too much money to qualify for
financial aid. Should we bother applying?"

Here's the answer, once and for all:

YES!!

Got it?

Many families assume they make too much money to qualify
for financial aid, but there are many factors that
determine eligibility - not just income. In fact,
according to a recent study, 53% of all eligible families
never apply for aid!

The main reason preventing them from applying is this
misconceived notion that they make too much money. I've
had single moms two steps above the poverty line approach
me at the end of a workshop, concerned that their income
was too high! So if you take nothing else away from this
article, focus on this: even families making healthy, six
figure incomes will qualify for aid at most schools.

EVERY family with a high school senior bound for college
should complete the Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA). The data you enter into FAFSA dictates how
much money you are expected to contribute to school. This
number is calculated pursuant to the Department of
Education regulations.

Filling out a FAFSA is painful. You must be extremely
careful - the opportunity for mistakes and pitfalls abound!
Each year, an estimated 78-90% of FAFSAs contain mistakes.
One of the more common gaffes that severely limits or
eliminates deserved aid: listing assets that do not need to
be included.

In February, the Miami Herald printed a letter from a Miami
Beach woman whose son was admitted to an elite, private
school. The family's income was approximately $50,000.
However, after she completed her forms, she learned that
she was expected to contribute more than $30,000 per year.

In contrast, we just structured a college plan for a client
with near-identical finances. Had he done the forms the
same way as the Miami Beach woman, his expected
contribution for college would have been more than
$147,000. After we "fixed" his problem, his magic number
was $3,400 per year.

Did we hide assets in a strange offshore account? Nope.
Did we perform any alchemy or other magic? C'mon. Did we
manipulate things in an illegal, unethical or immoral
manner? Of course not!

All we did was follow the guidelines promulgated by the
Department of Education. These guidelines read like a
phone book. The financial aid formulas consider more than
73 different factors in determining how much aid a family
will qualify for.

Unless you are a specialist in this area, you couldn't
possibly understand these rules of the game. An easy
analogy is tax preparation - sure, you can do your own
taxes, but how likely are you to take advantage of every
benefit due to you compared to if you retained an
experienced CPA? Sure, you can do your own taxes,
plumbing, auto repair, whatever, but you can't possibly do
as good a job as an expert.

OK, I'm off my high horse. I just broke some bad news;
now, here's some WORSE news! Unfortunately, the FAFSA is
not the only financial aid form required.

Many private colleges require you to submit an additional
form, the CSS/PROFILE. Also, many private schools require
their own institutional aid forms. These forms are even
more hateful, more onerous than the FAFSA. My partner,
"College Pete," likens filling out the Profile to a root
canal without Novacaine. How's that for a graphic image?

He's got good reasons for saying this. Here's what he's
talking about:

You must be even more careful completing the profile,
particularly the sections earmarked for the student to
complete. Some common questions for the student to answer:
"How much money do your parents have to pay for your
college education?"

Whoa, Nelly! How many high-schoolers can answer this
question? Do your children know your bank balance?

If the student gives one answer on his form, and you give
another figure on your form, there's trouble in River City.

If the private forms and FAFSA are even slightly
inconsistent, your financial aid application could be
delayed or flat out rejected! And you can't say something
like, "my kid was on drugs when he filled out the form -
please let me change the answer!" Admissions departments
are kind of funny about stuff like that.

Here's the bottom line. You must approach the college
financial aid forms very carefully. Be careful whom you
speak with - high school guidance counselors are typically
too busy to develop any expertise in this area (the average
guidance counselor handles something like 471 students in
Florida). You CPA, money manager or other trusted advisor
may give you advice that might make sense for their
purposes, but may actually reduce the amount of aid that
you'll qualify for!

Do not wait until the last minute to plan how you will pay
for college. Sophomore Year (yes, Sophomore Year!) is the
ideal time to get serious about the planning process.
Speak to a knowledgeable college financial aid expert
sooner, rather than later.

----------------------------------------------------
Andrew Lockwood, J.D. and Peter "College Pete" Ratzan,
M.B.A. own and operate College Planning Specialists of
Florida. For a schedule of their free workshops, or other
information about "How to Pay for College Without Going
Broke" visit their website,
http://www.CollegePlanningAdvice.com or call directly,
954.659.1234.

Three Things to Look for in a Small Business Business Credit Card

Three Things to Look for in a Small Business Business Credit Card
Anyone who has ever carried a small business business
credit card can tell you that not all small business credit
cards are created equal. Selecting the wrong one can cost
your company money and can cheat your business out of many
small business credit card perks. Because the bottom line
is everything when it comes to a small business success,
there are some things you need to look for before applying
for any line of business credit. Here are three critical
factors to consider when applying for a small business
business credit card.

1. Do They Understand Small Businesses?

I've already said that not all credit cards are created
equal. The same can be said for businesses in general. Your
small business has unique needs. You need a credit card
company that understands this.

When applying for a business credit card, make sure it's
geared towards small business. It's great if XYZ MasterCard
offers individualized billing for employee cardholders and
has a department to help arrange employee travel, but you'd
probably be better off with a small business business
credit card that offers cash-back rewards or discounts on
office supplies. A card geared towards small businesses
will understand this.

2. Interest Matters

In an ideal world you'd pay your small business business
credit card off in full each month and would never pay a
penny in interest. Unfortunately, we don't live in an ideal
world. There will be times when unexpected expenses arise
and they might not be paid off in full at the end of the
month. Because of this, you need to look for a card that
offers a low interest rate in addition to small business
perks.

3. Add Up the Rewards

Once you've narrowed your credit card selection down to
companies that understand small business needs and
companies that offer a low interest rate, it's time to
start calculating the rewards.

The small business business credit card industry has gotten
quite competitive over the years. Because of this, there
are generous rewards programs in place. This can mean great
perks for your small business. Look for cards that offer
concierge services, travel insurance, emergency cash and
card replacements and, of course, rebates and cash-back
bonuses.

Finding the best credit card for your small business will
take time and effort, but when you're business is equipped
with the best small business business credit card and is
benefiting from the rewards, it will all be worth it.

----------------------------------------------------
For more tips on business credit cards, saving money and
avoiding getting taken, check out CreditCardTipsEtc.com, a
website that specializes in providing credit card tips,
advice and resources.
http://www.creditcardtipsetc.com/business_credit_cards

Are Cashback Credit Cards Worthwhile?

Are Cashback Credit Cards Worthwhile?
Whoever the person was at the Discover Card Corporation
that came up with the idea for cashback credit cards is a
true unsung hero in the world of banking and finance. After
all, this was a revolutionary idea. Today, while there are
a number of ways to make an application for a particular
credit card attractive in the early days there was little
more used to entice people other than offering low interest
rates or offering no annual fee. Then, someone at Discover
came up with the brilliant idea for a cashback credit card.
For those not familiar with this particular type of card,
its name implies exactly what it is: for every purchase on
the card you can get a certain amount of cash back. That
is, if you use the card at a specific retail store you may
receive a certain percentage of cash back on every
purchase. Needless to say, this idea proved wildly popular
and spawned a number of different cashback cards that
provide cash back on a number of services.

While this notion of receiving cash back on credit card
purchases seems like a great idea, there are those who may
be somewhat skeptical of the value and the benefits of such
a card. This is a fair and valid skeptical viewpoint. After
all, there have been many promotions that have proven to be
too good to be true so it is not surprising that a number
of people may look towards the various cash back credit
cards on the market and wonder if they are truly
worthwhile. This can be a somewhat difficult question to
answer because there are such a great variety of cashback
credit cards on the market that it would be difficult to
offer a blanket statement of whether or not the cards are
worthwhile. After all, some cards have terrible terms and
conditions and others have very fair terms and conditions.
However, if a generality had to be made it would be that
cashback credit cards are usually quite worthwhile if you
are looking for a minor discount on your purchasing budget.

If there were a criteria to base how worthwhile or not the
card is it would be based upon what percentage the cash
back represents. If the cash back purchase percentage is
low, then it may not necessarily be all that worthwhile to
make your purchases on the card. If the cash back
percentage is a fairly competitive amount, then the card
may have significantly more merit. Of course, if the
interest payments exceed the cash back amount then the
whole promotional aspect is a moot point. This can,
however, be avoided if the individual opts to pay the
balance completely in full every month. This would
eradicate interest payments and make the cash back value
increase significantly.

Another area that must be taken into consideration when it
comes to deciding whether or not a cashback card is
worthwhile centers on the method in which the card is paid
back. In some instances, the cashback is provided in the
form of adjusting (reducing) the statement balances and
others will pay the amount directly and mail a check. When
it comes to receiving a check, one must realize that there
may be a minimum cash out amount requirement. (For example,
$25 must be accrued in cash back "points" before a check
can be requested) The frequency of how often you use the
card will then play a significant role in defining whether
or not the cashback card it worthwhile. Additionally, there
will be some cashback cards that will only make their
payouts on an annual basis. Is waiting a year to collect
the money that you are owed acceptable? If it is, then the
card is worthwhile. If not, then the card simply will not
be worth it.

----------------------------------------------------
Get loads more high-quality personal finance advice free of
charge at our brand new blog - just visit us now at:
http://www.tameyourdebt.com

Equipment Leasing and Financing

Equipment Leasing and Financing
This article is going to discuss what is equipment
leasing/financing, what are its benefits, leasing plans and
how it relates to the start up and seasoned business.

Leasing is a form of renting but with a buyout clause at
the end of the lease to take title to whatever we are
leasing. The requirements to get into the lease may be as
low as first and last payment and as much as 25%. Each
situation is different and this offers the start up and
seasoned business a way to invest very little monies into
the business. Additionally, all other monies can be used
for operating expenses such as marketing and other key
areas. Leasing is not a new form of financing but could be
a lending solution to the start up business. The small
sample of type of industries that leasing can be used for
are the following:

Dump,garbage, tow, flatbed, water trucks, over the road
trucks and day cabs, heavy and construction equipment such
as bulldozers, tractors, excavators, skid steer loaders,
backhoes, flatbed, drop deck, refrigerated, dry van
trailers, and industries which include limousines,
limousine and shuttle buses, and machinery and production
equipment.

The benefits of leasing may result in off-balance sheet
financing reporting, tax incentives and conserving cash
flow and preserving lines of credit for working capital
purposes. Many leasing requirements may only require the
initial outlay of first and last rental payment. Most
leases finance 100% of the cost of the equipment such as
soft costs which include shipping, software, training and
installation. Additionally, leasing lets you regularly
upgrade your equipment, eliminating your utilization of
old, outdated equipment and reducing repair options.

Some of the leasing plans available to the lessee are
$1.00, 10% or 20% purchase options as well as Trac Leases
and FMV lease buyouts. Additionally, some lenders offer
seasonal payments, deferred payments for ninety days,
declining payments and half payments for a specified time
period. It is important that the lessee understands all
these different lease plans available as well as the buyout
clauses.

The lessee has many options to consider in negotiating his
lease. He must understand each lender's requirements and
see if it fits within the realm of the lessee's
requirements. Some lenders will accept the start up
business whereas others will not want to lend to this
group. They consider that their risk capital can be
invested in other types of portfolios that can be better
served. Many lenders require full documentation which
includes a couple of years of personal income tax returns,
a personal financial statement, and other underwriters
requirements. However, in the past couple of years, there
is a select group of lenders out there require an
application only program. These lenders have their own
computer scoring model and eliminate the necessary
additional paperwork of other lenders. These application
only programs are usually restricted to the seasoned
business, however there are a few out in the industry which
will work with the start up business as well. The amounts
of the application only program run as high as $250,000 for
the seasoned business and $100,000 for the start up.
Additionally, the lender will lease the qualified asset
probably from 36-60 months and many won't finance any
equipment and commercial vehicles over ten years old.

It is important to understand the lease terms, the rate
factor the lender is charging and the buyout clauses in the
lease to take title. If you anticipate paying off the lease
early, you should consult your lender to ascertain there is
no prepayments for a early payoff. The last thing to
understand that the lessee is going to guarantee the lease.

The last point to consider whether you are a start up
and/of seasoned business due to economic conditions, there
are some unusual specials available for off leases and
repos. The lender has excess inventory on their books that
they need to liquidated or re-leased as quick as possible.
The minimum credit score for the applicant can be as low as
575 and prior bankruptcies may not be an issue in the
credit decision.

Either way, spend your proper time investigating the item
you are looking for to acquire, get the best price that you
can obtain and secure proper financing.

Happy hunting...

----------------------------------------------------
J.M Luna has over thirty years in the financial field. This
includes accounting and taxes, leasing, hard asset money
and working capital loans, and commercial lending. U.S
Corporate Capital Leasing Group can assist the small and
seasoned business in many different types of industries.
http://www.cclgequipmentleasing.com
http://www.cclgequipmentleasing.com/DealerFinancing.htm