In the UK, Banks have been ordered by the financial watchdog, the Financial Services Agency (FSA) to refund Mortgage Exit Fees to clients they have overcharged when they redeemed a Mortgage. This is of major significance to those involved within the areas of Debt Management, Debt Settlement and Bankruptcy in general as these figures could be quite substantial overall.Long overdue, this affair could cost in excess of £300 million at the end of...more
Years ago I gave a consulting client a one-word solution to overcoming his business challenges. The one word was, "FOCUS." At our weekly meetings I emphasized the importance of focus for this successful entrepreneur seeking even greater success. We worked closely together to help him stay on track with his business goals. It was during this period that I really learned how powerful the concept of focus is, and why so many individuals whether...more
What is an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA)An individual voluntary arrangement begins with a proposal based on your financial circumstances and how much you are realistically able to afford to contribute towards an IVA, either on a monthly basis or from other assets you may own. The proposal is presented to the court and then to Creditors. How does it work?We tell the court the details of your proposal. A meeting of creditors is held, the date of the meeting and details of the proposals being sent to your creditors. Only those creditors who had notice of the meeting are bound by the arrangement, so it is important that you have accurate records of all your creditors' names and addresses. Otherwise, the arrangement might fail because we cannot contact all the creditors and, therefore, bind them to it.At the meeting, the creditors vote on whether to accept your proposals. If enough creditors (over 75% in value of the creditors present in person or by proxy, and voting on the resolution) vote in favour, the proposals are accepted. They are then binding on all creditors who had notice of, and were entitled to vote at, the meeting.We supervise the arrangement and pay the...more
When I speak with many website and business owners, I usually get asked this question over and over gain. And that is "what can I do to get more customers, clients or subscribers? Well there's a 1001 answers I can give that question. Because there are so many ways to find new business.The problem with finding and advertising for new customers is...more
Q: How important is the name of a business? Should the name of a business reflect what the business does or is it better to come up with something catchy and easy to remember? -- Randy P.A: What's in a name? When it comes to your business, Randy, a lot more than you might think. In fact, deciding on a business name is one of the most important...more
Reduce your tax payments by claiming an interest payment deduction.If you are busy paying off your student loans, the last thing you want to do is to pay interest on the money that you're about to give right back to the government. Luckily, in a lot of cases you should be able to deduct the amount of interest that you paid on your student loans. Deducting interests on student loans is not very difficult to do as long as you make sure that you meet the requirements for claiming this particular deduction on your taxes.First of all, you have to have the proper filing status - which in this case means that you can be of any filing status except for if you are married and still filing your taxes separately. There is no explanation given as to why this particular status is exempt, however, this is still important to take note of before you waste your time trying to fill out a deduction that you cannot claim.The other thing that is necessary in order for you to claim that deduction is that you cannot have another person claim you as a dependent or a tax exemption on their own tax forms. For most people who have already graduated from college and are trying to pay off their student loans,...more
Do you know what "proceedings supplemental" are? If you are in the business of collecting judgments in Indiana, and from time to time virtually all secured lenders are, then the June 27, 2007 opinion by the Indiana Supreme Court in Rose v....more
Decision Finance was formed in early 2000 and is the trading name for Xbridge limited an online commercial, business, and financial intermediary for small to medium sized businesses. DF has the backing of Prudential PLC, Boston Consulting Group and...more
You've recently been promoted to management, and are now responsible for the department in which you were previously employed. One of your former peers had also applied for the job, and you are now feeling waves of resentment from him that threaten...more
As a result of a directive from the Financial Services Agency, Banks in the United Kingdom are now being instructed to return fees to clients they are deemed to have overcharged. This is of major significance to those involved within the areas of...more
Working with a bank to obtain a small business loan can be an easy or difficult process, depending on how prepared you are to meet with the lender and discuss your business' situation and needs. One of the leading causes of business failure is...more
Most people think Santa Claus only works one night a year. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, product distribution takes place on one magical night, but Santa's operation runs year round and is one of the largest manufacturing and...more