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Business and Finance
Apr 24, 2012 06:33 AM
The majority of homeowners wouldn’t have been able to afford to purchase their homes without a mortgage. Do you have peace of mind in knowing that your mortgage can be paid off upon your untimely death or the untimely death of your spouse?
Mortgage Protection
It is important to think about protecting your family’s home in the event that one or more of the family breadwinners should die prematurely. Cost effective term insurance can provide funds to surviving family members that can assist in easing the financial burden of an existing mortgage in order to allow loved ones to maintain their current lifestyle.
Early Payoff
Life insurance proceeds may also be utilized to pay off the mortgage early should a breadwinner die prematurely. The mortgage payment may have been manageable for a family with two incomes, but upon the untimely death of one of the breadwinners it may make economic sense to pay off the mortgage early. In addition to the cost effective term insurance m ...more
Mar 28, 2012 07:33 AM
The economy is tough – and so are new banking regulations – but small business ownersstill need to refinance, to find growth capital, and to finance mergers or acquisitions. Here are six ways you can do exactly that and avoid paralyzing your operations.
1. Objectively evaluate the financial position and performance of your business. Are you getting the maximum return from your investment? Is it possible to sell any assets that are not contributing to the financial health of your business? In tough times, survival is the goal -- and cash is always king, so keep enough money available to fund emergencies and slow cash flow periods.
2. Start looking for a financial partner now and initiate discussions with those potential refinancing sources. You should begin the process at least a year in advance of any debt coming due or when new capital will be needed.
3. Investigate amending your existing loan agreement by arranging an extension of the due date or a reduction of the amo ...more
Feb 29, 2012 01:20 PM
Quite simply, yes! Many may say that if they were to die without a will then all their possessions would go to their wife, kids and family members anyway so why do I need a will? This can happen, but it may take months or even years to settle your estate and it can become quite costly. In the end, everyone may not get what you wanted them to get.
Consider this example: You are married with two minor children and you die without a will. Under Georgia law, your spouse receives only 1/3 of your property, and your children split the other 2/3. And there is another problem - your children are minors, so they cannot receive money directly. Their shares will be held under court Guardianship/Conservatorship, with additional reporting requirements and costs. Your children will receive their inheritance in a lump sum at age 18, whether they are mature enough to handle the money or not. However, having a properly drawn Will avoids these problems.
There are three important documents you sh ...more
Feb 29, 2012 01:19 PM
Copyrights
In this article, we will briefly introduce and explain about copyrights, one elements of Intellectual Property.
Intellectual Property (IP) is an intangible property. It is something you, your mind has created. It can be a design, a logo, a name, a number, a business model, a novel, a story, an article, a music composition, lyrics, research, and so on...
Broadly IP can be classified into three different categories. Trademark, Copyrights and Patent.
What are Copyrights?
A copyright is a legal right over original artistic or literary work. Copyright is an expression of ideas or creation. Any original work in the form of paper; architectural drawings; paintings; sound; visual and music recording on tape, disc, or any other format; maps; sculptures; dramatic work; movies; novels; songs; poems; music composition; musical notes; lyrics; computer programs; data sets; photographs; designs; pictures; etc. can be copyrighted.
Copyright can get tricky. One small creati ...more
Feb 29, 2012 01:11 PM
Since everyone’s financial circumstances and goals vary considerably, there is really no generalized rule of thumb that indicates exactly how much life insurance you should buy. However, determining how much life insurance you need is a very important process. Face amounts of $500,000 or $1 million, or more may seem like a lot of money, but many don’t realize that a 30-year old couple will earn $3.5 million by age 65 if their total annual family income averages $100,000 for their entire careers, without any raises. If something happens to you, how will your family replace your earning power? It costs money to die. When an income earner dies, family income goes down, but family expenses tend to stay about the same. While life insurance cannot replace you, it can be used to replace all or a portion of your earning power.
Estimation of Income Needs
Would $1 million be enough? How would you know? You could start by estimating the dollar amount needed by your family upon ...more
Jan 30, 2012 12:26 PM
Times are very tough these days and you may be one of many who have fallen behind on your mortgage payments for your home. Your lender may now be moving forward with foreclosure. Some of you may able to work out deals with your lender to avoid foreclosure such as through a short sale, loan modification, loan forbearance or deed in lieu of foreclosure. Unfortunately, most lenders are not willing to make a deal.
However, the foreclosure process takes time. Most creditors do not begin foreclosing until you are two to three months behind on your mortgage payments. If you have determined that you cannot work out something with your lender, consider filing for bankruptcy as an alternative.
Bankruptcy and foreclosure are both words that the average person dreads hearing. However, if you are facing foreclosure, bankruptcy can become a tool to help you keep your house or at the very least delay the foreclosure. Once you file bankruptcy, such as Chapter 7 or Chapter 13, the court automat ...more
Jan 30, 2012 12:23 PM
We all know that the rupee has lost about 20% of its value in the past six months and is at an all-time low against the U.S. dollar. What many people don’t know is “why” – or who benefits, who gets hurt, and above all, what does it mean for you.
Currency actually got its start back in the 6th century BC when the people of ancient India became among the first in the world to use coins. In fact, the word “rupee” comes from Sanskrit meaning “shaped coin.”
Certainly the world has come a long way since then. Today, there are about 180 different currencies around the world and their value is determined by a variety of complicated and interdependent banking, economic, and political factors.
However, two currencies – the American dollar and the European euro – have an important impact on all other currencies because these two currencies together account for almost 50% of all currency transactions around the world as well as for almost 90% of all currency reserves that are kept by c ...more
Jan 30, 2012 12:22 PM
In this article, we will briefly introduce and explain the concept of ‘Design Patent’ within the
framework of Intellectual Property. We will then delve into different types of ‘Design Patents’.
Intellectual Property (IP) is intangible property. It is something that you, your mind has created. It can be a design, a logo, a name, a number, a business model, a novel, a story, an article, a music composition, lyrics, research, and so on...
Broadly IP can be classifed into three different categories - Trademark, Copyrights and Patent and in one of our previous article within this series we had explained how ‘Design’ can fit within all three broad categories of IP. In this article we will further explore concepts related to ‘Design Patents’.
So what exactly is Design Patent?
A Design Patent is a visual and artistic presentation of lines drawn in different ways by
the creator / inventor. They can be with color or without any color. It can be anything - design of flowers, ston ...more
Jan 30, 2012 12:10 PM
You and your family have worked hard to acquire your home, a rental property or other real estate holdings, and you qualified for that mortgage thanks to your income level, excellent credit rating and financial history.
But what would happen if you — the primary income producer or even as half of a dual-income partnership — suddenly died? Besides the emotional trauma, a surviving spouse may experience a significant decrease in household income that could lead to foreclosure. That’s why many banks and mortgage companies encourage homeowners to purchase mortgage life insurance.
Life Insurance from a Lender vs. an Insurance Company
Basically, you purchase mortgage life insurance so that in the event of an untimely death, funds are available to meet any outstanding mortgage balance. But the type of insurance you purchase can greatly affect your surviving family members’ options.
When you purchase insurance from a bank or mortgage company, you generally lose all ownership control ...more
Jan 05, 2012 01:55 PM
Every business needs a continuous flow of capital – and one of the most dependable sources for that capital is an SBA loan.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a federal agency that offers loan guarantee programs which are designed to encourage the growth of small businesses throughout the country. Founded in 1953, the agency has delivered more than 20 million loans – and one of the largest SBA lenders in the southeast today is Embassy National Bank in Atlanta.
A percentage of every loan is guaranteed by the SBA, which enables a lender to accept a greater risk on a small business that may not qualify for a conventional business loan.
Perhaps the two most valuable features of an SBA loan are (1) lower down payments and (2) longer term financing. This is especially important for a small business that is just starting out or that is about to expand – first, because the company can keep more cash for operational expenses and second, because the company can devote less c ...more
Dec 02, 2011 12:12 PM
As banks increase existing fees and create new ones, consumers are taking a hard look at the cost of their bank accounts, their ATM cards, and their debit cards. However, you don’t have to start using that cookie jar in your kitchen as a substitute for your bank – pay attention to four simple words and you can avoid paying a bundle in excessive or unreasonable bank charges.
1. Consolidate
By having all your accounts with the same bank, you improve your chances of qualifying for various free services. Banks want assets, so they are often willing to add together the amounts in all your accounts and use that combined total as the basis for their minimum balance requirements.
If your new savings accounts pay you a slightly lower interest rate, remember to balance this against the savings you achieve in fee expenses.
2. Negotiate
If you are getting a new loan or refinancing an existing one – such as a mortgage or a car loan or a small business loan – negotiate with your loan ...more
Dec 02, 2011 12:04 PM
In this article, we will briefly introduce and explain the concept of ‘Design’ within the framework of Intellectual Property. We will explore how this concept of design overlaps with the concepts of patent, copyright, and trademark.
Intellectual Property (IP) is intangible property.It is something you, your mind has created. It can be a design, a logo, a name, a number, a business model, a novel, a story, an article, a music composition, lyrics, research, and so on...
Broadly IP can be classifed into three different categories. Trademark, Copyrights and Patentand ‘Design’ can fit within all three broad categories of IP. So, let us dive into the concept of ‘Design’.
So what exactly is Design?
A Design is an artistic presentation of lines drawn in different ways by creator / inventor. They can be with color or without any color. It can be anything - design of flowers, stones, mountains, ornamental designs, human, birds or animal drawings, or some symmetrical or asymmetric ...more
Dec 02, 2011 11:57 AM
As anyone who follows the news is aware, immigration is among the country’s most incendiary policy issues. It has insinuated itself onto the Republican presidential campaign and will no doubt be an item for debate on the general election campaign in 2012. Candidates have come forth with such proposals as building an electrified fence all along the border with Mexico and posting a sign saying “this will kill you.” One House bill would require employers to verify the legal status of their workers. Another would provide three-year residential visas to foreign home buyers who invest at least $500,000. Increasingly, members of Congress are tending to support limited measures for discrete steps such as shortening the green card process to address the need for highly skilled immigrant workers. Meanwhile, several state legislatures have taken steps to tighten restrictions on illegal “aliens”, leading to shortages in industries where immigrants have provided most of the labor. As a result, bu ...more
Oct 31, 2011 12:38 PM
Are you a business owner facing foreclosure or receivership? You’re not alone. More importantly, you have options and strategies available to avoid foreclosure or receivership – or both.
In today’s economic environment of dramatically declining revenues, thousands of small business owners – including hoteliers and convenience store operators – have fallen behind on their bank loan payments and are on the brink of foreclosure or receivership. These entrepreneurs could potentially lose any real estate assets that are held as collateral for their loans.
Often, the real estate assets represent a large percentage of a business owner’s investment and life savings – even though the value of these assets in the current real estate market may have fallen to less than the loan amount owed to the lender.
While the threat of foreclosure or receivership is intimating, you can avoid losing your real estate assets. However, you must anticipate the problem, plan a course of action, an ...more
Oct 31, 2011 12:37 PM
Do you know your Business Assets?
In this article, we will briefly introduce and explain about patent, one of the elements of Intellectual Property.
Intellectual Property (IP) is an intangible property.It is something you, your mind has created. It can be a design, a logo, a name, a number, a business model, a novel, a story, an article, a music composition, lyrics, research, and so on...
Broadly IP can be classifed into three different categories. Trademark, Copyrights and Patent.
What is Patent?
A Patent is a license granted by an appropriate authority over an invention that is unique and capable of being sued commercially. A patent can be granted to any newly innovated product or component; to an industrial process or manufacturing design, technique or process; and to computer programming of unique business methods. It needs to be new, non-obvious and useful. Examples can include biological patent, chemical patent, software patent, business method patent, etc.
Pate ...more
Sep 27, 2011 11:47 AM
In today’s economy, everyone wants to protect their savings from huge market swings. A technique that can give you peace of mind is to “ladder” your certificates of deposits.
Here’s how “laddering” works: instead of putting a lump sum into one certificate of deposit (CD), you divide the funds into a series of certificates of various maturities.
Let’s assume you have $25,000 to place in a certificate of deposit. Split the money into $5,000 increments and buy five CDs – one with a one-year maturity, another with a two-year maturity, a third with a three-year maturity, a fourth with a four-year maturity, and finally one with a five-year maturity.
As each CD matures, roll the money into a new five-year certificate – assuming you don’t need to spend the cash on something specific.
Do this every year and you’ll maintain a balanced ladder of CDs ranging from one to five years because if rates go up you’ll earn more on the higher-yielding new certificates – and if int ...more
Sep 27, 2011 11:30 AM
Do you know your Business Assets?
In this article, we will briefly introduce and explain about copyrights, one elements of Intellectual Property.
Intellectual Property (IP) is an intangible property.It is something you, your mind has created. It can be a design, a logo, a name, a number, a business model, a novel, a story, an article, a music composition, lyrics, research, and so on...
Broadly IP can be classifed into three different categories. Trademark, Copyrights and Patent.
What are Copyrights?
A copyright is a legal right over original artistic or literary work.Copyright is an expression of ideas or creation. Any original work in the form of paper; architectural drawings; paintings; sound; visual and music recording on tape, disc, or any other format; maps; sculptures; dramatic work; movies; novels; songs; poems; music composition; musical notes; lyrics; computer programs; data sets; photographs; designs; pictures; etc. can be copyrighted.
Copyright can get tri ...more
Aug 24, 2011 12:15 PM
Intellectual Property (IP) is an intangible property. It is something you, your mind has created. It can be a design, a logo, a name, a number, a business model, research, a novel, a story, an article, a music composition, lyrics, and so on...
Broadly IP can be classifed into three different categories. Trademark, Copyrights and Patent. Over the course of these series of articles, we will delve into the different aspects of intellectual property. In this article, we will understand different types of Trademark.
A Trademarks helps to identify source of goods. Consumers differentiate the products/goods based on recognizable trademark / brand name. Business owner needs to be very thoughtful when considering a name for its products / goods. Any name, which becomes a business’s trademark / brand name, needs to be strong in terms of infringement protection and in terms of its marketability.
Understand Different types of Trademark:
Trademarks are broadly classified in four groups. ...more
Aug 24, 2011 12:04 PM
HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT BANK FOR YOUR BUSINESS
By Nitin Shah
Before a bank grants a loan, it conducts very thorough research. Similarly, a business owner should be very careful and complete when choosing a bank with which to do business.
Consider these helpful hints:
• Match the bank with the size of your business and its needs. For example, small and mid-sized companies are more likely to get better support at small and mid-sized banks.
• Deal with the most senior officers possible – they have more decision-making authority and are less likely to change jobs.
• Your bank is only as good as the banker you work with. Establish a personal long-term relationship with one or two individuals so you can get financial advice, ideas, and support beyond routine day-to-day services.
• Community banks are known for superior customer service including faster decisions, simpler loan procedures, and more favorable, flexible terms.
The most common mistake small business own ...more
Aug 01, 2011 11:43 AM
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS ENFORCE YOUR RIGHTS
Copyright: This series of articles are copyrighted. Anyone reading this article is prohibited from reprinting,distributing, and expurgating any part of these articles to use for any commercial purpose or for personal gain. However, one may reproduce this article as it is for education purpose.
Disclaimer: This article is not a legal advice nor reading this article gives attorney-client relationship.
Intellectual Property (IP) is an intangible property. It is something you, your mind has created. It can be a design, a logo, a name, a number, a business model, research, a novel, a story, an article, a music composition, lyrics, and so on...
Broadly IP can be classified into three different groups. Trademark, Copyrights and Patent. Over the course of these series of articles, we will delve into the different aspects of intellectual property. In this article, we will begin with an introduction to the ...more
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