Sunday, April 21, 2013

Banking and International Operations of the Finance Industry

Banking is a highly regulated industry. It acts as a financial intermediary between customers with capital deficits and surpluses. The global regulatory authorities govern the banking and international operations by putting several restrictions, on the financial activities of the banks.

The banks generate revenues, by charging interest on the money lent. The bank pays lower interests on the deposits, and lends out money on higher interest rates. This allows the banks to profit from the differential interest rates. The banks charge a transaction fee, which is a form for their stable revenue. It also provides a platform for smooth financial performance. More active and revenue generating tool is, the provision of financial advice to their customers.

The financial system is an economic cycle, which depends on the requirements and strengths of customers needing loans. It is a way to channelize resources and interconnect financial institutions. It allows directing funds from household savings to the industrial sector, and enabling them to share risks.

The finance industry comprises of banks, stock brokerages, credit cards, insurance, investment and consumer finance companies. The international operations of the finance industry have to be run under legal international practices, regulated by leading authorities of the world. The changes and reforms in the banking regulations allow progressive policies and practices.

There are some financial institutions in Canada which they have the largest revenues and deposits. They carry the biggest market capitalization. The banks focus on investment banking services and, in particular middle market clients. The group of banks of Canada has been listed as the largest Canadian companies, which work internationally operational in several countries.

Of the major focus of the group of banks is the international operation. The banks invest funds in Caribbean region. The residents receive financial services provided by First-Caribbean international banks. Those institutions have a joint venture merging uniting the Caribbean operations. The banks not only cater to the financial needs of the residents, but extends its services to non-residents as well.

The banks are members of several bankers associations all over the Caribbean region. They also offer various financial services to students, small business and enterprises. They work worldwide in association with MasterCard, Visa, CarIFS, Maestro and MultiLink Network.

The banks operate nationally and internationally as Financial Group. This group receives high competition from other big bankers. It has growing banking operations outside Canada. It has huge commercial banking business in Caribbean and considers the region as its local market. The banks are listed on the stock exchange to facilitate the financial services internationally.

The Caribbean retail banking network cater over every single country and the territories around. There are a lot of branches offering finance planning, monitoring and investment opportunities to the local people and non-residents. This network has boosted the confidence of the shareholders who have been offered to invest in one of the most successful banking institution in the world. This banking and international operations network also offers the benefit of the expanded market. It provides increased lending capacity of the group of banks, with a wide range in financial products.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Using the Power of Faith to Attract Money and Abundance

One of the most powerful ways to attract money and abundance into your life is through the use of faith - or the power of believing. When you think about it, the law of attraction will not deliver something into your life if you don't believe it can happen. Money and abundance are no different.

The challenge is that most people don't yet have a strong level of belief. They doubt their own power as a deliberate creators; they doubt the loving nature of the universe; and they doubt that the law of attraction even works. Is it any wonder that they struggle to manifest the things they desire, including more money?

If you are one of these "doubting Thomas" types, don't worry. I'm going to show you a simple 3-step process that can help you to gradually build up your belief and apply it to the manifestation of more money and abundance in your life.

Step 1 - Be Certain of What You Do Not See

In the Bible, "faith" is defined: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1, NIV) When it comes to the law of attraction, this would mean first being clear about exactly what you hope for (or want). In this case, you want a certain sum of money or another expression of abundance, so get clear on exactly what outcome you are hoping for. Then, in order to be "certain of what you do not see," you need to express your belief that the universe can and will deliver this outcome to you. Even if you don't have a clue how it could possibly happen, or even if you expect it can happen only one or two ways, be open to allowing the universe to work its magic on your behalf.

Step 2 - Practice Equals Strength

The more you keep insisting that you believe money and abundance will come to you, and the more you keep insisting that the universe is already working on delivering your abundance right now, the stronger your faith will grow. Of course you won't really believe it at the beginning, but that's the whole point - you need to keep working on believing it, insisting that you do believe it, until your faith has grown to the point where you really do believe it. Say frequently, "I know the universe is delivering my money (or abundance) right now. I don't know how or when it will show up, but I do know that it will soon." Insist that it's your truth, and before long it will be!

Step 3 - Act as if You Have it Already

While you are working on strengthening your faith, it's crucial to not "un-do" all of your progress by then doubting, complaining or fearing the worst. You can't have faith that more money is coming if you keep worrying about not having enough money! Put it this way; if you KNEW without a shred of doubt that you would be receiving a big sum of money tomorrow, you wouldn't be fretting or worrying, right? You'd be excited, eager, happy and grateful about it. Even though it hadn't arrived yet, you'd be anticipating its arrival with enthusiasm. Do that now and you will instantly become receptive to it and help draw it into physical form.

The first several times you do this exercise, it may feel like it's not working. You may feel uncomfortable or strange as you insist that you believe something that you definitely don't believe yet. That's okay! Keep working at it and eventually you WILL come to believe it, and once the results start showing up in your outer world you'll definitely start to believe it.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Why Is Payroll Important In Business?

Few business operations impact employee morale as does payroll management. If you've ever wondered just how important payroll is, just imagine the reverberating effects of employees missing their pay. Immediately, employees will question the overall health of the company, or will assume the worst is yet to come with respect to their employment. Of course most enterprises these days have come to rely upon the ease of direct deposit. Still, there are some companies that still depend upon manual payroll processes. Unfortunately, these manual processes are problematic, a source of constant frustration and one of the preeminent reasons payrolls are missed. When it comes to discussing payroll services for small business, few approaches are as impactful as outsourcing payroll. So, why is payroll management important in business? More importantly, why have so many companies come to rely upon outsourcing their payroll management to a payroll services company?

The Importance of Compensation Based Pay

In the world of business, there is simply nothing that compares to being properly compensated for a job well-done. There is far more involved with managing payroll than simply making sure employees receive their pay. Compensation based pay incentivizes employees to reach their full potential, motivates them to take on new tasks, and gives them the impetus to take charge of both their personal and professional development. When companies want to get the best from their employees, they often turn to a compensation structure that pays the employee, while rewarding the company. Payroll management is an essential ingredient in catapulting a company's top employees to the highest positions in the company.

Reducing Expenditures & Freeing Up Valuable Resources

When companies upgrade their payroll management, they immediately benefit from reducing expenditures and freeing up valuable resources. Whether it's outsourcing payroll, or using a payroll management software, deciding to upgrade payroll pays huge dividends. In essence, it means the company must do away with manual processes that do nothing more than clutter business operations and cost the business money. When companies upgrade how they manage their payroll, they are able to reduce expenditures across the board.

Lower Tax Bills!

Payroll services for small business must focus on reducing tax bills. One of the biggest costs of manual payroll processes, or poor payroll management for that matter, is the incidence of late or incorrect tax filings. In fact, almost 50% of companies in the United States face some form of fine for incorrect tax filings every single year. Of course, one of the main causes includes those aforementioned manual processes. However, late filings are also caused by companies being unfamiliar with the myriad of tax codes, government regulations and laws governing how employees are compensated and ultimately, how they should be paid. If ever there was one single factor that determined just how important payroll management is, it would have to be this one.

Payroll management happens to be that one business function companies don't realize how important it is until it's too late. Most companies understand that manual processes are not only tiresome, but also extremely expensive. To reduce expenditures, companies must be willing to invest in upgrading how they manage their payroll.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Credit Repair: Transform Your Life

Chances are if you're reading this article you or someone you know has had credit issues in the past or are plagued by bad credit right now. There are many reasons for you to make credit repair an immediate priority in your life. There are also many reasons that you might hesitate. Most people don't even know where to start or that it's even possible to repair your credit.

Credit reports are not fun to read. Past credit issues are not fun to think about and it can be embarrassing getting denied for a loan. But there is a lot at stake. If you are not interested in learning credit repair, consider hiring a credit repair professional to help you through the process. You can regain control of life. Over time it will cost you much less for credit repair than it will for you to have bad credit. Either way, whether you decide to have a professional do it or decide to do it yourself, it's time to do something about it now not when you are ready to apply for that mortgage, car loan, cell phone etc.

I started out by repairing my own credit. I filed bankruptcy about 2 years ago. Almost everyone I talked to said that I would have bad credit for 10 years after my bankruptcy. They didn't mean to misinform me; it's just what they've been told all of their lives. Well, I'm here to tell you it's just not true.

My scores at the time I filed were around 450 across the board. They are now around 700. I've been able to get a great interest rate on a brand new car, a few great credit cards and I know I will get a great rate on a mortgage soon.

I made a few mistakes when I started repairing my credit because I jumped into it. I've learned so much since then and I continue to learn more everyday. The more you know about personal finance and credit the better off you are. I help other people repair their credit now. I work full time as a credit repair specialist and also help people at my credit repair forum for free. People are amazed at the impact that a competent credit repair professional can have on their credit scores and on their ability to completely transform their financial life.

Credit repair can save you tens of thousands of dollars. It can bring you confidence and the lost knowledge that you have control over your own life. Simple put, life is much better with good credit.

It's time to take action. The first step is to learn how to repair your credit or consult a credit repair professional. You might be surprised to hear that your past credit problems are probably not the sole, or for that matter, the largest factor in your low credit scores. There are a terrible number of errors ranging from subtle misreporting to obvious redundancy that plague consumers and damage their credit scores. The first step in an effective credit repair program is to identify every single one of these issues and eliminate them. But there is more.

Real credit repair requires an intimate knowledge of the impact that every item on your report can have on your credit score. A credit repair professional will make sure that everything that can be done to improve your scores is being done correctly. You cannot afford to ignore anything.

You have the power to transform your own life. Please don't believe that because you have made financial mistakes in the past that you are destined to live a life of financial gloom. If you take action to repair your credit you will discover a whole new world of possibilities. You can make it happen.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Business Financing - Alternatives To The Government Enterprise Finance Guarantee

Earlier this year the UK government introduced the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme (EFG). The EFG replaced the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme (SFLG) with the commitment to helping small businesses raise the funds they require to trade through the current economic downturn. The EFG is based on the government guaranteeing up to 75% of the value of a commercial loan offered by a company's bank. The company's directors will normally be required to personally guarantee the remaining 25% of the loan.

Companies are still finding it extremely difficult to raise vital finance despite the government claims for the EFG scheme. According to a recent report published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, in the year up until the 3rd April 2009 a total of 2,369 loan guarantees to the value of GBP 178m had been issued, under both the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme and the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme. This figure is significantly less than the GBP 205m guaranteed in the previous year. It is also far below the scheme's GBP 360m budget set by the Government in March 2008.

For this financial year the outlook now is just as worrying. The latest Bank of England figures show that new lending to companies continued to contract in May 2009, following a fall in April. Clearly, despite the government's assurances and backing, UK banks remain extremely reluctant to provide new loan facilities for businesses. I have recently had a number of discussions with small business owners which back up this analysis. It seems common place that new loan and commercial mortgage applications with the backing of solid business plans are being consistently declined (often at the last minute) with little or no rational explanation from the lender.

Based on the current evidence it seems very much that the banking system is reluctant to back any business opportunity unless it has almost a cast iron prospect of success. This situation is certainly stifling entrepreneurial activity and thus undermining the driving force required to kick start the economy and move it out of recession.

Given this situation, business owners are well advised to consider alternative options for raising finance. Business refinancing can help in this area. Business refinancing generally involves raising cash secured against tangible business assets thus giving the bank real security and the comfort required to release funds. Examples of business refinancing include:

Asset refinancing

The process of borrowing against the value of any fixed assets which are owned by the business.

Invoice financing

The process of raising money based on a company's outstanding invoices. Invoice financing could allow a company to draw down up to 90% of the invoice value immediately on the issue of a valid invoice.

Trade financing

Enabling a business to receive up to 80% of the confirmed order value up front to pay the suppliers required to fulfil the order.

Until lending eases businesses will struggle to trade out of the current economic situation. However it seems that they are unable to rely on Government initiatives such as the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme to allow them to access the funds they need for expansion and growth. Unfortunately Business Refinancing will not be suitable for all. However it is certainly an option that should be reviewed by all in the current climate.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Custom Logo Design: Advantages And Disadvantages

Every business worth its name has a logo. It is that little graphic displayed on everything that is uniquely theirs- their website, products and stationery. In some cases, the logo may simply be a stylistic adaptation of a name. Hallmark is a fine example. In other cases, there are special graphics that serve to symbolize the company. The windows logo is one such famous graphic.

Logo design is one of the first activities undertaken by a company to establish their brand image. This is important because a logo fulfills a large range of functions. A good logo represents the company, gives a symbolic representation of what the company stands for and even carries the credibility of the company on its shoulders. Some companies spend thousands of dollars on custom logo design because they know that a successful logo must be appropriate, aesthetic and reliable. It must penetrate people's mind and carve a place for itself, so that one look at the symbol will invoke the company, its philosophy and products in the mind of those viewing it. A logo is said to be successful or worth the money you pay when the symbol is recognized instantly.

Many companies pay millions of dollars to purchase custom designed logos. They employ expensive graphic design agencies to produce a selection of custom logos, from which they select one. That is because they understand that a good logo will help their company stand out from the competition. Custom designed logos are original and unique, characteristics that are vital to the success of the logo as a brand ambassador. That said, custom designed logos have advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of a custom logo design: Custom logo designs are designed specifically with your needs in mind. Generally, the design agency meets with the company and discusses the company's philosophy, services and culture. They discuss colors, design styles, fonts and layouts. Only then do designers begin their work. The design agency comes up with a number of templates. The client picks one that he likes or may ask for another round of discussion, if the designs are not up to his expectations. The greatest advantage of custom designed logo is its uniqueness. The company gets exactly what they are looking for, which is a great option if you have the cash to finance it.

Disadvantages of custom designed logo:
Highly expensive
Takes too much time
May run into delays

Custom designed logos are not for everyone. Small companies, individual entrepreneurs and others with limited resources may not be able to invest huge amounts of money into their logo design, though they still want sophisticated logos. Additionally, the time factor required for the development of a custom design is quite unpredictable. In case you are in a hurry to launch your company, waiting for a custom logo may not be the best option.

For companies that want excellent quality designs at a fraction of the cost, there is always a better option. Many online design agencies supply you with high quality logos at affordable prices. Most of these companies have a large catalog of pre-designed logos. So, it is easy for prospective clients to choose something they like straightaway. These can then be customized to a high degree of uniqueness. Thus services such as these make it easy for companies to bypass costly design companies in their quest for highly individualized, yet stylistically perfect logos.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Shareholder Loans - treatment by Canada Revenue Agency

Shareholder Loans

It has been widely common for the business owners to use their sole manager/director status to simply take funds for living from the corporation. Or, make the corporation pay for their personal expenses like home renovation or visa bills. Not wishing to declare it as personal income, but rather say that it was a loan that will be paid back later. On the other hand, the employed person would have paid those same expenses from his/her personal salary. It is obvious that the difference between those two would be that the employee has paid personal taxes, pension and employment insurance contribution, before receiving his/her net pay. Therefore, on average, 100k annual salary will give you a 60k net pay. The business owner, taking money directly from the business bypasses the source deductions, and receives access to the whole 100k. By The CRA rules, simplistically stated, If the company earns 250k net, and then pays the salary 100k, has 150k net income and needs to pay tax on 150k (16.5% for small business in Ontario). Then the person receiving 100k salary needs to pay personal income tax.(40-45% or more), and that is precisely what the average business owner is reluctant to do. For the same reason the CRA has concentrated its attention and developed a sophisticated set of laws and regulations to help enforce tax law in that area.

In particular, Section 15 of the Income Tax Act (ITA) outlines the CRA's position on loans advanced to shareholders/directors. The idea is that any benefit provided by the company to the shareholder/director shall be included in his/her taxable income. S. 15(2) deals with "shareholder debt" saying that where the shareholder, or any person connected to the shareholder received a loan "amount of loan or indebtedness is included in computing the income for the year of a person";

There is, however, a gesture of goodwill on the part of the ministry, saying in 15(2.6), that the above does not apply when "loan or indebtedness repaid within one year after the end of the taxation year of the lender" if it can be seen that " the repayment was not a part of series of loans or other transactions and repayments"

Home Purchase Loan

There might have been a home purchase loan from your corporation, that is allowed by the CRA, for the term of 5 years, with the renewal option. Should be" acquired for the sole purpose of acquiring right to inhabit a dwelling where the dwelling is for the habitation of

(a) the individual by virtue of office or employment the loan is received or the debt is incurred

(b) specified shareholder of the corporation by virtue of whose services the loan is received or the debt is incurred, or

(c) a person related to a person described in (a) or (b)"

Saying therefore, that you must be an employee or a shareholder, providing actively services to the corporation.

The loan must bear interest, and its principal does not have to be included in income of an individual, for the amount not exceeding what was actually paid for residence purchase during the year. S. 80.4(1); 80.4(7). The loan must be taken for the term not exceeding 5 years, and the "prescribed" interest rate must be paid.

Automobile purchase loan option is also available, shall it be received for the reason of employment, as opposed to shareholdings.