Month: March 2022

Cheap Car Insurance for Young Drivers Tips

Being a young driver stinks! Even if you’re the best driver in the world, you’re going to find out that if you’re under the age of 25, you’re going to have to pay premium prices. You will find that there are some ways to save, if you want to save on your next policy. While it won’t work with some, you will find that it may apply to you.

Here are some things that you can try out, when you want to find the cheapest insurance as a young driver.

Get a student discount: Many larger insurance companies today have student discounts. There will be some criteria that you will have to follow, in order to take advantage, and what you will find out most of the time that you will have to get good grades, as well as maintain a certain GPA. While you won’t save a lot, you can save around 5-10%.

Get rid of options: If you have an older car, you will find that if you dump the deductible, as well as other parts of your insurance plan, this can lower your rate significantly. Now, before you do this, make sure that you know what you’re doing. It’s best to talk with an insurance agent to see what is best for you. If your car is worth less than $2,000 – $3,000, you will find that it would be silly to hold a $1,000 deductible.

Ask about discounts: Every company out there is different, and you will find that you may want to ask to see what they can do for you. What I would recommend is that you chat with 3-5 companies to see what they can do for you. You will find that all companies are going to vary, when it comes to auto insurance rates.

While being a young driver can be frustrating, you’re going to find that you can find some good deals online, when you know how to search. Try out some of the tips above to see how much you can save.…

Agricultural Equipment Finance

Agriculture in India has a long history. Even today, the industry represents the largest economic sector in India, employing close to half of the total workforce. As the demands of an enormous and growing population continue to push farming output, Indian banks are providing greater and more varied financial assistance to the country’s farmers.

The agreement between tractor manufacturers and banks has offered Indian farmers new opportunities for agricultural finance, while further driving the country’s significant agricultural sector. With tractors representing the unchanging foundation of the farming industry, this equipment is a key focus for banks. The Indian tractor market is among the largest in the world.

To access agricultural equipment finance, farmers first contact a dealer with tractors for sale, or approach a bank branch directly. There is an emerging network of suitable bank branches in rural and semi-urban India. Most leading banks have developed tractor loans with a careful understanding of rural India. The consideration of these different and varied needs has resulted in a fairly straightforward application process, involving reduced documentation and processing time. Farmers can access finance for tractors of different makes and brands, and with some banks it is even possible to apply online.

As with all loans, eligibility is dependent on the borrower’s credit history and their individual requirements. For this type of finance, the applicant must be a salaried individual, and an agriculturalist. Loan amounts also vary, depending on the specific vehicle. Banks fund 90% of the equipment cost, and many times this is extended to 100%.

Farmers are sometimes given lower interest rates, as a further impetus for the agricultural industry. Depending on the details of the loan, flexible payment plans are established, from monthly to quarterly and half-yearly.

The agriculture equipment market is growing steadily. Manual labour is an integral element of rural India, and an ageless system of farming. Tractors play an essential role in the automated agricultural life of the country, and their importance has been recognised by banks. Today’s farmers have an opportunity to apply for tractor finance and take advantage of innovative payment terms, suited to rural requirements.…

The History of the Gold Krugerrand

The first Krugerrands were struck on 3rd of July in 1967 and since then 54 million of them have been made. This though, isn’t when the history of the Krugerrands began. It dates as far back as 1889 when the “Golden Arc” was discovered. The Arc is 500km long formation of hills near Johannesburg and also one of the largest gold deposits in the world. The discovery led to a war over the control of the resources in 1899, so called The Second Boer war. The Boers fought hard but couldn’t beat the British Empire, which reabsorbed the country in 1902.

The second state in the history of Krugerrand is the establishment of the Rand Refinery in 1920. The rand Refinery manufactures all the blanks that are used to mint Krugerrands. The Refinery was created by the Transvaal Chamber of Mines to refine all gold mined in South Africa. Even in 2005, 80% of the country’s gold was refined there.

Krugerrands get their name from Paul Kruger, fifth and last president of the old South African Republic. His face is on the observe side on the coin and on the reserve side is a springbok, the national symbol of South Africa.

Krugerrand contains 22 carat of gold and 2 carat of copper, which gives it its typical orange appearance. The copper also makes the coins harder and more durable so it can resists more scratches and dents. Each Krugerrand contains one troy ounce of gold (31.10g) and 2.83g of copper.

The Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917 coupled with the Executive Order 6102 signed by FDR made it illegal for US citizens to own gold bullion at the time the Gold Krugerrand was introduced to the markets (1967). The law didn’t ban them from owning foreign coins and the South Africans took advantage of this quite cleverly. They made the Krugerrand legal tender, which allowed Americans to purchase it as a foreign currency. They also stamped the gold content on every coin, which made it easy to trade since the quantity of gold was known without having to melt and test it.

It was illegal to import Krugerrands to most of the Western countries from South Africa until 1994 because of the Aparthied policies. Since the political reform ended in 1994, Krugerrand has become the most popular bullion coins with 46 million ounces in circulation.

In the current climate where the price of gold is rising and the demand is greater than ever, the Rand Refinery is struggling to keep up with the orders. Being the most popular gold coin in the world, Krugerrands are a very good investment during economic instability since they are easy to sell onwards and their gold content is well known. Because of the small amount of copper in the coin, Krugerrands are more durable than 24 carat coins so they won’t lose their shine as the years go by.

Krugerrand celebrated its fortieth anniversary in 2007 and …

Offering Cars on Finance Making Cars More Affordable for Customers

These days it is essential that dealers can offer the most attractive cars on finance options on the market. This could make all the difference in closing sales and keeping cash flowing in the business.

Shifting cars can be tough in this difficult economic climate and by offering competitive car loans you can help to keep your stock moving.

Cars on Finance

The motor industry is under increasing pressure due to global financial woes. It has never been more difficult to run a motor sales business. This means you need all the help you can get to make sales as attractive as possible to customers. Offering competitive cars on finance is a must-have option these days and you will need to choose reliable finance providers that can offer you flexible, attractive services.

• By outsourcing your car loans needs you can take advantage of market leaders that can offer competitive finance packages available.

• Experienced motor finance experts will have the experience and tools to put in place powerful car finance options that will make your business grow.

• Motor finance products can help bring you closer to your customers and ensure you are offering them the best all-round service available.

• Offering cars on finance can be the difference between success and failure in the motor sales business so you cannot afford to overlook these valuable products for your business.

Online Service

Leading motor finance services can also offer you a number of practical online features. The Internet provides a fast, reliable and affordable way to reach out to as many customers as possible. With increasing numbers of people shopping online for new and used cars you need to be offering Internet services for potential and existing customers. This will offer more exposure for your cars on finance and your top finance deals. Useful online services that could boost your business include:

• Online Showrooms – with leading motor finance services you could have access to a nationwide database of stock. This online showroom will enable you to upload and display the cars you have for sale and ensure they are accessible to as many customers as possible. Each car can be listed with a choice of finance deals which enables customers to see what vehicles are available and how they could buy cars on finance in one easy step. This means you could arrive at work in the morning with new customers already waiting in your inbox.

• Dealer Hubs – a hub is basically a central area online that you can store your information and carry out administration tasks. Leading online motor finance services can offer you dealer hubs so that you have one central place to manage your online sales securely. This cuts a lot of time and hassle and gives you ‘one click’ access to your online motor sales accounts and customer contact.…

Car Loan Application Process

A car loan application is a fairly easy process. A car loan application can even be taken over the phone. The whole process will take about 15 to 20 minutes. You will be required to give your personal information, this will include:

A� Your full name as it seems on your driver’s license

A� Current address (you will need to give three years history)

A� Contact phone number

A� Date of Birth

A� Number of dependents

A� Drivers license number and expiry date

A� Email address

A� Current housing situation (owner, mortgage, renting, boarding)

A� Mortgage agent if home owner

A� Current occupation and time spent there

A� Name and address of current employer

A� Phone number and contact details of employer

A� Income

A� You will also need to provide current pay slips

A� Any current or previous loan commitments and the amount borrowed

A� The name of your banking institutions

A� Supply name, address and phone number of two references not living with you

A� Details of goods being purchased

A� Type of purchase (Private sale or Dealer sale)

A� Loan structure ( amount of months you wish to pay loan off)

A� You will then be asked questions relating to previous or current lending history including any defaults, court judgements or a current or discharged bankrupt

A� If there is a second applicant the broker will need to speak to the other borrower and obtain their personal information also

A� You will also be asked if you will allow a credit check to be carried out

The broker may ask other questions about your car loan application and all of this is necessary as the lender requires this to identify you and also to prove your ability to repay the loan over the period of time allocated. Living expenses are also taken into consideration and a certain amount of your weekly salary is allocated for this. Once you have all of the information required your car loan application can be submitted by the finance broker to the lender. If the customer has a clean credit history and can service the car loan to the satisfaction of the lender an approval can be instantaneous. Once copies of pay slips and your identity has been verified you are able to go shopping for your new car. If any other information is required by the lender your finance broker will contact you and request this information prior to your car loan application being approved. Your finance broker will keep you informed throughout the entire process. I hope this information has been helpful with the knowledge of what information you need on hand when doing a car loan application.…

Advising the Adult Learner: Helping Corporate Employees Maximize Tuition Assistance

Tuition Assistance Programs (TAP) are a great benefit for Adult Learners who work in corporations. Those employees can take advantage of $3000 or more per year, reimbursed by their company. But many employees find it frustrating to return to college and do not take advantage of their tuition reimbursement provided by the company.

Some of the main reasons why corporate employees are not using their tuition assistance programs are:

• Finishing a degree will take too much time

• Many colleges are too expensive, and even with tuition assistance, there is still money out-of-pocket

• It is difficult for some employees to know where to start or how to select the best college or major

• College terms such as Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) and Credit by Examination (CBE) are confusing and employee are unsure if these programs apply to them.

• Corporate employees get frustrated by aggressive marketing from For-Profit Colleges.

Hiring an Independent Academic Advisor or an Educational Management company with Academic Advisors can help overcome these barriers to education and help the employees select the best college, focused on their goals, background and skills and within the company’s Tuition Assistance guidelines. Here are some of the ways that Academic Advisors can save time off a degree plan, save tuition dollars for the company and set up a reasonable Path to Graduation for the employee.

Independent Academic Advisors:

• Are not tied to any college or university, so can make independent recommendations to help the employee save time and help the company save money.

• Can look at the employees’ life and work experience, licenses, certificates, military and corporate training to select schools that will use this Prior Learning for college credits.

• Will recommend colleges and universities that stay within the Tuition Assistance maximum reimbursement per year.

• Help employees stay within their financial means and not get into Education Debt.

• Have experience in Educational settings or corporate Training and Development and have advanced degrees. Some have experience as Career Counselors or College Finance Advisors.

Educational Advising may include:

• Aligning degree plan to Career Development

• Assessment to help narrow down Major and Concentration area

• Outline prerequisites and find less expensive options for these courses

• Compare Online degrees to On-campus degrees

• Overview Admission process and Admission tests

• Cost and time comparisons of colleges

• Transcript and military evaluation

• Educational Evaluation

Independent Academic Advisors can help employees find the best path to graduation, while cutting costs to the corporation. These Academic Advisors can be a powerful tool to any Tuition Assistance Program. Some of the companies that provide independent academic advisors are EduPlan ( ), Starr Career Services and Tuition Advisory Services.…

How Mortgage Software Can Mitigate Loan Risks

Loan risk management is a discipline focused on managing credit risks related to lending products. Issues range from individual borrowers’ creditworthiness and likelihood of defaulting on loans to the entire loan portfolio of a given lending institution. Lenders mitigate risks in many ways including through risk-based pricing and diversification. They also use risk management tools such as mortgage software and data visualization to gain a deeper understanding of their loan portfolios and the key metrics that could indicate a higher likelihood of default.

Common Forms of Loan Risks

Mortgages face several forms of risk including:

A� Borrower risk – Risks associated with the borrower such as creditworthiness or long-term employability.

A� Collateral risk – Risks associated with the property’s value over time.

A� Market risk – Risks associated with financial and real estate markets.

A� Geographic risk – Risks associated with properties found in a specific geographic region.

A� Concentration risk – Risks associated with heavily lopsided exposures.

Mortgage Software’s Role in Loan Risk Management

Mortgage software plays a role in both identifying and mitigating risk. In the past, spreadsheets, knowledge, and intuition were used to assess credit and mortgage risk. Today, sophisticated software complete with data visualization and business intelligence tools helps lenders identify risky borrowers at the point of origination as well as analyze and manage risk across the entire loan portfolio. Below are a few areas where mortgage software plays an important role:

A� Loan Origination – Mortgage software is used at the loan’s origination to quickly determine borrower eligibility as well as to identify risk factors. A deeper understanding of individual borrowers allows for more accurate risk-based loan pricing as well as better decision making. Loan origination tools are used to assess borrower risk.

A� Real-Time Insights – Loan risk management is an ongoing process that spans the entire portfolio. Using real-time data and highly visual business intelligence tools such as dashboards and graphs, mortgage software allows you to identify trends, spot patterns of risk and opportunity, view valuation models, and create forecasts. Real-time analytical tools can be used to monitor and report on key performance indicators as well as to create forecasts and predictions. These insights are often displayed in visual dashboards.

A� Reporting – Predefined reports as well as ad hoc reporting tools allow you to look at loan data using different views and filters.

A� Decision making – With data visualization and predictive analytical tools, mortgage software also facilitates smarter decisions. For example, you may discover areas of opportunity such as loans prime for refinancing or new marketing products. Likewise, you may discover loans that you’d rather sell or that are at risk of prepayment. By setting and monitoring key metrics or drilling down on data as needed, you can take a more proactive approach and make smart decisions based on solid information.

By using mortgage software with risk management tools, you can keep an eye on risk at the borrower level and across the entire …

Do You Really Need a Banker?

Why do I need a banker?

I am sick of politics. I am tired of politicians posturing. I am confused at living as the definition of middle class.

What is middle class? It is like the middle child, not as treasured as the first of the family, and not the last as the eternal baby that is coddled, but the one who has to carve out a niche to be brighter than the first and stronger than the last. It is the one that is independent and often is defined by the word Middle. It is the “middle pip”.

Middle Class is the small business owner, the one person service operation, the small manufacturing company, the down- the-road store owner. Many of these owners employ a number of people, but nearly always are dependent on the banking system, even if they have a healthy cash flow.

Middle Class is defined as the core of the economy, the backbone of the country, the salt of the earth, steady in their resolve to sustain their families in the American dream – a home and a full belly and send your children to college.

Small business is the key in politics. This is where promises are made and broken. This is where the bankers prowl and offer you the world, but give nothing. This is where it is the hardest to live and work because it is the biggest portion of the country.

Being a small business owner is very difficult. Usually one is happy to keep going at a pace that is comfortable, that you can afford, but there are times that one needs to borrow capital from a bank for expansion, short term loans or bridging finance.

Yeah, right.

You try borrowing anything from the banks today.

I sold a shipment of goods to a large reputable company, for which they gave me a Purchase Order with their payment terms that were net 30 days. I paid my manufacturer for half the order, the balance to be paid when the goods were delivered. I had the balance of the money tied up in an Annuity – yes, my own money sitting there and earning some interest!

When it came time to pay for the balance of the goods, I went to my company bankers with whom I have banked for many years, and asked if I could get bridging finance by giving the Annuity as collateral. You guessed the answer. No.

So I went to my personal bankers, who had set up the Annuity in the first place, and asked to borrow against the annuity for 45 days as a bridging loan. No. Really???

So I had to cash in the policy, lost $1800 on the deal (more than five times the interest that would have been paid for 45 days with bridging finance) and waited for the creditor to pay so that I could put the money back again. In my savings.

Probably should …