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Short Term Personal Finance Solutions
Finance is what allows business to exist. Adequate finance is required to meet the various commitments arising out of business transactions. The financial requirements of business can be broadly classified into two categories- short-term sources and long-term sources.
Short- term finance is required to meet the working capital requirements of a business firm. These are the funds required for a period up to 1 year. The sources of short-term finance are: trade credit, bank borrowings, factoring of receivables, commercial paper and accrued expenses and deferred income. Trade credit refers to the type of credit provided to customers by suppliers of goods in the normal cause of business transactions. The trade credit is easily available and is dependent on personal relationship between the supplier and the buyer. It also offers better access to small and newly established business concerns by selling the goods on credit basis. Banks constitute an important institutional source of financing the working capital requirements. Banks consider various aspects such as production and marketing plans of the customer while determining the credit requirements. The amount so determined by the bank is known as credit limit. Bankers are required to fix separate credit limits for various types of credit facilities to be extended to various types of borrowers. Margins are kept by the banker before granting finance. This is based on the principle of conservatism and is decided to ensure safety of funds. Banks extend the following type of financial facilities to customers: Over draft, Cash credit, Purchase or discounting of bills and demand loans. Over draft is a temporary arrangement whereby the customer is allowed to draw over and above the balance standing to the credit of the customer. Under cash credit facility, a borrower is permitted to withdraw funds from the bank up to the sanctioned credit limit. Demand loans are called the ad hoc or temporary financial accommodation granted to customers to meet unforeseen contingencies. The borrower has to pay a higher rate of interest on these types of advances. Picking A Home Loan – Short TermYou’ve found a home, your credit is in good shape and you have money for a down payment. So, how do you go about picking the right home loan for you?
Picking A Home Loan – Short Term There are more than a few issues that go into picking a home loan. One of the key factors is the amount of time you intend to live in the residence. If you expect to sell within a few years, then picking a home loan for a short-term scenario is going to be relatively easy. ARMS – Adjustable Rate Mortgages Adjustable rate mortgages are very good solutions for short term home ownership situations. The advantage lies primarily in the fact you will get a much lower interest rate on an adjustable mortgage. This, of course, translates into lower monthly payments, which gives you financial flexibility for the first few years of the loan. Interest rates on ARMS are lower than fixed rate loans for one primary reason. With an ARM, lenders assume you intend to hold on to the home for a relatively short period of time. As a result, they are willing to offer lower interest rates because they don’t have to worry about getting stuck with a bad rate for 15 or 30 years. With a fixed rate mortgage, the lender runs the risk of lending you money at a relatively low rate for a long period of time, only to see rates rise later during the life of the mortgage. This leaves the lender “upside down” on the loan. Lenders make every effort to avoid such scenarios. ARMS – Risk, Risk and Risk The disadvantage associated with ARM loans is the inherent risk. With an ARM, the interest rate can be adjusted on a quarterly or yearly basis depending upon the terms of the loan. If interest rates shoot up and the real estate market cools off, you may be left with a loan you can’t make payments on and a home with nominal equity. This is a nightmare scenario. If you’re considering an ARM, make sure you understand how much the rate can rise, when it can rise and what the resulting payments will be. For short term home ownership situations, adjustable rate mortgages almost always make sense. While an ARM may seem an obvious answer, just be careful you are not stuck holding the bag if rates shoot up. |
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