Tag Archives: business
The Basics of Credit Card Balance Transfers
There simply isnt one of us out there who enjoys paying the high interest rates on credit card balances, no matter how much money you have in the bank or make at your place of employment. I dont know about you, but I always promise myself that whatever I charge during a billing cycle, I will pay off when the bill comes due. But when I open up the envelope from my credit card company, I realize that there are many other places my money could be well spent- and that means my balance doesnt get paid in full, thus resulting in loads of pounds paid in interest. Thats why so many residents of the UK are taking advantage of the financial benefits of transferring their balances on a high rate credit cards to one with significantly lower (or even 0%) interest.
Credit card companies are in a desperate fight for your business, so they offer alluring programs (such as 0% interest on balance transfers for 6 months or so) so that youll take your old credit card balance and place it on one of their new cards. This is all done with the hopes that you will use your new credit card instead of your old one- hence the new company generates any interest on new purchases, not to mention the charges on your transferred balance when the special program expires. They want you to give them your business, never look back, and never again transfer your balance to another credit card company. Their begging can work to your advantage as long as you understand the basics.
There are mainly two types of credit card balance transfers, the first of which involves a very low interest rate, usually 0%, for a fixed amount of time, perhaps from 5 to 9 months. At the expiration of this time period, the companys normal interest rate charges will apply, generally upwards of 15% or more. So be sure to stay on your toes, keep accurate records and switch your balances when the introductory rates expire to get the most out of these enticing rates and programs.
The other type of credit card balance transfers involves a low interest rate, maybe 5% or less, but maintains this same, nominal rate for the entire time required to pay off the transferred balance. Any new purchases will be subject to the cards regular, significantly higher rate (again, around 15% or so), but if you have the self-discipline to not add any additional charges to this card, it can save the hassle of transferring your balances at every 6-month mark and still save you hundreds (or even thousands) of pounds over the life of your credit card balance.
Shop Fittings Leasing Solutions and Benefits
It is no news that the credit crunch affected us all and everybody is facing new challenges to recover from one of the worst economic downturns in history, especially for those trying to start a new business.
Lets take the example of someone trying to open a new shop, no matter what type of shop it is, this will need shelves, counters, slatwalls and other types of shop fittings depending on the business.
Shop fittings are probably one of the most costly things when setting up a new shop, especially on a tight budget. Remember that the first impression is the one that counts, so the design and quality of the shop fittings will be extremely important.
Buying all the shelves, displays, counters, etc, could drain a good part your budget. So why not lease your shop fittings?
For years there have been companies offering leasing solutions for shopfittings and shop refits for opticians, chemists, mini markets, supermarkets and even department stores. In fact almost every type of retail outlet has benefited from this type of leasing.
How to Lease Shopfittings?
As mentioned above these companies specialised in it. What these companies do is use comparison websites to find the best quotes for what you need. In some cases you provide them with a quote for your shopfitting needs and they will try to obtain a lower quote, saving you precious time to focus on other areas of your new shop.
Often costs of shop fits tend to balloon when unforeseen problems or snags occur, and the original budget is suddenly out of the window. That is where the expertise and experience of a leasing company can help. The company should assist you not to overspend and tailor a budget to meet your necessities and keep your shop fit on track.
Leasing shopliftings conserves valuable working capital by not having to pay cash up front; the cost is spread to cover the working life of the equipment so you get the benefit of immediate usage of the equipment without the capital outlay.
The total cost of the leasing rentals is fully tax allowable. Furthermore, rentals do not rise with inflation or interest rates. It also keeps your valuable banking credit lines free for more profitable use elsewhere in your business.