Post about "finance"

Is Auto Financing a Better Option Than Outright Purchase?

Acquiring ones own vehicle is a prestige issue with some people, while with others it may be a necessity and a means of easier traveling. While the rich and well off can afford to purchase vehicles of their choice with cash, the middle class and working class have to consider their financial situation and plan accordingly. This does not mean that vehicles are only for the rich, ordinary salaried employees and small businessmen too can afford vehicles. If they cannot afford to purchase the vehicle outright with cash, they can always opt for Auto Financing and Car Loans.

A few decades ago it was more difficult to get Car Loans or approach a bank for Auto Financing, but times have changed. Car companies have built up huge manufacturing facilities and manufacture hundreds of thousands of vehicles every month. They need to sell these vehicles and reduce inventory every month. Car companies realize that not everybody can purchase a vehicle with outright cash and this is where Banks, Auto Financing Companies step in. Banks and Auto Financing Companies collaborate with Vehicle Dealerships to provide Car Loans at an affordable rate to enable the salaried employee and middle class individual to own a vehicle.

The past few decades has seen the emergence of new car companies with newer models and latest and advanced technology and fuel efficiency. Every body would like to drive a new model and fuel-efficient vehicle and Auto Financing and Car Loan Companies are ever obliging and easily provide the required finance for new vehicles. The urge to acquire new customers and increase sales has also seen a war of sorts between different Car Loan Companies and many of them offer excellent rates of interest along with other benefits to entice a new client.

Auto Financing Companies also understand that it is not only beneficial to acquire new customers on a regular basis, but it is also essential to retain existing customers with excellent service. A happy and satisfied customer will always return if they need another vehicle and will also advise their friends and family to deal with a particular Auto Financing Company. As such they strive to reduce not only the paper work required, but they also give out gifts and incentives to entice the new customer to deal with their company.

Opting for Auto Financing is not a bad deal as interest rates are low and it also makes sense not to purchase a vehicle with full cash payment and thus reduce your bank balance. The money in your bank, which has been saved by opting for Car Loans, can be better utilized elsewhere, and in any case can serve as a safety net in bad times and financial emergencies. Once you have decided on Auto Financing your vehicle, you should first select the vehicle and then look around for a good Auto Financing company. Many vehicle dealerships have tie-ups with Car Loan companies and Banks and will provide assistance in selecting an Auto Financing company.

But you must still weigh the benefits and incentives offered by the different finance companies. Some of these companies also provide a Second chance at Auto Financing even if the customer has a previous bad credit record. Of course this will require more paper work and may even cost a bit more. But a Second credit chance at a Car Loan even with higher interest rate is better than no Car Loans.

What Are Some Risks and Issues Around My Company Setting Up a Customer Finance-Leasing Program?

Many firms benefit significantly from either setting up on their own or partnering with a third part to set up a customer financing program for their products. Key benefits are increased sales, cash flow, customer loyalty, etc.But are there also some risks for the company to be aware of also – Of course there are and let’s look at some of those risks.We would also point out that these risks are in fact the same ones taken on by independent leasing firms also.Foremost from a risk perspective is that fact the customer financing program will be viewed by the customers as the one and same as your company. Therefore customer service and financing ability are in fact now part of your firm’s reputation.Companies may also find that the borrowing costs to set up a program are in fact higher than their normal business operating costs. Naturally the method in which the finance division is set up also affects the debt levels of your company. No business wants to fail because it took on higher debt in an effort to in fact help their customers!On a long term basis company lenders might view your firms foray into customer financing as an additional risk factor, which they might try to compensate on by imposing restrictions such as additional covenants, requests for more equity into the firm, etc. The bottom line is simply that setting up a customer financing scenario may in fact affect your own firm’s ability to borrow.If your firm is larger then analysts and firms looking at your firm might in fact be raising issues and perceptions around which business you are actually in, i.e. your products, or the financing of those products. Business owners and financial managers will always want to ensure that ultimately they are sticking to their core business model and philosophies. If your firm becomes too enamored by financing you possibly run the risk of total business failure. There are numerous cases in financial history where firms collapsed because of the shenanigans of the finance division.We have heard the term in business ‘sticking to our knitting’, which of course simply means that management needs unique skills to run a business, and those skills are different in financing. Owners and managers related to the customer financing division must have strong skills in financial sales, structuring, and credit… Naturally we are also inferring that additional skilled personnel ultimately must be hired.No company every wants to look back in hindsight and say that if failed or stumbled because efforts and funds went into financing, as opposed to r&d, marketing, staff, and product growth. Do not let a customer finance program become an obstacle to your ultimate business successBusiness owners should ensure that there is good communications between the main operating company and the customer financing division – clear goals and philosophies should be set out re the function of such a customer finance program.In summary the benefits of offering financing to your customer are very obvious, and proven true by some of the largest and most successful companies in the world – but all you have to do is to do it right! Ensure your firm is aware of the risks and challenges and monitor your customer financing program on an ongoing basis to ensure you are not straying from your core business model.