Business owners are having a tough time getting a conventional small business loan. Even credit cards, which have been used by business owners to help fund business expenses have cut their credit limits, making it hard to find funding. Many are turning to asset based lending companies as a form of alternative financing. These types of lenders include merchant cash advance lenders, banks making secured loans with direct assets, and factors. The costs to engage this lending may be higher, but in a time when some credit is better than no credit, the rate of financing in alternative asset-based loans has increased 8% in 2008, as explained by the Commercial Finance Association. (more…)

You’ve worked all your life and now it’s time to sit back and enjoy your golden years. Unfortunately, the stock market has left your retirement savings in tatters, the housing market collapse has robbed you of your equity, and the rumor is that social security will not have a cost of living adjustment for the next few years. Can you still retire? While it may not be possible to fund the same retirement plan you created in the good years, you may still be able to salvage enough of your retirement plan to create a new strategy that can still leave you able to enjoy your golden years better. This new plan may include reducing your discretionary expenses, finding an affordable retirement city, and maybe even starting a home business or taking part-time employment to make ends meet. (more…)

Look around and you might notice that there are few places to put your money right now that will yield sure substantial gains. The stock market may be rising, but it’s been on a roller-coaster ride since the beginning of 2009, up one week, down the next. Foreclosures might or might not make a good investment, depending on where you live and how much inventory is left to reduce. Bank accounts are making minimal gains, whether money market or savings. It’s time to take the long view and opt to invest in something that will surely pay gains over time: yourself. This type of conservative investing can not only be tax-deductible, but even safer than opening a swiss bank account from the US. (more…)

Unlike family vacation ideas on a budget, business travel budgets aren’t looking for a fun experience more than savings. You can really get some great airfares today, as airlines compete for fewer customers, but that doesn’t really take into account the amount of lost time in travel and the simple inconvenience of it all. If you’re able to convince your clients that you can provide the same level of service without actually showing up in person, they will probably be happy to agree to a more technological solution that saves you money too. (more…)

Have a little extra cash and can’t decide whether to jump into the stock market or not? There’s no guarantee the stock market will continue to climb, and even so, some companies may be doing better than others in this recession. In the past, like during the Great Depression, some types of investments that we consider “unusual” were the best ways to safeguard monies. Today, we might want to take a little wisdom from the Greatest Generation, but also use this knowledge to include them in our favorite stock picks too. (more…)

Everyone is looking for ways to cut living expenses, but many just don’t want to give up their lifestyle while doing it. It’s one thing to want to cut your cable bill, but another to miss your favorite TV shows or movies. For those that want to “cut the cord” and find ways to cut living expenses, the good news is that new technologies can make that dream entirely possible. Other ways to cut living expenses are fairly simple and rely solely on your ability to negotiate a better rate or get a discount on service. The recession has forced many business owners to cave in, when asked for a reduction in price. Any sale is better than no sale, in this economic climate, and you can use that to help you cut living expenses without necessarily giving up a service you like. (more…)

When you need to make a purchase but do not like carrying cash with you, a debit card is a great tool. The bank releases the money electronically for the purchase just like cash and your account is debited the amount, hence the name. This can be a convenient way to pay for anything and a way to carry little cash as most stores take debit cards as a form of payment. As with every type of payment, there are downsides to debit cards that are often overlooked. It is important to know the risks and the rewards of any form of payment and consider them before using any debit card for purchases whether online or at your local store. (more…)

Paydayloans are certainly not an answer to the world’s financial woes. But they are great for helping people who find that they need just a little bit of extra cash to last them until payday. With the cost of so many different goods and services on the rise, it is likely that more and more people will turn to these types of loans in order to make ends meet on those months where extra expenditures crop up. It is wonderful that this option exists to help those in desperate times. (more…)

Even those that follow their budgets to the letter may sometimes find themselves in an emergency situation that requires more funds than what they currently have available. These can be stressful times, especially when these emergency situations pop up in between paydays. In these instances, a cash advance lender may be able to provide the relief that is needed. There are a large number of cash advance lenders available today, each of which offers clients access to different options and programs in order to help them meet their financial needs. (more…)

Every year, the government provides a cost of living raise to help with the growing cost of inflation. The amount of increase is based on a series of factors. People can look at the Consumer Price Index to get an idea of what each year’s increase would be but over the years, the average has been 3.2% to 3.9%. While it would be nice to see more especially with the tough economic crisis, many people are grateful for anything. Interestingly, some governmental officials have opted out of a raise but people on Social Security and those working for the Federal Government have been provided with a decent 2009 cost of living raise. (more…)