Accounts Receivable Financing- Don’t Worry, be Happy
Question about finance
What is the best way to finance a new Apple Macbook ?I'm set on getting a new Apple Macbook. I've heard that financing through Apple or Barclay as it's called, is horrible. Someone suggested I purchase through Best Buy and finance through them as well. Does anyone have any other suggestions on financing a Macbook or anything to add to Apple and Best Buy financing ?
There is a reason why accounts receivable financing is a four thousand year old financing technique: it works. Accounts receivable financing, factoring, and asset based financing all mean the same thing as related to asset based lending- invoices are sold or pledged to a third party, usually a commercial finance company (sometimes a bank) to accelerate cash flow.
In simple terms, the process follows these steps. A business sells and delivers a product or service to another business. The customer receives an invoice. The business requests funding from the financing entity and a percentage of the invoice (usually 80% to 90%) is transferred to the business by the financing entity. The customer pays the invoice directly to the financing entity. The agreed upon fees are deducted and the remainder is rebated to the business by the financing entity.
How does the customer know to pay the financing entity instead of the business they are receiving goods or services from? The legal term is called “notification”. The financing entity informs the customer in writing of the financing agreement and the customer must agree in writing to this arrangement. In general, if the customer refuses to agree in writing to pay the lender instead of the business providing the goods or services, the financing entity will decline to advance funds.
Why? The main security for the financing entity to be repaid is the creditworthiness of the customer paying the invoice. Before funds are advanced to the business there is a second step called “verification”. The finance entity verifies with the customer that the goods have been received or the services were performed satisfactorily. There being no dispute, it is reasonable for the financing entity to assume that the invoice will be paid; therefore funds are advanced. This is a general view of how the accounts receivable financing process works.
Non-notification accounts receivable financing is a type of confidential factoring where the customers are not notified of the business’ financing arrangement with the financing entity. One typical situation involves a business that sells inexpensive items to thousands of customers; the cost of notification and verification is excessive compared to the risk of nonpayment by an individual customer. It simply may not make economic sense for the financing entity to have several employees contacting hundreds of customers for one financing customer’s transactions on a daily basis.
Non-notification factoring may require additional collateral requirements such as real estate; superior credit of the borrowing business may also be required with personal guarantees from the owners. It is more difficult to obtain non-notification factoring than the normal accounts receivable financing with notification and verification provisions.
Some businesses worry that if their customers learn that a commercial financing entity is factoring their receivables it may hurt their relationship with their customer; perhaps they may loose the customer’s business. What is this worry, why does it exist and is it justified?
The MSN Encarta Dictionary defines the word worry as:
“Worry
verb (past and past participle wor•ried, present participle wor•ry•ing, 3rd person present singular wor•ries)Definition: 1. transitive and intransitive verb be or make anxious: to feel anxious about something unpleasant that may have happened or may happen, or make somebody do this
2. transitive verb annoy somebody: to annoy somebody by making insistent demands or complaints
3. transitive verb try to bite animal: to try to wound or kill an animal by biting it
a dog suspected of worrying sheep
4. transitive verb
Same as worry at
5. intransitive verb proceed despite problems: to proceed persistently despite problems or obstacles
6. transitive verb touch something repeatedly: to touch, move, or interfere with something repeatedly
Stop worrying that button or it’ll come off.
noun (plural wor•ries)Definition: 1. anxiousness: a troubled unsettled feeling
2. cause of anxiety: something that causes anxiety or concern
3. period of anxiety: a period spent feeling anxious or concerned…”
The opposite is:
”not to worry used to tell somebody that something is not important and need not be a cause of concern (informal)
Not to worry. We’ll do better next time.
no worries U.K. Australia New Zealand used to say that something is no trouble or is not worth mentioning (informal)”.
Query: if a business is financing their invoices with accounts receivable financing, is this an indication of financial strength or weakness? Query: from the point of view of the customer, if you are buying goods or services from a business that is factoring their receivables, should you be concerned? Query: is there one answer to these questions that fits all situations?
The answer is it’s a paradox. A paradox is a statement, proposition, or situation that seems to be absurd or contradictory, but in fact is or may be true.
Accounts receivable financing is both a sign of weakness with regard to cash flow and a sign of strength with respect to cash flow. It is a weakness because, prior to financing, funds are not available to provide cash flow to pay for materials, salaries, etc. and it is an indication of strength because, subsequent to funding cash is available to facilitate a business’ needs for cash to grow. It is a paradox. When properly structured as a financing tool for growth at a reasonable cost, it is a beneficial solution to cash flow shortages.
If your entire business depended on one supplier, and you were notified that your supplier was factoring their receivables, you might have a justifiable concern. If your only supplier went out of business, your business could be severely compromised. But this is also true whether or not the supplier is utilizing accounts receivable financing. It’s a paradox. This involves matters of perception, ego and character of the personalities in charge of the business and the supplier.
Every day, every month thousands of customers accept millions of dollars of goods and services in contracts that involve notification, verification and the factoring of receivables. For most customers, “notification” of accounts receivable financing is a non-issue: it is merely a change of the name or addresses of the payee on a check. This is a job for a person in the accounts payable department to make a minor clerical change. It is a mainstream business practice.
Bobby McFerrin wrote and performed a song called “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” for the movie “Cocktails” starring Tom Cruise. The song was a number one U.S. pop hit in 1988 and won the Grammy for Best Song of the Year. Here are the lyrics:
”Here is a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don’t worry be happy
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don’t worry, be happy……
Ain’t got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don’t worry, be happy
The land lord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don’t worry, be happy
Look at me I am happy
Don’t worry, be happy
Here I give you my phone number
When you worry call me
I make you happy
Don’t worry, be happy
Ain’t got no cash, ain’t got no style
Ain’t got not girl to make you smile
But don’t worry be happy
Cause when you worry
Your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don’t worry, be happy (now)…..
There is this little song I wrote
I hope you learn it note for note
Like good little children
Don’t worry, be happy
Listen to what I say
In your life expect some trouble
But when you worry
You make it double
Don’t worry, be happy……
Don’t worry don’t do it, be happy
Put a smile on your face
Don’t bring everybody down like this
Don’t worry, it will soon past
Whatever it is
Don’t worry, be happy”
The bottom line: “notification” should not be an issue in most situations involving accounts receivable financing; non-notification factoring is another option that is available for businesses concerned with confidentiality that meet minimum credit standards for asset based lending. Bobby McFerrin was right: “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”.
Copyright © 2007 Gregg Financial Services
www.greggfinancialservices.com
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Tags: Accounts Receivable Financing, behavioral, cash flow, Commercial Finance, Commercial Financing, Factoring, finance, Invoice Factoring, Notification
Posted on December 30th, 2009 at 12:23 am
It is a problem in a matter of law.
You should turn to your laywer for professional advice.
Posted on December 30th, 2009 at 1:06 am
I've been in Finance for so long that I've decided that I wanted to do a different degree that was along the lines of my future goals… Law. I did my BBA in Legal Studies. I was a Finance major at first. I will suggest that you stick with the Finance Major vs the Business Administration. I mean if you think about what exactly is the B.A. offering you when the bottom line of the degree is in Business Administration? To have a specialty gives you a 'know-how' that makes you more adept in taking on positions that offer stellar pay as Finance and Accounting is known for. Each person is different in terms of what they want to do with their future goals. I normally see students minor in Business Administration if their Undergraduate Degree is in a totally different realm. This is only to signal to the employer that you are versatile and have business skills. If you are a business student I suggest Finance if this is what you want. Finance is definitely interesting and keeps you on the toes not just in the sense of performing statistical analysis but also conducting market and financial research including technical analysis which keeps you in the loop of world news as much as national news. You begin to witness the chain in global commerce & media and how it effects one another and inevitably effects the market as well as consumers far and near.
Another point that comes to mind is the institution that is granting the Finance degree. What is their reputation in the Finance Department? Are they first class? Are they top-rated? Usually the "glamourous pay but slave to your job" are firms off of W-Street which hit Ivy league schools to join their Associate or Summer programs. These programs, once selected ..highly selective, gear you up for positions such as equity or fixed-income analysts. Again, the pay is here, the perks are there, but you get no life. If you're looking to have that lifestyle then ensure your alma-matter can deliver. Your grades will obviously have to stand on its own and well .. if you have connections then use them.
If you want something more exciting in Business then go for Marketing. I'm leaning to the Marketing aspect in my MBA program which will play instrumental in my Entertainment Law (Law, Marketing, Finance (Budgeting)).
Good luck with everything.
P.S. I suggest you take a few finance classes (required and as an elective) before you decide.
Posted on December 30th, 2009 at 1:07 am
I really believe that you are making the complicated business system into a setup that is easy and mainly efficient. I praise your work and really think that you are doing great work.
Posted on December 30th, 2009 at 1:21 am
BIRDDOG ALERT: I’m offering 1% finders fee on my 63 unit apartment for sale in Thunderbay Ontario. That’s $22,500.00 in your pocket if you bring the buyer to the table. This is no joke. It will be a win win situation if I can sell my building so please try and find me a buyer and I’ll gladly pay you 1% of the purchase price which amounts to 22.5k. Please email this to all your friends who might need money. Details at: mshinvestments(.)com
Posted on December 30th, 2009 at 3:23 am
There is no such thing as a Finance generalist or Finance specialist. Here are some sample job titles:
Financial Manager
Financial Controller
Financial Adviser
Posted on December 30th, 2009 at 8:32 am
Very few preachers start a church on their own. They spend some time learning the practical details while working in an established church.
As to how they make a living, did you imagine that what comes in by way of the Sunday collection plate is all they get? The larger donations come from people who are solicited personally, people who can donate thousands, perhaps even millions, in a single check. Those large donations are then invested in real estate and other assets, against which the church can borrow as necessary.
And those are just the relatively honest ones.
Posted on December 30th, 2009 at 9:37 am
I am sorry i dont know.
Posted on December 30th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
I’m not a newbie in the business world. Only idiots that don’t understand the basics of cash-flow management, perhaps like you 13Dankster, are newbies. Did YOU even go to university?? How could anybody hold any position in the business world without knowing these simple principles? Sorry pal, but your Community College business diploma doesn’t cut it…
Posted on December 31st, 2009 at 3:42 am
There are a lot of different opportunities. You can work in commercial banking, as a loan officer, and work your way up. You can work for the government as a financial examiner or something of the sort. Also, finance is a fantastic degree if you want to do something with insurance, i.e. a claims adjuster, claims representative, or an underwriter. Finance will also give you the necessary knowledge to go into Real Estate too. So, obviously one of the benefits of having this degree is flexibility. It also easily transitions into an MBA (although not required or necessary.) Another benefit (depending on your school) is that finance is sometimes seen as an applied math degree, just depending on the difficulty of the major at your school. Hope this helps!
Posted on December 31st, 2009 at 11:04 am
excellent work!
Posted on December 31st, 2009 at 11:11 am
I wish I could teach the world:
Don't ever carry credit card balances – it ruins your credit
Don't even think of leasing a car – its moronic
Don't ever rent furniture
Don't ever buy a time share
Don't even think of financing furniture – save up for things.
Save to buy a car, as much as possible.
Put 20% down on a house – even if you think your friends will make fun of you for having a small house.
Put money away in a ROTH, 401K – as much as possible
Become as self- insured as possible – stop making insurance companies rich
Always have 6 months worth of living expenses socked away.
/
Posted on December 31st, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Yes, 13dankster, I AM a genius. You, obviously, are not. Look, if you never went to college and have a low IQ, then I’m sure his book might be helpful to you. For a financial illiterate, he can help you understand cash-flow management. Dr. Seus is very useful for 5 year old children too. Every book has its right audience and its natural target market. For guys like you, maybe his book is actually helpful, but for the rest of us this is really basic stuff.
Posted on December 31st, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Set up a basic credit criteria, in which based on your clients credit score or certain qualifying options that you create, you base your credit line. Ok to make this easier, you could for example use a 90% credit line for clients whose credit score (or other certain criteria because companies sometimes don't look for a certain score but more or less other items they deem necessary) is 800 or more and it goes down from there…so as if a new client you have has a 500 score you could issue them only a 10% financing line. Second, after you set your standards, go ahead and work out your governing contracts, what is your interest rate (check with other similar companies in the field)? What is your late fee and when are payments due..how about penalties? Boy, that's enough for now huh!
Posted on January 1st, 2010 at 4:00 am
Thank you for the useful information.
I’ve seen directors of companies just agree blindly to the numbers, oh they may ask a few questions to seem educated but on the whole the finance team are in charge.
I’ve also seen the finance team massage the numbers to make them fit.
Posted on January 1st, 2010 at 6:07 am
OK Einstein. Clearly you are a freaking genius. Sorry to ever insinuate that this type of information could be valuable to someone. The fact is that there are thousands of UPPER MANAGEMENT personnel across the world that continue to buy this book and schedule the authors for seminars. Clearly they should be contacting you so they can learn from the greatest gift to finance ever known with your state college bachelors degree.
Posted on January 1st, 2010 at 6:33 am
As “Michael Gerber” would say: “Entreprenuers become Business Owners, because they are successful at what they do”… this doesn’t always mean they went to business school first…
My staff and I are reminded daily (as QuickBooks Consultants) of such the truth and many Wise and Successful Entreprenuers, struck out on the own, with courage and bravery – not business education.
Posted on January 1st, 2010 at 7:58 pm
We place a higher value on not losing money than on gaining it
Posted on January 1st, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Please be aware of what you are proposing on getting yourself into. Please do more research first.
Reminder: We are in a World-wide Recession.
Warning> Jobs in the field of Law are drying up fast!! This is just not a good field to invest time and/or money into. This is a SHRINKING vocational field. Many reasons. Many people today (mistakenly) think they can do their own legal work, thanks to the Internet. Also, we simply already have way too many Legal Professionals – we have an absolute glut!! ("Legal Professionals" includes, but is not limited to: Attorneys/Lawyers, Paralegals, Legal Assistants, Legal Secretaries, Bailiffs, Court Reporters, etc, etc)
Regarding being a Paralegal: Employers (usually law firms) in the field of Law today want employees with Bachelors degrees from traditional colleges/universities. Those "certificates" you see advertised aren't worth the paper they are printed on – they are generally scams. (I found this out the hard way.)
Cost of law school to be lawyer, approx $150,000+.
Be prepared to take on a lot of debt.
Even if you finish law school, you won't be able to find a job when you are done. Since this vocational field is shrinking, many new attorneys/lawyers are, themselves, having to work "down" as Paralegals, Legal Assistants, Legal Secretaries, Bailiffs, Court Reporters, etc, etc, to simply try to keep some of their bills paid <<this would be your competition. And the competition is fierce!!
Now… the law schools know this, but they won't tell you the truth >that the job market/economy is just saturated with way too many Legal Professionals. Instead the schools will feed you a fairytale and will lie to you. The root of the problem is we have too many law schools. We are in a recession, and the schools are fighting for their own survival – they will tell students anything to get to the students' money. (Which is why they won't tell you the truth about the job market for the field of Law.) And these schools continue to recruit and churn out even more graduates………….
If you don't believe me, then just do a search here on Yahoo Answers to see what other posters are saying about the current status of the field of Law. Call some local law firms – ask to speak to the Manager of Human Resources – ask them if they are hiring; ask them what they think about job availability in the field of Law………………
In the book "So You Want to be a Lawyer?" by Marianne Calabrese and Susanne Calabrese (ISBN 0-88391-136-1): "The United States has more lawyers than any other country in the world. About 38,000 students graduate >each year< from the 200+ law schools in the United States. The competition is very keen for jobs and clients." – Even Associate Justice Antonin Scalia (who served on the U.s. Supreme Court for more than 20 years) says there are too many lawyers. (9/14/2008)
Check out these websites: http://informeddecisionmaking.blogspot.com
http://calicocat.com/2004/08/law-school-big-lie.html
http://abajournal.com/news/triplt_bad_news_for_law_students_three_firms_aX_summer_associate_programs/
http://abajournal.com/news/as_rio_tinto_saves_millions_other_corps_will_outsource_too_counsel_says/
(A link to a website does not constitute endorsement.)
If you want a job when you are done with your studies, consider and look into the field of >>>Healthcare! I spoke to a career counselor from Jobs and Family Services, and HE told me that this is where the jobs are, and future job availability! and scholarships!
Good luck.
(This is based on my current knowledge, information, and belief. This was intended as personal opinion, and not intended to be used as legal advice. Please be careful and do your research.)