« Older Entries

What to Watch Out For If You Decide to Finance at a Dealership

I am going to make this a simple article to read. I want you to be able to read this whole article and understand it before you make your next vehicle purchase.

Yeah, the economy isn’t the greatest right now. Yeah, nearly all industries are down on sales.

You see commercials on TV all the time talking about how now is the best time to buy a car. It is, BUT…..

You see, the auto industry is struggling. So of course, to get people to come in and purchase a car they need to advertise these “great” deals and show you how you can get their employee pricing! Sounds exciting, eh? Well if you walk in there with cash, maybe you are going to get a great deal. Actually, you probably are assuming you can negotiate a good deal.

But what if you are going in there without cash? Or without your own financing? Are you really going to get such a great deal? Well you may receive your dream car at employee pricing and they may promise you that its the best they can do on price.

Lets take a close look at their financing techniques.

Did you know that dealers really do shop for the best rate for you? Yeah, they do! However, they won’t give you that best rate! They shop for the best rate then give you a higher one. How? They are allowed to mark up your interest rate up to 2% higher than what they were quoted. That means that they are making profit off of the financing too. That can lead to you paying hundred to thousands more for your new car.

So think about this:

The car you are looking at costs $20,000.00 after manufacturer’s rebates. The dealership said they would take off an additional $1000.00 to get you to employee pricing. Sounds good, right? It is good. Now, you go to the financing office, they finance you at an 8% rate when you could have actually had a 6% rate. That will end up making you pay more, a lot more. They could have you paying a couple thousand dollars more in just interest! It makes that $1,000.00 discount look weak, doesn’t it?

The whole point here is to tell you that you need to be cautious when using dealer financing as if you know they aren’t making much from the car due to the incredible deal they gave you, they are going to make it up on the financing end of it.

Always negotiate interest rates. You wouldn’t ever take them up on their first offer on the price of the car would you? Nope. So treat the first offer on the interest rates the same too. A lot of dealers won’t even tell you what the rate is. Be sure to ask.

They have their own special programs through the car manufacturers to make up for lost profit. Don’t let them fool you. It is called dealer hold back. It is tough to negotiate into that.

Effective Resume that Works in Canada

WHAT SHOULD MY RESUME IDEALLY LOOK LIKE, FOR A JOB IN CANADA?A question that I am asked very frequently by New Immigrants, when I meet them for an Interview. I do advise them on this issue; however the following components need to be addressed. This MUST be done before one starts applying for employment in Canada.Generally a resume MUST HAVE the following: CONTACT DETAILS: This includes the name of the applicant, address, phone numbers and email address. Please drop the PHOTOGRAPH, as it is definitely not required. Furthermore, there is no need at all to mention your Age, Marital Status and your Residency, Country of Origin and religion. There are laws governing these issues in Canada and hence they may not be the basis, on which any individual may be discriminated against in terms of employment.Clarity of an Objective at the beginning of a resume can certainly help in inducing the Reader to continue reading. Eg -Looking for an opportunity in the area of Financial Analysis and Planning, within an Organization that is value driven and customer oriented ORLooking for a Supervisory position in Sales, within the Consumer Packaged Goods Industry. Here is an executive summary of the individuals experience and skills. Eg – Controllership experience of over 10 years in ManufacturingDesignated Accounting and Finance professional Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills Managed large groups of staff ranging from 5 – 15 Have been exposed to Public Company Reporting for over 5 years Proficient in the usage of computers and various softwares WORK EXPERIENCE: A Chronological submission of employers worked with in your work life, beginning with the Most Current one. Important components to note here are – the name of the employer, tenure of employment with month/year, title of position and brief of the company worked in. Then you may describe the role you performed. Eg. -General Manager Jan 200 – Aug 2006 A Manufacturing Organization with Revenues – $100 million and 2000 employees Role Description ACHIEVEMENTS: Do not misinterpret this as a role addition or activity performed. This is a specific mention of an Accomplishment, where you have done more than required and gone that extra mile. Eg -Managed to bring down the month end closing days from 5 to 3 OR Successfully implemented a Costing system that resulted in an annual savings of $2 million across the companyListing of your degrees, certifications and so on. Please list the most current one first with details like – Degree obtained, year of certification, Institution that certified you and location. Eg -CA – ICAO – 2004 B.Com – University of Waterloo – 2000 SOFTWARE SKILLS: This is a comprehensive listing of the various softwares that you are proficient in like SAP, Lawson, Great Plains, Excel, Access, and ACCPAC.PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: This is not a must have for resumes, however cannot harm you in anyway. You may want to mention your involvement in a ROTARY CLUB for example, in addition to your association with CICA, ICAO, etc.Overall, a resume that has all or most of the above mentioned components stands a better chance of getting its owner an Interview than a resume that doesn’t.

Tags:

Starting a Law Firm – Ideas About Office Space

One of the things that you will notice when you first open your law office is that you will write a lot of checks. You will make a lot of payments. It will seem like there is much more money going out than there is money coming in and, at the beginning, that probably will be the case. Consequently, one of the major aims when you are staring out is to keep overhead costs as low as possible. That means you don’t need that corner office overlooking Park Avenue. Right now, you don’t have the client base to justify that sort of expenditure. With that in mind, below are some ideas for some “starter” office space, at least until you get your feet on the ground.1) Traditional Office.Traditional office space, while the most liberating and enticing, is also the most expensive. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t lease office space from the outset. The key is to put your office in a location where the cost is justified. For example, if you are a litigator and can get prime office space next to the courthouse (where everyone who walks by can see your sign: “Law Office of Blankity Blank”), then the investment could be worthwhile. Be sure to consult with other attorneys who have offices near the courthouse, and see how much business they get from walk-ins. Then evaluate whether the risk is worth it.2) Home Office.The home office is the least expensive of the options. Additionally, the expense is not ongoing – once you outfit your home office with furniture and technology, there really isn’t a further expense until something needs to be replaced. Be aware that some practice areas (i.e. criminal defense or family law) do not lend themselves well to practicing out of your home. However, others fit well into the warm environment that the home offers (i.e. elder law or estate planning), especially if you will be meeting clients there. You will need to create a separate office within your home, to separate work from home life and to maximize productivity.3) Office Sharing.Office sharing can be a great alternative to the traditional office. While still more pricey than other options, sharing an office with someone else creates a natural avenue for referrals. This is especially true if you are sharing with other attorneys who practice in different areas than you do, or if you are sharing with non-attorneys. If you choose wisely, the referrals alone can justify the cost. As with any option, the key is to do your research, and meet with the people who you could potentially share space with, prior to making any decisions.4) Virtual Office.A relatively new phenomenon is the virtual office. The variations on the virtual office seem limitless, but it is essentially a place where you can meet with clients, receive your mail, have your telephone answered, while not being tethered to the office space. Additionally, the cost of a virtual office can be much less than traditional or even shared office space. It is a great way to keep costs low while growing your law firm, and maintaining the look of an established law firm.At the end of the day, your office says a lot about who you are as an attorney, but also as a businessperson. Make wise choices now, so you can thrive in the future.

Tags: