Published on: 08 December 2018
Last Updated on: 08 August 2019
Equity release allows you to borrow money now that you don’t need to pay back any time soon. When you die, it is the time when the equity release provider will take the money back. They will sell the property and deduct the loan from the property value when sold.
You don’t need to opt for regular loans when there is an option that lets you borrow money without the need to pay immediately. The only downside is you could end up losing the entire value of the property depending on the amount you borrow, the rate of interest, and your time of death.
It might look simple on the surface, but if you dive into the details, you will realise that things can be quite complicated. Therefore, you need help from equity release experts to explain to you all the issues that you don’t quite understand.
They have years of experience:
These consultants have been around for several years and worked with people who also wanted to get equity release. They have connections with various equity release companies, so they understand the terms and conditions they set. You can count on them to tell you what you need to know regarding equity release, including updates if there are changes in the policies. Even the legal terms that you find confusing will also be understandable after their explanation.
They can simplify things for you:
It is quite tricky understanding all the various concepts when they are all unfamiliar to you. It is even more complicated at your age since you are no longer as sharp as you used to be. With the help of these experts, they can simplify the concepts for you. They will show you some numbers, but they will also explain to you what they mean. After talking to them, you will feel enlightened regarding equity release and might even decide to go ahead with it.
They can explain to your children too:
Even if you already understand the equity release schemes, your children might worry that it is not the best choice for you. They might think that you are not getting a good deal out of equity release. You can let them speak with the consultants too, so they will know the details and not worry about what will happen next. After you die, your children will be the ones to deal with the equity release company. You want them to understand the details so that they know what to do, and they can stick with the terms agreed.
Apart from paying the equity release advisers, you have nothing else to pay at the time when you get equity release. The payment will come later once the property is up for sale. Some companies might even penalise you if you decide to repay before they sell the property.
As long as you stick with quality consultants who know the details of equity release, it will be fine. Find someone you can trust and who has a good reputation in the industry.
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Bankruptcy means a test is done to determine who can file for chapter 7 bankruptcy. The means test considers everything while determining your current position to pay your debt to the creditors. It goes through your income, expenditure, assets, and family members.
The means test was designed to reduce the number of debtors willing to get their debts erased. It has been seen that most of the debtors who have applied for the means test have passed.
Those people who cannot qualify for chapter 7 or want to keep their assets to themselves can apply for chapter 13 bankruptcy.
How Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Works?
Applying for chapter 7 can be an expensive and lengthy process. The means test helps the government clarify who is eligible for chapter 7. The Means Test has two parts. Both parts are designed to see through your income and assets and determine the current financial standing.
You have to apply for the Means Test only for the primary consumer debts like medical debt or credit card debts. You do not have to apply for this test if your debt is related to business loans.
First Part
The part of the Means Test determines whether your house income is below the state's median income. The means test starts gathering information about your income, expenses, and assets. These data are mostly collected from the past six months. However, there have been cases where this six months time duration can be changed.
After all the reports, if it is being found out that your income is below the median income, you will qualify the Means Test. In a report made by the US government in 2013, more than 12% of the debtors were able to qualify the Means test in the first stage.
Second Part
The second part consists of going through all your expenses. These expenses consist of everything you pay for, starting from paying your utility bills, grocery bills to the travel expenses and education expenses. Out of all the expenses, only the allowable expenses are considered to be used by you. Other expenses that are not necessary are used to pay off your debts.
While you document the list of expenses, be thorough about the things you add to the list. Remember, those expenses will decide whether your petition will be accepted or not.
Allowable expenses are based on the local and national standards used by the IRS. The national list covers items like food and clothing, and local items cover housing expenses and car payments. You need to work carefully to ensure that all your expenses are thoroughly documented.
What's Next After You Qualify for the Means Test?
Passing the means test means you have the green light to apply a petition for chapter 7 bankruptcy. Once your petition is accepted, most of the unsecured debts will be forgiven. That does not mean that this will be the best route for you.
There are also chapter 13 bankruptcy that might give more advantage over chapter 7 in many cases. Chapter 13 will help you put a hold on all your debts, mortgages, overdue loans, and bank taxes.
What Will Happen After You Fail The Test?
Once you fail the Means Test, there are no more appeals for a certain period. You can apply for the chapter, or you can wait for the cooldown time to apply again for the means test.
We have already mentioned that the Means Test goes through all your financial income and expenditure in the last six months. That means, after a failed attempt at the Means Test, you can apply again after six months.
However, if you do not intend to apply for the Means Test again in the future, you will be restricted to chapter 13 and will have to pay off your debt based on the chapter 13 provision.
The Bottom Line
Is it really hard to apply for a loan after bankruptcy? Well, you can say more than hard; it is more complex. You first need to qualify the Means Test, and then only you can apply for chapter 7. It is better to have an attorney while you are managing legal documentation.
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You can not say enough about how important it is for businesses, especially big ones, to manage their payroll well. As an essential component, a seamless payroll system ensures that employees are compensated accurately and timely, fostering a content and motivated workforce.
However, managing payroll for a large business can often be a Herculean task, with numerous complexities and challenges. In this article, you will explore the seven best tips to help business owners streamline this critical process.
1. Put A Payroll Policy In Place
To ensure smooth payroll management, establish a clear and comprehensive payroll policy. This document should outline the payment schedule, overtime rules, deductions, and other relevant policies. By doing this, you create consistency and transparency, reducing confusion among employees and promoting compliance.
Further down the line, integrating an automated payroll system can significantly bolster these efforts. Such a system streamlines the execution of the established payroll policy by automating the calculation of deductions, taxes, and overtime, ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time. This integration reinforces the principles of consistency and transparency and alleviates the administrative load, allowing your team to dedicate more time to strategic priorities.
2. Set A Payroll Budget
Add up all the costs of paying employees, like salaries, benefits, and taxes, to get a realistic payroll budget. This budget serves as a financial guide, helping you allocate resources effectively. To keep your business's finances stable, review and update the budget regularly to account for changes in staffing or pay.
3. Categorize Employees
Categorize your employees based on their roles and responsibilities. Classify them as full-time, part-time, or temporary workers. This categorization is crucial for accurately calculating wages, benefits, and taxes. It also helps in compliance with labor laws and ensures that each employee receives the appropriate compensation and benefits based on their employment status.
4. Develop A Payroll Calendar
Creating a payroll calendar is like having a roadmap for paying your employees. It helps you stay organized and ensures that everyone gets paid on time.
With that in mind, break down the calendar into clear milestones, such as when to collect employee hours, process payroll, and distribute paychecks. This way, you can avoid last-minute rushes and keep your payroll process smooth.
5. Maintain Proper Compliance
Compliance with employment laws is crucial, so stay updated on local, state, and federal payroll, taxes, and employee benefits regulations. This includes understanding minimum wage laws, overtime regulations, and tax withholding requirements. However, regularly review and update your payroll processes to align with any changes in legislation, preventing legal issues and fines.
6. Conduct Regular Audits
Audits are like check-ups for your payroll system, so regularly review your financial records, tax filings, and payroll transactions to catch any errors or discrepancies. This helps maintain accuracy and ensures your employees receive the correct compensation. Addressing issues promptly can prevent financial discrepancies and maintain trust with your workforce.
7. Invest In An ESS
This tool empowers employees to access their payroll information, update personal details, and view pay stubs independently. Aside from that, this reduces administrative burdens, enhances accuracy, and fosters transparency.
Investing in ESS technology streamlines communication, saving time for both your HR department and employees. This modern approach can boost efficiency and employee satisfaction.
Have An Effective Management In Payroll
Indeed, mastering the art of payroll management is pivotal for large businesses seeking sustained success and operational efficiency. By implementing the best practices outlined in these tips, you can confidently navigate the complexities of payroll on a larger scale.
For specialized support tailored to the unique needs of large enterprises, explore the benefits of professional payroll services for large business. Take charge of your payroll processes and pave the way for a more efficient and successful future.
5+ practical payroll tips and tricks for businesses
In case you are effectively managing payroll, several variables must be considered carefully. Below, I will discuss 5+ helpful payroll tips and tricks for businesses.
1) Get An EIN
Any business with employees or plans to hire them must have an employee identification number (EIN). The IRS uses an EIN of the companies, through which you can track payroll tax payments and business income taxes. Furthermore, firms can hope to hire workers at some point with the advantage of obtaining an EIN sooner instead of later.
One of the fastest ways to get an EIN is by fax, telephone, or mail. The app procedure is usually straightforward, requiring an applicant with a valid taxpayer identification number.
2) Accurately Classify Workers
To expand workers properly and capitulate with IRS and other state requirements, you must categorize them correctly. Workers are complicated as employees or independent contractors and their requirements. That is why businesses must comply with the tax contribution along with withholding laws. But not other contractors.
3) Set A Budget
This is important to understand clearly what affects payroll expenses. This will depend on your company’s expenses. Above all, businesses must always have enough cash to pay employees in total and timely. Payroll is one of the significant expenses that is often higher than other employers anticipate.
For example, employers are legally required to match with Social Security and Medicare withheld from an employee’s pay. Furthermore, companies that offer benefits like health insurance can consider costs.
4) Create A Payroll Schedule
You can set a payroll schedule that works with the cash flow of your business required to help discourage cash flow crunches. But it is also essential to comply with other federal and state laws. The pay period should also be consistent regardless of your choice.
5) Keep Policies Simple And Clear
The more complicated the payroll regarding policies surrounding attendance and other benefits, the more complex the payroll procedure becomes. The less this is, the more employees can easily understand your policies. After all, establish guidelines that include exactly how and when employees can get paid and several other things.
In this case, creating and maintaining a clear and concise payroll policy document and updating information are also necessary.
6) Be Transparent With Your Employees
Employees can harm morale if this is due to miscalculated paychecks or confusion regarding how payroll policies are designed. This is also important in how they feel comfortable, and concerning any payroll-related problems with the manager, it will ensure all issues and other possibilities.
Beyond damage control, consider transparent payroll policies that explain the payroll procedure. You should also keep the payroll management standardized across the entire information.
7) Keep Through Payroll Records
This is a crucial practice if you want to keep the payroll records accurate. After all, this can help businesses get a better picture of several critical pieces of information, such as payroll costs, productivity levels, and tax payments. But certain payroll records are also required legally. Conversely, violations can also result in cost fines levied by the Labor Department and other state agencies.
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In the modern era, there is numerous business that has seen immense changes. From newer fields like web design and IT to industries that have existed for decades, the 21st century has certainly proved that all fields are subject to change. One of the fields that have seen some of the most changes in the modern world has been insurance. No matter the type of insurance company you run, you have to ensure that your business has the best tools at its disposal to ensure that your business runs effectively.
The top insurance companies understand this concept and have chosen the best merchant accounts available to ensure that their businesses run effectually. Merchant accounts are incredibly important in the insurance field, so it is crucial to utilize the ones with the most useful features, especially when your business is growing. Learning about merchant accounts will certainly aid you when growing your insurance company.
Merchant Accounts for Insurance Companies
Insurance companies are essential to our society, and as the industry is constantly changing, it is important to understand how to ensure that your company stays ahead of the competition. No matter the size of your insurance company, it is essential for you to invest in a high-quality merchant account in order to attain success. Insurance is a difficult industry to operate a business in, so an excellent merchant account will certainly alleviate some of the challenges.
Insurance companies utilize their merchant accounts on a daily basis, so it is essential for them to invest in the best ones available that are stocked with a multitude of essential features. Learning about these features is crucial to attaining success.
What Do Insurance Companies Need in a Merchant Account?
In order to be successful, insurance companies need a merchant account that can provide them with the most benefits and that have the most applicable features. Top-tier merchant accounts come equipped with a multitude of facets, but the most important of these is safety. When investing in a merchant account, you have to ensure that the one you choose has a reputation for security as well as ethical business practices.
If you use a low-quality merchant provider with poor safety features, you will find yourself in serious trouble if any breaches occur to your financial data. Other features besides security that you should look for include interchange-plus pricing, which enables you to save money on credit transactions. You should also search for all-in-one payment processing – this will allow you to merge your in-person and online transactions in a single convenient location. Other top features that you should look for include availability of activity records, batch and deposit reports, and cumulative custom reporting.
Final Thoughts
Running an insurance company is certainly a very challenging task. Between dealing with customers, complying with regulations, and so much more, it is an incredibly difficult business. However, in order to be successful in this industry, especially as your company is growing, it is essential to invest in a top-quality merchant account in order to ensure that your business will attain immense success.
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