All posts by Wallace Peterson

Ideas to Help You Find a Great Commercial Insurance Broker

What is an insurance broker?

Insurance is not just selling – purchasing policies. Contracting insurance services requires professionalism and also good knowledge. The opinion according to which you can solve the problems related to risk and insurance management without knowing the law specific to the insurance activity and risk management is wrong. It requires qualification, experience and a professional approach.

But how to make a correct choice among the big number of commercial vehicle insurance brokers operating on the market? How to negotiate a good coverage at a minimum price? How to conclude a contract that would guarantee you to obtain compensation from the insurer upon the occurrence of the insured case? All of these, as well as the answer to other questions fall within determining the competence of an insurance broker. A broker has a special role, acting as an intermediary between the seller and the buyer of insurance services.

However, a contemporary broker is no longer a passive intermediary. In the past, the role of a broker was limited to helping the client in calculating the insurance premium and selecting the lowest quote on the market. Insurance brokers now operate with the client’s risks, on their behalf, being a consultant specialized in carrying out the risk management activities.

The contribution of the broker in the formulation and elaboration of the client’s risk management system diminishes the final price of the insurance policy. The broker, being the risk manager of the buyer of insurance services, represents in fact the form of the consumer’s presence on the market. Under current conditions, customers are becoming more demanding in relation to the component and quality of the insurance service. Thus, the broker is now able to organize the protection of the client’s patrimonial interests, by taking into account their particular character and interests.

commercial vehicle insurance

Contemporary brokers, in their activity, must be able to accomplish the following functions:

  1. Advisory function, which includes: risk analysis and evaluation, elaboration of an adequate insurance program, management of the insurance process
  2. Operative function, which includes: placing the program on the insurance market, maintaining the coverage offered to the client, participating in the regularization of the damage on the part of the client, perfecting the documentation (drafting the contract projects, drawing up the final document, ensuring the circulation of documents between parties, the follow-up of the insurance contract etc.);
  3. Financial function, which involves redistribution of the insurance premium between insurers and reinsurers, collecting and transferring the amount of compensation to its client.

In order to successfully perform its responsibilities, the broker must know the insurance techniques for various categories of risks and the legislation – in other words, be an expert in the field of insurance legislation and practice. Also, they must know the market, which means being present on the market every day and making an opinion about each insurer, its reputation, the quality of the services and insurance products offered, the degree of financial security and its reliability. A broker knows about the market much more than the most educated client.

Fleet Leasing Financing vs. Buying Cars for Your Business: Which Is Best?

When considering the differences between buying cars for your business and services offering fleet leasing financing, there are many concerns that have to be kept in mind. First of all, you can’t make your decision on a whim, since there is far too much at stake, and the risks involved can be quite high. Secondly, not all businesses are the same. While for some businesses it makes more sense to buy cheap vehicles, you might have to consider the alternative version of leasing, even if you’re more comfortable with the idea of buying.

Circumstances don’t have to lead your decisions, however. Depending on your business and your specific goals, you can make the best decision for your business and even wait to implement it, if your finances or other factors don’t allow you to go through with your plans for the time being.

The Advantages and Drawbacks of Buying

Whether you run a maintenance service or a delivery company, buying the cars or trucks you need for your business can make a lot of financial sense long term. Aside from the fact that you’ll own your vehicles, and won’t have to pay a lot of money for them long term, you also get rid of issues such as covering interest rates and other expenses that would come with fleet leasing.

On the other hand, buying has its own drawbacks. Depending on the size of your business and the extent of your budget, even purchasing one car can be a stretch at first. Also, some businesses don’t start offering real returns until much later, and you might end up being stuck with almost a million dollars deficit, while the stress related to the risk that your business might not recover those funds will remain quite high.

Under the circumstances, buying your vehicle fleet is a risky endeavor. Of course, if you already have additional investments, and you don’t necessarily have to get a lot of money from the bank to finance your new cars, then it makes sense to try it. However, even so, you’ll practically be tied to minimizing your business’ expenses, and you won’t have any control over how your investments will turn out over the long haul.

Fleet Leasing: A Viable Alternative

business documents with charts growth, keyboard and pen.

Fleet leasing comes as an excellent alternative for smaller businesses that don’t necessarily have the ability to come up with the huge amounts of money required for large vehicle investments.

By leasing cars at about $300 to $700 per month, for a reasonable amount of money, you can get your complete fleet of vehicles and have complete control over your gradual, monthly investments. If your business isn’t going too well, you can always cut down on the number of vehicles you lease. Also, if you aren’t yet making enough money during the first couple of quarters after starting your business, you’ll find it easier to compensate for the costs, and you can always pull out partially, without worrying about losing large amounts of money.

The safety and security of fleet leasing has led many business owners to adopt this approach for their services, delivery companies, contractor services and transportation services throughout the country. Moreover, fleet leasing financing is cheaper than ever, so you can rest assured that you’re getting the best value for your investment.

What Do Timeshare Attorneys Do and Why Should You Ask Them for Help?

What do timeshare attorneys do and why do people constantly use them? If timeshares weren’t such a trend, then this question might not ever be asked. However, since it is, a lot of people who just go into the business aiming to get rich fast or to focus solely on enjoying their vacations without taking the time to consider the legitimacy and integrity of the resort company they’re dealing with, might end up in a timeshare deal they never really wanted.

Also, you may simply have thought a timeshare is for you, but without gathering the information and awareness that would be conducive to a successful deal. In such cases, the experience and expertise of a dependable timeshare attorney is completely invaluable.

Timeshare Attorneys and Their Roles

legally cancel your timeshare

So, what do timeshare attorneys do? The role of a timeshare attorney is not unlike that of any other type of lawyer: you hire them, present them with the case, and inform them about your possibilities and goals. They will then devise a strategy that would place you in a favorable outcome, and seek to push it through with the help of their legal expertise.

Unlike regular attorneys, timeshare lawyers specialize in timeshare cases. This means they know the ins and outs of the business, as well as what information to ask from you and what strategies to adopt from the very start. A good timeshare attorney will get straight to work, and he or she won’t ever judge you or make you feel bad for making an impulsive choice on getting your timeshare. Also, they will be remarkably efficient in coming up with the necessary legal documents, examining the contract for loopholes, and doing the same with the law that applies to timeshares, as it is drafted for your particular area – or the region where you purchased your timeshare in the first place.

Perhaps the most important role of a timeshare attorney is to represent you in cases where everything seems hopeless and the resort company is aggressive in trying to obtain their money. In these cases, time is of the essence, and having a resourceful attorney at your side will prove to be an invaluable asset in the weeks and months to follow.

What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Timeshare Attorney?

Specialized timeshare attorneys can be a much better choice than a regular attorney or a timeshare cancellation company that promises to help you out. Here are just a few of the top benefits you can expect from a licensed and experienced timeshare attorney:

  • They’ll give you excellent advice about your timeshare deal as soon as you meet them for the first time.
  • They will provide you with an overview of your rights and what the resort company can and cannot do.
  • Your attorney will also provide you with peace of mind that the issue will be resolved without much input from you.
  • A good attorney is also very good at searching for the types of disclosures required by the law for a timeshare contract to function, and at using these disclosures to your advantage.

Ultimately, as long as you find the most efficient lawyer in your area, the answer to the question “what do timeshare attorneys do” is an easy one: they’ll help you out at a time when no one can, and in most cases they’ll do it better than you even thought possible.

Start Looking for a Reliable Mortgage Broker – Denver Recommendations for a Smooth Borrowing Process

With all the technology available nowadays, finding the best mortgage broker Denver has to offer may be easier than ever before. However, all the hype and the complexity of today’s marketing campaigns might make you weary of choosing any particular deal, since you might miss out on a dozen others.

In the following, we will focus on helping you determine exactly what to look for in a mortgage broker, and how to find the most advantageous offers, as well as the reliable and trustworthy brokers in the Denver area.

Why Should You Find a Reliable Broker?

Mortgage brokers form excellent relations with banks and credit unions, and are able to offer impressive results when it comes to finding the ideal mortgage deal.

Another good reason to look for a Colorado mortgage broker is that they not only have a lot of knowledge, and can advise you on who to trust, what deals to consider, and what to steer clear of, but they’re also very open to communicating and educating their clients.

Finally, with the right mortgage broker you have the assurance that you’ll be able to close in record time. The best brokers can complete their closings in as little as three weeks.

Using Online Materials to Your Advantage

The internet can be an invaluable asset when doing background checks on any mortgage broker, Denver lenders and brokers usually being able to present proof of a strong online presence. So let’s take a look at what measures you can take to make sure you’ll find the right mortgage broker Denver professional:

  • Reviews can help you determine not only how happy people are about any specific deal, but they’ll also assist you in finding out more about the actual brokers who are behind the offers. Make sure the company you’re looking to work with has only positive feedback from customers who have used their services and chosen their mortgage deals.
  • Is there any proof that the lender or broker in question actually helps people with valid offers and good customer support? Social media is the best place to find out more about any company’s online presence and reputation, so find their social media pages, and make sure they are engaging and helpful with their existing clients.
  • It’s also important to find out just how knowledgeable and reputable your broker is. Do they have a valid license? How many years have they been working in the business? Can they give you valid recommendations on selecting the best real estate agent or on any down payment assistance programs?
  • Finally, try to learn more about their actual guarantees. Anyone can use big words and present deals that might seem very advantageous. However, not all of them can give you actual guarantees regarding the legitimacy of their claims. To find out whether they are trustworthy, ask about fast pre-approval guarantees, on-time closing guarantees and the details of what would happen if the company doesn’t close on time.

Armed with this knowledge you can sift and sort through the various offers more easily and ask the right questions once you get on the phone. Also, you’ll soon realize that the extra work trying to do background checks and verify the claims made by the best brokers in Denver will put you in a better position to get a great offer.

Sales Training: How To Use Social Media To Improve Your Sales

If you are looking to improve your sales by using social media, there are several methods, confirmed by sales training specialists like The Growth Coach – Greg Bennett , that you can choose from. They depend on the social networks that you use, but typically, it doesn’t matter if your clients are on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, because there are sales tips specific to each of them. For example, on Instagram, you can post as many promo messages as you want, as long as they are original; on the other hand, on Facebook, you should avoid exaggerating with the “buy product” posts.

Here are the most important things to consider.

• The relation with your potential clients
The internet makes it easier than ever for people – including your target audience – to select the information they want to interact with. This can be good and bad at the same time because, often, a too large number of “buy product” posts will determine people to stop interacting with you and your business page. This is a clear sign that your business approach is aggressive and should be changed if you want to keep people interested.
The best method? Pay attention to current trends and use funny pictures (meme), videos, interesting articles and provide a permanent link to the selling page where you want to attract the customers.

• The tools and the trends
Every year – and, in some of the cases, even more often! – social networks change something, add another tool that may be truly useful in attracting people to your business page. Let’s just think about hashtags that have caught the public so well, or the options to make live transmissions that people enjoy so much.

Many of these tools introduced by social networks have generated trends. Try to use them and maximize their potential. For example, hashtags can turn into a great tool to gain more visibility, while with a live show, you can present how you create a product or simply show some interesting things inside your company.

• Solving problems
Social networks offer some great opportunities for your business:
– creating quickly and efficiently a customer relation department
– search the market’s trends and demands
– listening to and participating in people’s conversations about your products/ services (and your competitors’!) which provide valuable insights.

No matter what you sell, you must pay attention to the way that people interact with your business, as well as to the general direction of the market. Do you have a delivery department, or collaborate with a delivery company and many people complain that they do not get their parcels during the weekends? Change the schedule, so that those people who use the services of your company can get their parcels during the weekends. All these apparently little details that you can get from social networking can help you be one step ahead of your competitors – which should be one of your main goals.

If you are not sure about making the most of your online strategy, you can consider taking some sales training courses and improve your knowledge and skills.

Expert Financial Counseling

Expert Financial Counseling – Denver Specialists and the Problems You Can Turn to Them With

Financial counseling is a special type of financial consultancy offered to companies and individuals faced with challenges such as an aggravating debt situation, bankruptcy or income-related problems. The experts in financial counseling Denver gives home to are qualified to provide effective advice, support as well as practical help with all the above issues and many more – here are a few situations that call for such professional assistance.

 

Increasing Credit Card Debt

Credit cards are great and very useful facilities, but only if used carefully. One of the most common financial problems individuals are facing today is credit card debt that keeps accumulating and can easily get out of control. Financial counselors can analyze their client’s financial situation, providing a realistic assessment of weak points and coming up with a plan to consolidate the client’s debt situation. The plan might use a number of approaches and methods such as rolling all the accrued debt into a credit that comes with more favorable repayment conditions, identifying expenses that can be cut, negotiating with creditors on the client’s behalf to obtain better repayment conditions and many others.

 

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is the legal proceeding that many individuals and companies resort to when they become unable to repay the outstanding debt they have accumulated over time. In many cases, the procedure starts with the debtor filing the bankruptcy petition against themselves, a phase followed by the inspection and evaluation of the debtor’s assets and the development of a repayment plan using those assets.

Bankruptcy can be filed under various chapters of the Bankruptcy Code – Chapter 7 is for individuals and companies that cannot repay their unsecured debts using their assets, Chapter 11 is for companies looking for a way to become profitable again by reorganizing their finances, while Chapter 13 is for individuals who do not qualify for Chapter 7 and are in need of a repayment plan. Each type of bankruptcy proceeding has its own set of formal and procedural requirements and in many cases, it is not easy to decide which type to choose, so bankruptcy is definitely one of the areas that call for the kind of professional assistance offered by financial counseling experts.

 

Mortgage Counseling

Taking out a mortgage either in order to settle existing debt or to use the loan for investment purposes might be a great solution for many, but only if the mortgage comes with the right conditions. Financial counselors offer services that involve the assessment of the value of the client’s assets and the selection of the type of mortgage loan that not only provides a temporary solution for the client’s financial problem, but is also manageable for the entire loan term.

These are just a few of the financial services offered by counselors. Whatever financial issue you are faced with, the experts in financial counseling Denver gives home to will evaluate your situation realistically and will figure out the best solution for you – regardless how serious your problem may seem, there surely is a way out of it and these professionals will find it for you.

 

Passing the Torch – A Succession planning Guide

Succession planning, in layman’s term, is the process of ensuring that the work continues even when the person handling it decides to leave or retire. This usually applies to leadership positions. It is the process of identifying people with potential to lead and developing them to replace previous leaders when they leave the company.

Succession planning is a great way to ensure business continuity in the event of leaders leaving or passing away. It is also a good way to develop people within the organization and boosting company morale. To help make this happen, here are some tips for managers and leaders:

  1. Identify potential leaders – in an organization, some people would stand out while others would just blend in the crowd. If you are the current leader looking for someone to groom as your successor, it is important that you look closely at your people and see who has potential. Assign your people special tasks that they alone will need to answer for and see how they handle every situation that they encounter. Good employees will flourish in these situations while bad ones will flounder.
  2. Map a succession plan strategy – identify all the critical parts of the job and think about how you as a leader will develop your successor to be able to handle these critical matters. Don’t just dump information on your successor in one day. It has to be a gradual process that usually involves hundreds of man hours.  Succession planning consultants in Denver can help you achieve your goals.
  3. Communicate effectively – you will be handing over your work to another person who probably has less experience than you have.  You need to make sure that you are communicating with him effectively. You have to use the correct terms and jargon and to help them understand how your job works. Use tools, presentations, manuals and other things that can help communicate what you want them to know.

Proper communication also ensures proper handover of responsibilities. It also makes clear to the successor what he is expected to do. This also ensures that there will be very little to no mistake once the new leader is in place.

  1. Provide adequate training time and resources – if you see someone with potential, do your best to prepare him for the position by giving him tools that will help him perform the job. If he is being groomed for the position of head of the department, let him attend leadership seminars and the like. If he is being groomed to handle a new process let him train with the actual process versus giving it to the person in theory only. Give potential successors the chance to have actual experience in handling the type of job that you are grooming them for.
  2. Provide funding – Succession planning sometimes never commences due to lack of funds or support from the management. This needs to be remedied. The company has to look into investing on their people and this this includes funding for the right trainings. You will also need to provide a new person who can replace the person you are grooming to do their job while they are in training.

How to Go About Talking to Local Denver Mortgage Companies

Finding a reliable Colorado home loans lender can be a pain unless you already have all the facts and data lined up. However, as long as you have a clear picture of the required  course of action you will quickly be able to sift through the best companies, find your ideal choice for a mortgage loan, and make sure you’ll have the most advantageous options available.

 

Find the Best Companies Looking Through Reviews

The first step to take is finding the ideal mortgage company by looking up reviews and review sites. Look for specialized websites that display information about mortgage lenders. Find our as much as you can about their license, policies, rates and overall track record.

It’s always a good idea to look up each firm’s dealings with past customers while you’re looking through Denver mortgage company reviews. Personal testimonials from their actual clients will give you a glimpse at how the company deals with people, how pushy or friendly they are when discussing business with potential borrowers, and how helpful they are in answering questions.

 

Contact Different Lending Institutions Before Choosing a Home

The main mistake that most borrowers make before finding mortgage rates and discussing their options with a lender is to look up a home first. The problem with this course of action is that you set yourself up for a disappointment.

If the home you find is too expensive, you’ll be going from lender to lender trying to find a mortgage company willing to provide you with the financing you need. Even if you manage to find a good enough offer, it might be close to the limit of what your credit score can allow, and the consequences could translate into higher repayment figures and larger interest rates.

Looking up Denver mortgage company reviews and talking to different lenders before you research your dream home will give you a great deal of information. It will provide you with insight into the highest amount you can borrow, show you how much lending companies are willing to help you and give you all the most vital facts about the lending process, what it entails and how long it will take.

 

Schedule Appointments with Several Mortgage Companies

Once you narrow down the data and come up with several mortgage companies you’d like to talk to, simply call and schedule your appointment. Meeting up with their representatives will give you further insight into the company’s practical dealings with clients and the way they try to get your attention with their best offers.

Comparing your own personal experiences with different mortgage companies and the experiences of others found in mortgage company reviews will provide you with the best chance to locate a reliable Denver mortgage company.

The final step is to research the administrative policies of each company and analyze their offers in detail. Once you have a detailed list of legitimate mortgage companies you can rely upon, it’s time to start looking for a home and comparing offers based on your lending capabilities. Reading the fine print before accepting any mortgage contract is essential; however, if you did do your homework properly from the start, this won’t be an issue with the best companies in Denver.

Denver Financial Planners – the Experts to Turn to If You Want to Secure Your Financial Future

Financial planners are the experts you should turn to if you think you can do with a little help planning financially ahead. These advisers specialize in analyzing their clients’ financial situations and in developing financial plans that involve savings and investments, the re-grouping of available income and the implementation of various other strategies with the purpose of achieving financial stability – here is what these specialists can do for you in more detail.

 

How the Services of Denver Financial Planners Can Be Beneficial for You

Most people who turn to financial planners are faced with a financial problem such as multiple credit card debt that seems to be spiraling out of control or they have goals they want to achieve, maybe they struggle with both. You might want to settle your debts or you may want to start saving up for a bigger house or for your kid’s college tuition – whatever your financial issue is, local financial advisers can help you in many ways:

  • Your financial advisor Denver hosts can evaluate your financial situation and tell you where you are actually standing financially,
  • Your consultant can tell you whether your goals are realistic and can help you make them easier to achieve in case they are difficult to put into practice as they are now,
  • Your expert can develop a detailed plan that will take you to your goals, then he or she can assist you while you are putting the plan into practice and can monitor your financial progress,
  • He or she can help you make adjustments to your financial plan in case your financial circumstances or your goals change.

 

A Few Aspects to Consider When Choosing Your Adviser out of All the Excellent Denver Financial Planners

Financial consultants are independent experts who carry certificates to prove their qualification to offer financial advice. Make sure that the expert you hire has the right qualifications, that he or she is a registered financial expert and also check whether he or she possesses the experience to help you make informed decisions about your finances. It is also a good idea to consider the consultant’s preferred way to get paid – some advisers charge flat rates or hourly rates, while others charge a commission from the earnings you have made based on their advice, which may also mean that they are more motivated to develop a financial plan that really works for you.

The other aspect you should take into consideration is the composition of the plan your adviser proposes. The more diverse the plan, the better – you should not accept advice that makes you invest into only one type of financial product, if that product fails to deliver, you may lose your investment, which you certainly want to avoid.

Financial planners can really help you achieve your financial goals, whether your plan is getting out of dire straits or to make a long-term plan come true – just check whether the consultant you are planning to hire is indeed qualified to help you and you will surely be on the right track towards prosperity soon.