If you’ve ever experienced financial problems in the past then the chances are that any mistakes you’ve made (whether you know you’ve made them or not!) will be recorded on your credit record. In many cases these mistakes will occur as a result of financial problems you may have experienced – but often you can get a bad credit history without really doing anything wrong.

The majority of problems that will give you a bad credit record will happen if you have problems managing your finances. So, if you miss a credit card payment, default on your mortgage, are declared bankrupt or are given a CCJ (county Court Judgement) against you for one reason or another then this will all show up on your credit rating, for example. These kinds of issues will all count as negatives.

But, other issues can give you bad marks on your credit rating. For example, simple factors like your marital status and whether you have children can give you plus or minus points. The fact is that it isn’t just what you do with your money that comes up on your credit rating – you can have a rating that is less than perfect from a lender’s point of view even if you have never had a financial problem before in your life!
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Bill Gates is super rich but his once high-flying software company has been in the doldrums since mid-2002 after falling from the $35 level. The problem with Microsoft (MSFT) has been its failure to grow both its revenues and earnings at the superlative rates the company once enjoyed.

Any company the size of Microsoft, with a market-cap of $242 billion, will find growth an issue because of its size. But this is not to say the stock is dead. Far from it, Microsoft remains a viable long-term software company and is cash rich with $34 billion or $3.28 per share in cash. This gives the stock plenty of financial flexibility to develop or buy growth technologies. Microsoft just announced it would spend $1.1 billion in R&D at its MSN Internet unit in the FY07. And according to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft is exploring the possibility of taking a stake in Internet media company Yahoo (YHOO) to take on Internet advertising behemoth Google (GOOG).

But with an estimated five-year earnings growth rate of a pitiful 12%, the company has its work cut out for it. Trading at 16.30x its estimated FY07 EPS of $1.44, the stock is not expensive but appears to be priced not as a growth stock.
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So you’ve seen your umpteenth infomercial with the guy in his neatly pressed button-upped white T-Shirt grinning ear to ear waving his rock-solid no-money-down rags-to-riches real estate investment course for 3 easy payments of a gazillion dollars (but only if you call now) and now you are thinking, “wow this looks like a great deal, I better get it fast before the special offer expires.” You notice how there’s always a special offer? Anyway, I am not saying this guy isn’t telling the truth, however regardless of which course or school of thought you buy into there are several key areas that one must avoid when engaging in any real estate related transaction.

Pitfall Number 1: Don’t Overpay!

The whole point in investing is to find properties that are undervalued. How does one find out what is undervalued versus overvalued? Without getting into technical details, the bottom line is you need experience. Yes much like shopping for anything else, real estate is essentially one of the highest ticket items in the shopping center of life. It’s advisable to stick with one market, perhaps the one closest to you in proximity as a starting off point. Through your experience and asking the right questions, you will eventually have a feel for the pulse of the market you are looking after, and of course identify what is considered a good buy.
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As a decision-maker in the construction industry, weighing all equipment acquisition options is a critical aspect of the job – especially given today’s fluid marketplace.

With construction equipment leasing you don’t have to worry about the overhead of the purchase while keeping your cash accessible. No matter how big or small your project you can always find leasing options from the financial institutions who specialise in this type of product. Plus, payments you make under an operating lease are tax deductible.

65% of the top businesses lease equipment, according to an ELA survey. The top reasons these businesses cite for leasing include consistent expenses in budget management, increased cash flow, and the ability to have the latest equipment.

As businesses prepare to compete and grow in a new millennium, many are searching for proven new ways to address their equipment financing needs. And the choice for an increasing number in construction is clear: equipment leasing.

If structured properly, as a “true” lease, construction equipment leasing has some very important tax benefits. The payments can be considered a rental resulting in a 100% expense write-off. At the end of the year you would simply total your payments and deduct them entirely as an expense. This is a much more rapid write-off than interest expense and depreciation.
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