Banking
Showing 561–576 of 600 results
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Unspent gift cards: Up for grabs
November / December 2008
Newsletter: Commercial Lending Report
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 453
Abstract: Roughly $97 billion was spent on gift cards last year. Retailers and their lenders need to understand the perhaps unexpected effects that gift cards have on a retailer’s financial statements. For starters, gift-card revenue doesn’t show up on the income statement until it’s been spent.
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Riding the waves of working capital
November / December 2008
Newsletter: Commercial Lending Report
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 713
Abstract: Lenders who diligently track working capital trends and understand the pros and cons of liquidity make more informed lending decisions. And if you understand how factors such as standing inventory affect working capital, you’ll be less likely to jump to a faulty conclusion about a borrower’s financial standing.
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Where did the CFO go? How companies can ensure a smooth transition
November / December 2008
Newsletter: Commercial Lending Report
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1010
Abstract: When one of your borrowers loses its CFO, the right hand of most business owners and CEOs, both financial information flow and business operations often suffer. Losing a CFO equates with uncertainty. To avoid a knockout, the borrower needs a transition plan so it can quickly get back in the ring.
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Dealerships are down, but not out
September / October 2008
Newsletter: Commercial Lending Report
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 487
Abstract: The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) 2008 NADA Data report reveals that dealerships sold 16.1 million new cars and light trucks in 2007, down 2.5% from the previous year. NADA expects new vehicle unit sales to decline about 3% in 2008. The good news is that more lucrative profit centers — such as used vehicles, parts and services — are making up the difference.
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Every business needs a plan
September / October 2008
Newsletter: Commercial Lending Report
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 504
Abstract: What is a manufacturer’s breakeven point? How many employees must a service firm hire — or lay off — next year? How long before a startup will turn a profit? Business plans help borrowers answer these tough questions and others. They also show lenders that management operates with forethought and efficiency, rather than by the seat of its pants.
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Financial statement footnotes – Why you should read between the lines
September / October 2008
Newsletter: Commercial Lending Report
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 457
Abstract: Financial statement numbers provide lenders with limited information. But footnote disclosures can offer valuable details about account balances, accounting practices and future events that may affect performance. They can also provide fraud red flags if a company’s management is cooking the books.
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Minimizing growing pains – Expansion strategies essential for borrowers
September / October 2008
Newsletter: Commercial Lending Report
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 936
Abstract: In the midst of the excitement of internal expansion or external acquisition, lenders can serve as the voice of reason by 1) requiring borrowers to provide financial statement projections and other analyses, and 2) reviewing expansion plans skeptically — asking key questions — before approving an expansion or acquisition loan.
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Avoid off-the-cuff offshoring
September / October 2008
Newsletter: Commercial Lending Report
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 733
Abstract: Offshoring is big and getting bigger. More than one-third of companies outsource at least one aspect of their business operations to offshore locations, according to a 2008 survey. But before your borrowers jump headfirst into offshore manufacturing, consulting or purchasing contracts, they should look beyond cost per unit and weigh qualitative issues.
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FASB revamps M&A accounting rules
Fall 2008
Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 608
Abstract: If your bank’s growth strategy includes mergers and acquisitions, you need to understand the implications of Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Statement No. 141R (SFAS 141R), which includes a move to recognize assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their acquisition-date fair values.
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Taking stock of your compensation program
Fall 2008
Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 713
Abstract: In the highly competitive banking industry, a quality executive team is critical to your success. To attract, retain and motivate management talent, you need a compensation program that’s tailored to both your bank’s goals and your employees’ needs.
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To prevent employee fraud, cover all the angles
Fall 2008
Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 862
Abstract: Employee fraud is a significant threat to U.S. businesses, yet few community banks give it the attention it deserves. It’s vital to have a fraud prevention strategy that addresses all three sides of the fraud triangle — that is, the elements that make fraud possible.
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Liquidity risk – How to put the “L” in CAMELS
Fall 2008
Newsletter: Community Banking Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1165
Abstract: The most successful community banks are the ones with solid systems for monitoring and managing risk. Historically, liquidity risk wasn’t at the top of most banks’ list of concerns. But the subprime mortgage crisis and credit crunch have made it a priority for banks as well as regulators.
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Who’s afraid of the Big Bad (Housing) Slump?
July / August 2008
Newsletter: Commercial Lending Report
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 477
Abstract: Anyone who lends to homebuilders knows that residential construction is a cyclical industry. But after years of record profits and double-digit value increases, news of a prolonged housing slump is a hard pill to swallow. So, what’s a builder to do? Many have responded by starting fewer new houses, slashing prices and offering financial incentives, such as free upgrades, seller financing and even new cars at closing. But these solutions — which cannibalize profits — are just a starting point for borrowers hoping to stave off financial crisis.
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An inconvenient truth about inventory
July / August 2008
Newsletter: Commercial Lending Report
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 517
Abstract: Inventory has long been a favorite target among fraudsters. The Great Salad Oil Swindle of 1963, for example, forced 16 investors and lenders — including a finance subsidiary of American Express and two Wall Street brokerage firms — into bankruptcy. Here is how you can learn from history.
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Receiverships offer an “out-of-the-box” solution for troubled firms
July / August 2008
Newsletter: Commercial Lending Report
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 378
Abstract: When borrowers experience financial distress, bankruptcy and out-of-court settlements are popular ways for creditors to protect their financial interests. A lesser-known alternative worth considering is a court-ordered receivership, in which the court appoints a receiver to preserve, recover or distribute assets for the benefit of the distressed company’s creditors and stakeholders.
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Look beyond profits – Asset management is key
July / August 2008
Newsletter: Commercial Lending Report
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 616
Abstract: Businesses encounter financial problems every day. It’s a lender’s job to read the writing on the wall before customers’ problems become their own. This article discusses how bankruptcy, bad debt writeoffs, layoffs and other woes all have one thing in common: inefficient asset management. (Updated 9/27/12)