Finance today, and particularly in an uncertain economy, is all about what the funding can be secured against. If there is something to secure it against, in many cases funding can happen. Why? It's because if the payments are not kept up, there is something in return that the lender can have. Typically the security is…
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Business Banking Fact 15: Businesses may need to use more than one bank
Loyalty has been the name of the game for eternity when it comes to banking. "They are all the same, why bother moving, it's too much hassle," etc, etc. Banks are competitive, particularly if they are your current bank and sense your business may be moving. As discussed in Fact 7, different banks have different…
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Business Banking Series Fact 14: Debt service cover is the important number a business must understand
Contrary to what most people believe, banks do not use the "computer says no" approach half as much as is accepted as true. Most lending comes down to a feel for a deal by a Senior Business Manager, based on the strength of both the management team and the business model. There is actually, only…
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Business Banking Series Fact 13: You can work out if a bank will lend to you, right now
There are two ways of doing this. The first, and by far the quickest, is to speak to a trusted commercial finance specialist, who knows your sector, LTVs, rates, and so on. The second way is to do it yourself! So for a commercial mortgage application, answer the following 3 questions: 1. Do you have…
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Business Banking Series Fact 12: Why Banks want to know your inside leg measurement, and why it’s not personal
When applying for commercial mortgages in particular, it can often seem like an arduous and overly invasive process. "They want to know everything about me!". It's not true, but lenders do want to know an awful lot. The difficult area always seems to be the personal side. "I'm after a business loan, not a personal…
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Business Banking Series Fact 11: How a change of mindset can be of great help
The world is a pretty negative place when it comes to banking these days, and with good reason. However, the commentary on banking, in my opinion, is unbalanced, and as a result of being more balanced, can help business owners develop a better mindset. In turn, this will move their business forward. The major noise…
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Business Banking Series Fact 10: Interest only is not a normal product
"The interest only mortgage: those were the days!" A regular comment from business owners I speak with. Or more likely, "I'd like an interest only mortgage, are they still available?" The simple answer is no. This is not entirely accurate, as they still exist in the Buy-to-Let world, and many business owners will have legacy…
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Business Banking Series Fact 9: Privately owned banks want to lend
Unlike the state-owned banks, the privately owned banks do not have government imposed restrictions on their lending activities, and as such, are providing some of the more attractive commercial mortgage products in the marketplace. The reality is, in many cases, it's the fact they are providing products full stop that is their USP. I could…
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Business Banking Series Fact 8: Why having state-owned banks is not helping
These are my views, based on experiences I've had with businesses I've come across. State owned banks have two main ways of raising the funds to pay us back: 1. increase current account charges, and 2. sell existing mortgages on to other banks. N.B. The requirement to sell commercial mortgages to other banks to pay…
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Business Banking Series Fact 7: Different banks like different sectors, and offer different terms
This is a really important fact about today's banking, and with a further focus on commercial mortgages; not all banks take the same view of each business sector! As a result, you get different rates and different terms. It therefore begs the question: how do you know for sure your mortgage is with the best…
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