Author: blogger

As you devour this article, remember that the rest of it contains valuable information related to simple accounting training and in some way related to 2007 IRA catch up, construction business software, and fact accounting software or financial and managerial accounting for your reading pleasure.

The General Ledger Creates an Audit Trail, Dont let the word audit strike fear in your heart; I am not talking about a tax audit. Although, if you are called to respond to an outside audit for any reason, a well-maintained general ledger is essential.

If you find it difficult to determine someone’s expertise in a field with which you are unfamiliar, here are some solutions, Have them interviewed by an expert. Your own CPA will probably be glad to interview a few for you, carefully check references from past jobs. Ask detailed questions on exactly what they did in the accounting function. Compare the answers with what they say they did, ask them some accounting questions. It may sound odd that you (of all people) should be asking such questions. However, even if you can’t judge the technical merit of the answers, you can get a feel for how comfortable they are with the subject and the authority with which they answer.

We segregate liabilities into short-term and long-term categories on the balance sheet. This division is nothing more than separating those liabilities scheduled for payment within the next accounting period (usually the next twelve months) from those not to be paid until later. We often separate debt like this, it gives readers a clearer picture of how much the company owes and when.

Don’t forget that you are only a step away from getting more information about simple accounting training or such related information by searching the search engines online Google Dot Com alone can give you more than enough results when you search for simple accounting training.

Amortization, In the course of doing business, you will likely acquire what are known as intangible assets. These assets can contribute to the revenue growth of your business and, as such, they can be expensed against these future revenues. An example of an intangible asset is when you buy a patent for an invention.

Last in/first out, this method, commonly referred to as LIFO, is based on the assumption that the most recent units purchased will be the first units sold. A “widget” is an imaginary item that could be just about any product. The advantage of last in, first out accounting, or LIFO, is that typically the last widgets purchased were purchased at the highest price and that by considering the highest priced items to be sold first, a business can reduce its short-term profit, and hence, taxes.

Accountants and auditors help to ensure that the Nations firms are run efficiently, its public records kept accurately, and its taxes paid properly and on time. They analyze and communicate financial information for various entities such as companies, individual clients, and government. Beyond carrying out the fundamental tasks of the occupationpreparing, analyzing, and verifying financial documents in order to provide information to clientsmany accountants also offer budget analysis, financial and investment planning, information technology consulting, and limited legal services. Specific job duties vary widely among the four major fields of accounting and auditing: public, management, government accounting, and internal auditing.

We discovered that many people who were also searching for information related to simple accounting training also searched online for related information such as accounting software reseller, debit credit double entry, and even accounting standard.

The most successful companies in the world choose words carefully when they create their advertising taglines. You can learn from their advertising strategy and experience. Treat your mortgage tagline as a critical part of your marketing campaign and choose your words very carefully.

In case you don’t know what a tagline is…it’s a short (usually one line) advertising blurb that aids in establishing credibility for you. Your mortgage tagline helps customers and prospects to feel that calling you and working with you is a “safe” choice. Your tagline can help drive business for you.

The really nice thing about taglines other than they work, is…they’re absolutely free! Once developed, they sort of tag-a-long and enhance all of your mortgage marketing material and summarize your advertising message in one short sentence.

How much more effective could your advertising be if you treated your tagline as a sales opportunity? With just a few additions and small adjustments, you could significantly improve the power of the tagline in your ads, and improve your return on your advertising investment.

Here are a few examples of some highly profitable taglines: Coke – “The Real Thing”, Pepsi – “The Choice of a New Generation,” Maxwell House Coffee – “Good to The Last Drop,” Budweiser – “The King of Beers,” All of these companies know that their tagline is a sales opportunity, and they use every word carefully to take full advantage of that opportunity.

One thing to keep in mind is that the key to creating your very own “mortgage brand” or “mortgage tagline” begins with creativity. You want people to think of you when they think of mortgages. Make sure your brand has an emotional ring to it. The right choice makes people want to do business with you and actually creates customer loyalty. The right brand tugs at their heart strings and says “buy me.”

If your business card says “Vice President” that’s great…except it really doesn’t describe exactly what you do, does it? Instead let’s use the title “Home Loan Consultant” or “Investment Specialist” instead.

Now, not only do you have a great title, but the title describes to folks exactly what you do and what you’ll be talking to them about. There’s no mistake here…you don’t work for an Automobile Dealership, or a Dry Cleaner, or whatever. You are involved in loans and mortgages.

If you’re having a problem getting started, just Google your competition and the consumer goods industry, then convert their marketing campaign and sales message into your very own mortgage business strategy. Work your chosen tagline into every single facet of your business plan and marketing program.

By simply improving the power of your tagline, you can improve the response to your marketing material, improve the return on your advertising investment, and improve your mortgage business. Go for it!

In the real estate market, there are plenty of ways to pay off your mortgage so that you are not saddled with debt for a long time. If you are looking to avoid thousands of dollars in interest, then investigate ways of getting rid of your high house payment.

Americans pay millions of dollars in interest each year due to mortgage payments. Remember that the amount of interest you pay is proportion to the principal balance of the money you borrowed. This means that if you get your principle down, then you will not have to pay as much in interest.

To pay the amount you owe early, many people pay their mortgage payment every two weeks instead of every month. Since there are fifty weeks in a year, then you will be making twenty six half payments or in other words thirteen full payments. You will then be paying an extra payment each year because with two months you are paying three half payments. This can shed years off of the loan.

You can also take your payment and divide it by twelve and then you will be paying extra at the end of every month. This allows you to reduce the principal balance of your account every month. You will end up paying less interest every month. You may also want to investigate the structure of your loan to see if it is cost effective. You may want to go around to other banks to see if you can find one that offers better terms and conditions.

Other people use unique ideas to also save up money and pay that mortgage early in the real estate market. For example, if you find some money that you did not anticipate getting, then you should put that into your account and use it for household bills Every little amount counts. This means that if you find thirty dollars on the street or get a raise, then you should use some of this money to pay off your house.

You can also get a little job on the side to make a little cash. You can also change your lifestyle a bit and save more money so that you can use that money for your house payment.

Paying off your mortgage early is not as difficult as it may seem. There are many options available for you so keep an open mind and investigate ways of achieving financial freedom.

If you are looking for property in Asheville, North Carolina, real estate agents will advise you to pay off your real estate loan as soon as possible. To save money and learn about real estate buying tactics, visit http://www.preferredrealestatecenter.com

Recent financial industry distress publicly attributed to widespread mortgage loan defaults has generated mounting pressure on federal prosecutors to increase investigations into incidents of mortgage fraud across the nation. On February 6, 2004, CNN reported that the FBI warned that mortgage fraud was becoming so rampant that the resulting epidemic of fraud could trigger a massive financial crisis. Mortgage fraud has now become so prevalent that the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have been forced to create an entirely new category for tracking these cases. According to a CBS news report, the number of FBI agents assigned to mortgage related crimes increased by 50 percent from 2007 to 2008. Prosecutors and investigators on both the state and local levels are also feverishly organizing task forces and creating real estate fraud departments to counter this burgeoning wave of crime.

CRIME & PUNISHMENT

The primary focus of these investigations appears to be on borrowers, investors, mortgage brokers, appraisers and real estate agents. Some of the charges levied against these perpetrators have included making false statements on loan applications, bank fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to launder funds and a number of applicable state laws. However, the primary legal vehicle implemented by federal prosecutors has been section 1014 of Title 18 of the United States Code which declares mortgage fraud as a federal crime encompassing anyone who willfully overvalues any land or property, or knowingly makes any false statement, for the purpose of influencing a financial institution upon a loan application, purchase agreement or other related documents. A violation of the federal mortgage fraud law (18 U.S.C. 1014) alone is punishable by up to thirty years imprisonment and a one million dollar fine.

MORTGAGE FRAUD SCHEMES

The most effective way to avoid prosecution for mortgage fraud is to identify mortgage fraud schemes prior to any actual involvement. Most mortgage fraud offenses fall into one of two general categories: fraud for housing and fraud for profit. Fraud for housing often involves fraudulent acts committed by a borrower, often coached by his or her mortgage broker or real estate agent, to obtain a loan for the ultimate goal of acquiring a home. These fraudulent facts generally pertain to the falsification of facts and documents during the loan application process to enable the borrower to obtain financing that he or she would otherwise not be qualified to receive. Conversely, fraud for profit typically involves a more concerted plan to abuse the entire real estate transactional process for pecuniary gain.

FRAUD FOR HOUSING

Income Fraud

This occurs when a borrower inflates his or her amount of income to qualify for a loan or a larger loan amount. Although recent reductions in the use of stated income or no-doc liar loans has somewhat curbed income fraud, daring borrowers are increasingly generating more fraudulent documents to falsify income. Information technology and photocopy equipment have become so advanced that very convincing documentation, such as income statements, savings accounts and tax returns, can be produced on demand.

Employment Fraud

In order to justify overstated income in a loan application, borrowers will claim self-employment in a non-existent company or represent having a higher position in a company than the borrower actually holds.

Failure to Disclose Liabilities

The debt-to-income ratio is an important part of the loan underwriting criteria used to determine a borrowers eligibility for mortgage loans. Consequently, borrowers will conceal financial obligations like newly acquired credit card debt, other mortgages, and private loans to artificially reduce their debt-to-income ratios.

Occupancy Fraud

Generally occurs when a borrower states on a loan application that he or she intends to occupy a property as a primary residence to secure a lower interest rate when the borrower actually intends to obtain the loan to acquire an investment property.

FRAUD FOR PROFIT

Equity Skimming and Cash-Back Schemes

A straw buyer is typically implemented as the buyer of the property due to his or her creditworthiness and resulting ability to obtain favorable financing. Unknowing straw buyers can be manipulated by mortgage brokers and real estate agents to purchase a property as a primary residence with the broker or agent later serving as a property manager to collect anticipated rental income. After the escrow closes and the mortgage and real estate brokers collect their commissions, they proceed to collect rental income and fail to make the mortgage payments.

Complex schemes can involve a knowing straw buyer, an appraiser who intentionally overstates the propertys value, a dishonest seller that intentionally inflates the selling price, and a dishonest settlement officer that makes undisclosed disbursements from the loan proceeds. All of these conspirators collaborate to collect portions of the proceeds of an inappropriately large loan before eventually letting it go into default.

Appraisal Fraud or Price Inflation

This fraud occurs when a dishonest appraiser intentionally overstates the value of a property or when an existing appraisal is altered to reflect a higher value. When a home is overvalued, more money can be obtained by the seller in a purchase transaction or by the borrower in a cash-out refinance.

The New Appraisal Fraud: Price Deflation

When done legitimately, a short sale occurs when a borrower that owes more than his or her property is worth sells the property below market value and the lender agrees to accept the lower repayment amount and forgive the difference. A new hybrid of fraud has emerged where an appraiser or a real estate agent drastically devalues the property in an appraisal or brokers price opinion (BPO) so that the home will sell with ease at a price well below market value. Of course the new buyer is in collaboration with the seller, agent and appraiser, so all of the conspirators proceed to sell the home at a higher price for a big profit.

Identity Theft

Identity theft fraud occurs when a victims identity is assumed by another to obtain a mortgage without ever intending to make any payments on the loan. The perpetrators often abscond with a portion of the loan proceeds and sometimes are daring enough to lease the property and collect some deposits and rental income before disappearing.

The Buy and Bail

This completely new scheme is perpetrated by a home owner who cannot sell the home because more is owed on the property than its worth. Because no lender will provide the owner a loan for a second primary residence, the owner tells the lender that he or she plans to rent out the current home despite having no intention of doing so. Sometimes a falsified rental agreement is used to further support the falsehood. Once the second home is purchased, the owner bails on the original home and fails to make any further mortgage payments.

AVOIDING & PREVENTING FRAUD

Mortgage fraud frequently emanates from groups that complete an abnormal amount of similar transactions or churn out many offers to purchase at once. These outfits may appear disorganized or unprofessional due to the large amount of transactions they are attempting to manage. It is also no coincidence that mortgage fraud has significantly increased as housing values have decreased since most fraud schemes involve a financially distressed or otherwise vulnerable seller. It is equally important to remember that agents owe a very strict fiduciary duty to act in their clients best interests. So before reporting a client to your local authorities, speak with legal counsel or your state real estate licensing department to ensure that your proposed actions dont constitute a breach of your fiduciary duty to your client.

Real estate agents are in a unique position that enables them to identify and even prevent the occurrence of fraud by recognizing the red flags, asking appropriate questions, and giving the principals in their transactions the full picture of what consequences are associated with participating in mortgage fraud. While a lot of damage has been done in the real estate market, we can prevent more of the same from occurring in the future.

Internal rate of return (IRR), modified internal rate of return (MIRR), and financial management rate of return (FMRR) are three returns used to measure the profitability of investment property. Each method arrives at a percentage rate based upon an initial investment amount and future cash flows, and in each case (of course) the higher the better, but the procedure for making the calculation varies significantly as do the results.

By definition, internal rate of return is the discount rate at which the present value of all future cash flows is exactly equal to the initial capital investment. To make the calculation, negative cash flows are discounted at the same rate (i.e., the IRR) as positive cash flows.

Let’s consider the following investment with the initial investment as CF0 (always a negative number because it is cash outflow) and subsequent cash flows as CF1, CF2, etc., with some negative and some positive.

CF0 -10,000
CF1 -100,000
CF2 50,000
CF3 -60,000
CF4 50,000
CF5 249,300

IRR = 30%

Seems all well and good, but the problem here is that the calculation assumes that the cash generated during an investment will be reinvested at the rate calculated by the IRR, which may be unrealistically high and therefore will overstate the return on initial investment. Likewise, since negative cash flows are also discounted at the IRR, if that rate is fairly high, the investor might not accurately estimate the cash required to meet those future negative cash flows.

To deal with this shortcoming many real estate analysts use a method known as MIRR (i.e., modified internal rate of return). In this approach, the assumption is that positive cash flows the investment generates during its life can be reinvested and earns interest at a “reinvestment rate”, and negative cash flows must be financed at a “finance rate” during the life of the investment. In other words, rather than simply using one rate (i.e., IRR) to deal with both negative and positive cash flows, MIRR introduces the option to use two different rates.

By applying a finance rate of 5% and a reinvestment rate of 10% here’s the result using the same investment criteria as we did earlier.

CF0 -10,000
CF1 -100,000
CF2 50,000
CF3 -60,000
CF4 50,000
CF5 249,300

MIRR = 18.75%

Okay, then along came the financial management rate of return (or FMRR). Though it also provides two separate rates to deal with negative and positive cash flows known as the “safe rate” and “reinvestment rate”, FMRR takes it a step further. The assumption here is that where possible, all future outflows are removed by using prior inflows. In other words, negative cash flows are discounted back at the safe rate and are either reduced or eliminate by any positive cash flow that it encounters. The remaining positive cash flows are compounded forward at the reinvestment rate.

We’ll apply a safe rate of 5% and a reinvestment rate of 10% to our investment criteria to show you the result. But this time we’ll also include a table to show you the adjusted cash flows.

CF0 -10,000
CF1 -100,000
CF2 50,000
CF3 -60,000
CF4 50,000
CF5 249,300

CF0 -111,717
CF1 0
CF2 0
CF3 0
CF4 0
CF5 304,300

FMRR = 22.19%

The financial management rate of return is difficult to compute, which is why most real estate investment software solutions opt for the modified internal rate of return (MIRR) calculation. But after learning about it from CCIM, I considered it a beneficial return for real estate investment analysis, so I included FMRR my ProAPOD real estate investment software as well as my ProAPOD mortgage calculator software. To learn more please visit the link provided below.