Wednesday, November 14, 2007

banking - QuickBooks Online Banking - Unmatched Transactions Defined

Using online banking with QuickBooks is a huge time saver, but not if there are problems with it. One common source of problems is downloaded transactions that cannot be matched.

When transactions are downloaded from the bank or credit card company, QuickBooks assigns each a "Matched" or an "Unmatched" status, then places all of them into the Online Banking Center's QuickStatement. The "Matched" status means only one thing: you previously entered the transaction into QuickBooks, then when the transaction cleared the bank and was downloaded, QuickBooks "Matched" the downloaded transaction with the transaction already entered.

The "Unmatched" status is where problems occur. The "Unmatched" status actually means one of four things:

1. It's brand new. The transaction was not previously entered into QuickBooks. If this is the case, enter the transaction now. QuickBooks will assign it the "Matched" status.

2. It's different. The transaction was previously entered into QuickBooks, but in a different amount than how it cleared the bank. If you are sure you already entered the transaction into QuickBooks, scroll through the bank register to find it. Once you do, change the amount to the downloaded amount. QuickBooks will automatically match it.

3. It's already downloaded. Sometimes clients accidentally overlap download dates, meaning that they download the same transaction more than once. If there are entries in the register that have a small lightening bolt in the Cleared column, these have been downloaded already. QuickBooks will not match them to transactions in the QuickStatement, even if they are the same transaction.

4. It's reconciled. This is similiar to #3, but instead of being previously downloaded, the transaction is reconciled. To verify if this is the case, scroll through the register and look for transactions with a checkmark in the Cleared column. Again, QuickBooks will not match them to entries in the QuickStatement, even if they are the same transaction.

Notice that once the first two situations are resolved, QuickBooks automatically matches them. But in the last two situations, QuickBooks will not match the transactions; they are unmatchable. If you determine that some downloaded transactions are unmatchable:

  • Make sure that all matchable transactions are matched. You are going to delete the QuickStatement, and if you accidentally delete matchable transactions, you may later have to enter them manually.

  • Once all matchable transactions are matched, click Done.

  • QuickBooks will ask if you are sure you want to finish. Click Yes. You are now at the Online Banking Center main page.

  • Delete the QuickStatement by clicking the Delete button located near the lower right corner.

That's it. Your unmatched problems are over, and you now understand the process better. This will help you circumvent future problems when using online banking with QuickBooks.

About the Author: Jennifer A. Thieme is a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor who loves to help people with QuickBooks. She brings unique insight, clear instructions, and over ten years of experience to all of her QuickBooks articles. Owner of Solid Rock Accounting Services, Jennifer's clients enjoy these same benefits on a personal and regular basis. You can too - visit http://www.jenniferthieme.com and contact Jennifer today.

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_A._Thieme

banking - Business Opportunity Seekers

Finding a job is no picnic! But, this doesn't mean you should listen to the ramblings of people that claim there are NO jobs currently available. Some folks will state that the job market is dead, but this is totally false. If they're not finding anything, then they're either a convict or they're just not looking hard enough. Trust me when I inform you that the unemployment rate is down in the USA. There are jobs to spare. The only trick is you have to be focused and driven. So, for all you business opportunity seekers, I think it's time you took a dive into cyberspace and explored the infinite options.

The Internet IS the number one place to search for job openings in this day and age. Only a fool would still waste time flipping through a newspaper. This is plain and simply too time consuming. You can get so much more done with a PC or Mac. All you need is Internet access. There are even online resources concerning business opportunity seekers that you can subscribe to. Get hooked up with these email listings in order to stay on top of the game. I prefer job engines such as Monster.com. My wife recently updated her resume and posted it on this job search engine. She heard two replies from potential companies the following day. That is pretty darn fast. Employers simply review your resume on the web and then contact you by phone and/or email. It's such a convenient process for job seekers.

So maybe you're down in the dumps and currently unemployed. Well it's time to remedy this sad situation with online newsletters for business opportunity seekers. You too can acquire the job or home employment solution you're searching for. These days it is totally viable to work for yourself. There's no longer a NEED for a large company or industry paying your wages. With some assistance from your personal computer, any business opportunity seekers can make their dream of becoming self-employed, a reality. All it takes is a determined attitude, an idea, and some persistence. Earn the kind of income you were meant to. Who ever said that the only business opportunities had to come from big companies with "the man" passing out orders?

Sunday, November 4, 2007

banking - Business Opportunity Seekers

Finding a job is no picnic! But, this doesn't mean you should listen to the ramblings of people that claim there are NO jobs currently available. Some folks will state that the job market is dead, but this is totally false. If they're not finding anything, then they're either a convict or they're just not looking hard enough. Trust me when I inform you that the unemployment rate is down in the USA. There are jobs to spare. The only trick is you have to be focused and driven. So, for all you business opportunity seekers, I think it's time you took a dive into cyberspace and explored the infinite options.

The Internet IS the number one place to search for job openings in this day and age. Only a fool would still waste time flipping through a newspaper. This is plain and simply too time consuming. You can get so much more done with a PC or Mac. All you need is Internet access. There are even online resources concerning business opportunity seekers that you can subscribe to. Get hooked up with these email listings in order to stay on top of the game. I prefer job engines such as Monster.com. My wife recently updated her resume and posted it on this job search engine. She heard two replies from potential companies the following day. That is pretty darn fast. Employers simply review your resume on the web and then contact you by phone and/or email. It's such a convenient process for job seekers.

So maybe you're down in the dumps and currently unemployed. Well it's time to remedy this sad situation with online newsletters for business opportunity seekers. You too can acquire the job or home employment solution you're searching for. These days it is totally viable to work for yourself. There's no longer a NEED for a large company or industry paying your wages. With some assistance from your personal computer, any business opportunity seekers can make their dream of becoming self-employed, a reality. All it takes is a determined attitude, an idea, and some persistence. Earn the kind of income you were meant to. Who ever said that the only business opportunities had to come from big companies with "the man" passing out orders?

For more information on how to find the Best Business Online try visiting Small Business Start located at http://Small-Business-Start.com where you will find valuable information on internet marketing, making money and other information.

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dominic_Ferrara

banking - Understanding Large-Scale Commercial Mortgage Financing Part-03

This third and final installment of the mini series regarding large-scale commercial mortgage financing will generally discuss how to select a commercial mortgage broker or banker, issues you can expect to deal with and how to protect yourself in the process. If you have not read part 01 and 02 of this series, you should do so now.

As mentioned, the commercial mortgage brokerage business is not well regulated and there are many unscrupulous and crooked operators in the market'shysters who will require up-front fees before you get a loan. And depending on the amount of financing you are seeking, these fees can be substantial, typically one percent (1%) of the loan amount. In reality, there is no value in paying a commercial mortgage "broker" any up-front fees to get a commercial mortgage for a grade-A income producing property. Why? Typically, commercial mortgage brokers do not provide financing directly to the borrower. Instead, they tend to represent mortgage "banking firms", a much more qualified and professional level of operation, who represent life insurance companies in the market. Now, paying fees to mortgage banking firms is a different story because you are dealing with a legal representative of the insurance company providing the financing and applications fees are normally paid to these banking firms at the appropriate time (generally discussed in part 1-2).

Dishonesty, however, runs in both directions in this business and borrowers can be just as crooked as the brokers. For this reason, brokers often demand borrowers to sign non-disclosure/non-circumvention agreements (non-comps) to prevent the borrower from going around the broker directly to the lending organization. This is fair. The mortgage broker has taken time and money to develop conduit relationships with mortgage banking firms which you would not find own your own unless you are already a player with some deals under your belt.

Before you sign any agreements with a broker, make sure you get legal review, even if you think that you understand the agreement. Many non-comp agreements tend to run in perpetuity and can bind you for a long, long, time from ever seeking financing own your own without the broker. There are a variety of non-comps floating around and some are better than others. Make sure you have an attorney review them before signing. If you do sign a non-comp, makes sure you get a registered list of the broker's lenders, in writing, so that you are limited only to their current source of lenders. This way you can deal with lenders not on the list directly.

The only time it is reasonable to pay a broker a fee, and I was in the business for quite awhile, is if they are preparing loan request packages for submission to banks (typically business and/or construction loans). Another occasion to pay fees if the broker is consulting and advising you for the assembly of legal and financial documents needed to facilitate a loan. In this case, there may be some justification for fees and it is a matter of what you are willing to pay. What's the hourly rate worth? That's a gut call, around $50.00 hour for every actual billable hour with per-project limits pre-set to say $250.00. When they hit the $250.00 mark, you want to see an audit trail of the billable schedule before authorizing another $250.00 project. Always work in phases to maintain control. What does a bank package cost? For business and construction loans it is not uncommon to pay $1,500 to $5,000.00 or more depending on the size and complexity of the deal. There is a big difference between a $100,000.00 construction loan and a $1,000,000.00 loan.

As with any business relationship in which you find yourself pressed to sign legal documentation it is always a good idea to get legal review first. I have repeated this many times throughout these articles because many people ignore this advice until they sign a document, and them it is to late.

To your success!

Do you like this tip? You haven't seen anything yet! Check out our Smart Books Business products by clicking the link below. We have business kits, books and ebooks to help you get smart-fast. Check us out.... We'll save you a TON of time and money.

Copyright ? 2006 James W. Hart, IV All Rights reserved

Saturday, October 27, 2007

banking - Understanding Large-Scale Commercial Mortgage Financing Part-03

This third and final installment of the mini series regarding large-scale commercial mortgage financing will generally discuss how to select a commercial mortgage broker or banker, issues you can expect to deal with and how to protect yourself in the process. If you have not read part 01 and 02 of this series, you should do so now.

As mentioned, the commercial mortgage brokerage business is not well regulated and there are many unscrupulous and crooked operators in the market'shysters who will require up-front fees before you get a loan. And depending on the amount of financing you are seeking, these fees can be substantial, typically one percent (1%) of the loan amount. In reality, there is no value in paying a commercial mortgage "broker" any up-front fees to get a commercial mortgage for a grade-A income producing property. Why? Typically, commercial mortgage brokers do not provide financing directly to the borrower. Instead, they tend to represent mortgage "banking firms", a much more qualified and professional level of operation, who represent life insurance companies in the market. Now, paying fees to mortgage banking firms is a different story because you are dealing with a legal representative of the insurance company providing the financing and applications fees are normally paid to these banking firms at the appropriate time (generally discussed in part 1-2).

Dishonesty, however, runs in both directions in this business and borrowers can be just as crooked as the brokers. For this reason, brokers often demand borrowers to sign non-disclosure/non-circumvention agreements (non-comps) to prevent the borrower from going around the broker directly to the lending organization. This is fair. The mortgage broker has taken time and money to develop conduit relationships with mortgage banking firms which you would not find own your own unless you are already a player with some deals under your belt.

Before you sign any agreements with a broker, make sure you get legal review, even if you think that you understand the agreement. Many non-comp agreements tend to run in perpetuity and can bind you for a long, long, time from ever seeking financing own your own without the broker. There are a variety of non-comps floating around and some are better than others. Make sure you have an attorney review them before signing. If you do sign a non-comp, makes sure you get a registered list of the broker's lenders, in writing, so that you are limited only to their current source of lenders. This way you can deal with lenders not on the list directly.

The only time it is reasonable to pay a broker a fee, and I was in the business for quite awhile, is if they are preparing loan request packages for submission to banks (typically business and/or construction loans). Another occasion to pay fees if the broker is consulting and advising you for the assembly of legal and financial documents needed to facilitate a loan. In this case, there may be some justification for fees and it is a matter of what you are willing to pay. What's the hourly rate worth? That's a gut call, around $50.00 hour for every actual billable hour with per-project limits pre-set to say $250.00. When they hit the $250.00 mark, you want to see an audit trail of the billable schedule before authorizing another $250.00 project. Always work in phases to maintain control. What does a bank package cost? For business and construction loans it is not uncommon to pay $1,500 to $5,000.00 or more depending on the size and complexity of the deal. There is a big difference between a $100,000.00 construction loan and a $1,000,000.00 loan.

As with any business relationship in which you find yourself pressed to sign legal documentation it is always a good idea to get legal review first. I have repeated this many times throughout these articles because many people ignore this advice until they sign a document, and them it is to late.

To your success!

Do you like this tip? You haven't seen anything yet! Check out our Smart Books Business products by clicking the link below. We have business kits, books and ebooks to help you get smart-fast. Check us out.... We'll save you a TON of time and money.

Copyright ? 2006 James W. Hart, IV All Rights reserved

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banking - 15 Things You Should Know About Offshore Fund Managers

Do you know the person managing your money? If you don't, you need to; knowing who is managing your fund is as important as knowing where your money is. It's absolutely essential, and you should not hesitate to ask as many questions as you wish so that you're sure you're comfortable with where your money is being invested. This article will give you some of the information you'll need before you make important decisions about your investment, and it should help you find your way through the sometimes confusing ins and outs of fund management.

It is imperative that you know who the fund manager is and what his or her background and skill level is. You should keep in mind the following points. The fund manager should meet the following requirements or willingly disclose the following information so that you can make an informed decision(s) about the manager:

- Can communicate fluently with you in your native language (for clear, effective communication)

- Has the requisite degrees and certifications (must be qualified to manage your money effectively)

- Be transparent about background and other positions held (to help reassure you that he or she has the necessary experience)

- Be transparent about his or her degree of management experience (to ensure that he or she can handle your investments responsibly)

- Be willing to disclose the amount of money he or she held in previous management positions (must be comfortable with the pressures of handling your money)

- Has spent adequate time in his or her current position (so as to be thoroughly acquainted with the market(s) you wish to invest in or are interested in learning more about)

- Willingly disclose any previous fund management positions held that may have been similar to the current one (so as to ensure his or her experience will enable him/her to make prudent decisions about your money)

- Willingly disclose the returns his or her previously managed funds achieved while he or she was in control (so as to establish a track record and solid returns results).

Even though this information is important to obtain on fund managers, it isn't always easy to get. With a team-managed fund, it is actually immaterial, since one manager is no longer in charge of the fund.

Funds management software has made it possible for a fund manager to simply follow the lead of computer-generated information, thus making the actual manager's experience almost unnecessary. However, this is only the case when a computer is being used thusly: the fund manager is still essential in all other situations.

Besides knowing who your fund manager is, it is also important to thoroughly investigate the fund management company that the fund manager works for. Much of the time, team management is used for a fund, rather than a single manager. In this case, the company is what's important. These are some things you should investigate to make sure it's the right one for you:

- What are the company's assets under management in total? (If overly large, the company may not be able to spend adequate time and effort managing your account)

- How long has the company has been in business? (Ensure they've been in business long enough to have adequate experience in the field, for best possible performance)

- What is the company's history? (Past history should show solid and consistent performance)

- How big is the staff? (Should ensure consistent day-to-day management of your investments and should ensure that you can contact someone easily who will have knowledge of your fund)

- Does the staff speak your native language? (Should ensure that you can easily communicate with them)

- The numbers of funds run by the company (how much similar experience does the company have?)

- The performance of their funds when viewed compared to similar funds run by the competition (how do the company's assets translate into concrete financial results?).

Your fund's prospectus should have roughly 75% of this information in it. Although the information may not be vital to your decision to invest, most funds' management companies will be happy to give it to you so as to make it inviting for you to invest with them. So don't hesitate to ask questions until you're satisfied. You are absolutely entitled to know who's managing your money.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

banking - 15 Things You Should Know About Offshore Fund Managers

Do you know the person managing your money? If you don't, you need to; knowing who is managing your fund is as important as knowing where your money is. It's absolutely essential, and you should not hesitate to ask as many questions as you wish so that you're sure you're comfortable with where your money is being invested. This article will give you some of the information you'll need before you make important decisions about your investment, and it should help you find your way through the sometimes confusing ins and outs of fund management.

It is imperative that you know who the fund manager is and what his or her background and skill level is. You should keep in mind the following points. The fund manager should meet the following requirements or willingly disclose the following information so that you can make an informed decision(s) about the manager:

- Can communicate fluently with you in your native language (for clear, effective communication)

- Has the requisite degrees and certifications (must be qualified to manage your money effectively)

- Be transparent about background and other positions held (to help reassure you that he or she has the necessary experience)

- Be transparent about his or her degree of management experience (to ensure that he or she can handle your investments responsibly)

- Be willing to disclose the amount of money he or she held in previous management positions (must be comfortable with the pressures of handling your money)

- Has spent adequate time in his or her current position (so as to be thoroughly acquainted with the market(s) you wish to invest in or are interested in learning more about)

- Willingly disclose any previous fund management positions held that may have been similar to the current one (so as to ensure his or her experience will enable him/her to make prudent decisions about your money)

- Willingly disclose the returns his or her previously managed funds achieved while he or she was in control (so as to establish a track record and solid returns results).

Even though this information is important to obtain on fund managers, it isn't always easy to get. With a team-managed fund, it is actually immaterial, since one manager is no longer in charge of the fund.

Funds management software has made it possible for a fund manager to simply follow the lead of computer-generated information, thus making the actual manager's experience almost unnecessary. However, this is only the case when a computer is being used thusly: the fund manager is still essential in all other situations.

Besides knowing who your fund manager is, it is also important to thoroughly investigate the fund management company that the fund manager works for. Much of the time, team management is used for a fund, rather than a single manager. In this case, the company is what's important. These are some things you should investigate to make sure it's the right one for you:

- What are the company's assets under management in total? (If overly large, the company may not be able to spend adequate time and effort managing your account)

- How long has the company has been in business? (Ensure they've been in business long enough to have adequate experience in the field, for best possible performance)

- What is the company's history? (Past history should show solid and consistent performance)

- How big is the staff? (Should ensure consistent day-to-day management of your investments and should ensure that you can contact someone easily who will have knowledge of your fund)

- Does the staff speak your native language? (Should ensure that you can easily communicate with them)

- The numbers of funds run by the company (how much similar experience does the company have?)

- The performance of their funds when viewed compared to similar funds run by the competition (how do the company's assets translate into concrete financial results?).

Your fund's prospectus should have roughly 75% of this information in it. Although the information may not be vital to your decision to invest, most funds' management companies will be happy to give it to you so as to make it inviting for you to invest with them. So don't hesitate to ask questions until you're satisfied. You are absolutely entitled to know who's managing your money.

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Offshore Investing? Download Your Free Offshore
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Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Jenyns

banking - Monopoly and Mortgage: Playing the Game

Remember monopoly? Remember mortgages? You know, the text that's written when you flip your title deed. Flipping the title deed means your property is on mortgage and you'll get money from the bank.

Sounds simple right? Wrong. There's much more to it than that.

Here are the things you need to know about the game and how to get most out of your mortgages.

The idea of the game is to buy and rent and sell properties so profitably that one becomes the wealthiest player and eventual "monopolist". Starting from "go" move tokens around the board according to the throw of dice.

When a player's token lands on a space not yet owned, he may buy it from the bank: otherwise it is auctioned off to the highest bidder.

The purpose of owning property is to collect rents from opponents landing there. Rentals are greatly increased if you put houses (those little green ones) and hotels (those dreaded red infrastructures).

So your best bet in winning the game is to put the most houses or hotels in your lots. (That's assuming you don't land in your opponents' lots with houses or hotels).

To raise more money, lots may be mortgaged to the bank. Here comes the tricky part. That includes deciding which lots to mortgage and how you can get the most out of your mortgaged property.

Mortgages in monopoly can be done only through the bank. The mortgage value is printed on each title deed. The rate of interest is 10 percent, payable when the mortgage is lifted. If any property is transferred which is mortgaged, the new owner may lift the mortgage at once if he wishes, but must pay 10 percent interest.

If he fails to lift the mortgage he still pays 10 percent interest and if he lifts the mortgage later on he pays an additional 10 per cent interest as well as the main value.

Houses or hotels cannot be mortgaged. All buildings on the lot must be sold back to the bank before any property can be mortgaged. The bank will pay one-half of what was paid for them.

In order to rebuild a house on mortgaged property the owner must pay the bank the amount of the mortgage, plus the 10 percent interest charge and buy the house back from the bank at its full price.

When you mortgage a property, you can use the money for anything you want to, so long as it's legal under the rules of monopoly. The only restriction in this regard is that a player cannot pre-mortgage a property to finance its own purchase.

For example, say a player wants to purchase Boardwalk but can't do it with his or her current assets. That player cannot say, "I'm going to buy Boardwalk by mortgaging it, and then using the money I get for the mortgage to complete the purchase." You must own a property before you can mortgage it.

Playing the game is fun and it will give you an idea of how it is in the real buy and sell world. There are also the Community Chest and Chance spaces which players land on. Instructions ranging from winning $25 dollars to $500 dollars are given. Sometimes players even land in jail! This game is definitely a clever and amusing entertainment.