How a broker can help your business

With numerous amounts of finance options offered through multiple lenders across Australia, it can be a challenging exercise to find the best fit for your business.

This poses several questions for hopeful small business borrowers, especially those who are time poor (and who isn’t?):

  • What kind of loan product do I need?
  • How much can I afford to borrow and repay?
  • Where can I get the best interest rate and other conditions?
  • How can I compare the available loans?
  • What does all the technical jargon mean?

As a business owner, it can be tempting to seek short cuts to find your best-fit financial loan. The internet offers you an overwhelming range of options, but it can be tricky to work out the right solution to suit your business needs.

This is where the finance broker comes in. A finance broker is a valuable guide to help businesses determine which finance solution is the best fit for your company. They’re an intermediary between the lender and borrower, arranging a loan in return for a fee.

How can a finance broker help you?

Capable finance brokers:

  • Have a detailed knowledge of the loan market
  • Are independent and not tied to any particular lender
  • Can assess your financial situation and needs and find suitable loan products with competitive interest rates
  • Explain any financial and legal terms in the documentation
  • Assist throughout the loan application and settlement process
  • Provide ongoing support during the life of the loan

Finance brokers act for the borrower, not the lender, but in the vast majority of cases it is the lending financial institution, not the borrower, who pays the broker’s commission fees.

What to do before meeting your broker

It is a good idea to do some preparation before your first meeting with your broker, to get the best results from this session. You should be able to explain clearly what your business does, how it is structured, and who your main competitors are.

Think about your business goals and targets, opportunities and risks, so that you can communicate these clearly. Be prepared to outline the purpose of the funds you hope to borrow – that is, provide details of how you will use the cash to help your business prosper.

There are a few documents you should bring to the meeting with you:

  • Latest financial statements, such as your balance sheet, profit and loss statement, your cash flow statement, any management accounts, your budget or forecast for the coming year.
  • Business tax returns – the last two years’ returns.
  • Business Activity Statement – take a years’ worth of BAS. It could be the last annual statement, or the last four quarters’ statements.

What to ask your broker

Your finance broker will certainly be asking you many questions, but there are also lots of questions you need to ask in return, including:

  • Would a line of credit, or a term loan, or lease finance, or some other form of finance, suit my particular needs best?
  • If you think a term loan is best, what term do you recommend?
  • How much do you think my business can afford to borrow and repay?
  • Will I need to offer property as security for the loan? If yes, will it need to be my home or commercial property?
  • Should I be looking for a fixed or variable interest rate?
  • Do you have testimonials from previous customers?
  • How much is your commission, and who will pay it, me or the lender?

While your broker may not be able to answer all of these questions at the first meeting, you should expect full responses before you commit to the recommended finance.

 

This article was originally published by OneAffiniti.com

Instant Asset Write-Off Extended to 2023

Heard about the Instant Asset Write-Off but not sure if your business is eligible?

We have summarised the eligibilty criteria, benefits and some fast facts to help your business benefit from this SME investment stimulus program.

In October 2020, the federal government made enhancements to the Instant Asset Write-Off (IAWO) program including removing the $150,000 limit on purchases. In the May Federal Budget 2020-21 announcement, the program was then extended through to 2023.

 

Here are some Fast Facts about IAWO: 

  • There’s no $$ limit on the cost of the new business asset purchased* 
  • Write-off claims can be made in the year which the asset is used or installed 
  • You can claim multiple new eligible assets of any dollar value, and eligible improvements on new and existing assets 
  • Financed equipment and cars can still claim a deduction for the cost of eligible items 
  • Program end date extended from 30 June 2022 to 30 June 2023

 

Eligible Businesses

Previously businesses with an aggregated turnover of less than $500 million were eligible. Now businesses with an aggregated turnover of up to $5 billion can apply under the new program. *

 

Business Vehicles 

The IAWO provides you the perfect opportunity to upgrade your business vehicles and claim the deduction this financial year. With current national stock shortages on popular makes and models, you need to act fast to receive delivery of your vehicle before June 30. We recommend getting pre-approval on your finance and ordering now to avoid disappointment. 

 

Business Equipment 

Whether you are in manufacturing, warehousing, mining, agriculture, logistics or construction, now is the perfect time to upgrade your capital equipment and claim a full tax benefit in your 20/21 tax return. 

 

How do you claim the instant asset write-off? 

If you buy an asset that comes under the threshold amount, you can claim the business portion of the asset’s use in your tax return for that financial year. 

Before making any large purchases, we suggest you speak to your accountant or tax professional to confirm if financing business vehicles, plant and equipment could help to maximise your tax deductions and reduce tax payments this financial year. 

 

Finance Solutions  

Maximise this government business stimulus by speaking to the asset finance experts at Platform Direct Finance today. We will work with you to find the best lender and finance product for the equipment you need to grow your business. 

Get an instant repayment quote today. 

 

*We recommend you speak to your accountant in the first instance. The instant asset write-off is limited to the business portion of the car limit for the relevant income tax year. Thresholds apply up to the Luxury Car Tax threshold limit. From 1 July 2020 the LCT threshold increased to $ $68,740. The LCT threshold for fuel efficient cars will increase to $77,565 for the 2020–21 financial year. Remember, the LCT value of a car generally includes, the value of any parts, accessories or attachments supplied or imported at the same time as the car.

Personal Loans to help with Renovations, Debt Consolidation, Weddings, Holidays and more…

Personal Loans are a cost-effective way to make smaller purchases without adding the expense to a high interest credit card, increasing your mortgage or turning to a pay day lender. The last thing you want to do is risk adversely affecting your credit rating, so a personal loan is a much better option for most.

Platform Direct Finance offers both secured and unsecured personal loans, giving you the option to provide an asset against the loan as security. Generally, the interest rate will be lower with a secured loan, as the lender considers the risk to be lower.

With our wide range of personal loans, you can borrow between $2,001 and $70,000 depending on the purpose of the loan. With over 40 lenders on our panel, we’ll work hard to find the right loan product for you.

What can I finance with a personal loan?

You may have personal goals or projects that require a bit more cash to turn it into a reality. We can help with personal loans for:

  • Debt Consolidation
  • Home Improvements and Renovations
  • Home Furnishings and Technology
  • Education Fees
  • Holidays
  • Weddings
  • Dental Work
  • Medical Procedures
  • Gap Finance
  • Legal Fees

Debt Consolidation Example

With interest rates at an all-time low, there has never been a better time to review your finances and consider consolidating multiple loans into one simple repayment.

If you have a couple of credit cards, an old car loan and a personal loan with a high fixed interest rate, you could save thousands a year on repayments. Consolidating your debt into one competitive loan with a single lender could reduce your interest payments, fees and repayments considerably.

Common example:
Credit Card (spouse 1) = $5,500
Personal Loan (spouse 1) = $11,000
Credit Card (spouse 2) = $2,800
Car Loan (spouse 2) = $6,500
TOTAL DEBT = $25,800

• All with different Lenders
• All with different repayment schedules
• All with varying interest rates

Refinancing these four loans into one could reduce your interest rate and your repayments, saving you thousands over the life of the loan.

Home Improvement Example

A personal loan can be an ideal option for smaller renovations or home improvement projects under $50,000. It can allow you to finally build that deck you have always wanted, or renovate your dated bathroom, or just give your house a facelift with a new coat of paint.

Utilising a personal loan means you won’t have to access the equity that you have worked hard to build-up in your home loan. You can also avoid redrawing on the extra repayments that you have made on your mortgage.

Personal loans also often have a lower interest rate than credit cards, and there is no need to provide collateral if you choose an unsecured loan.

 

If you would like to talk to one of our finance experts, call us on 1300 554 553 or visit our Personal Loans page or enquire below today. We are here to help.

 

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Car Sales are still on the rise – 11.1% Increase on 2020

You can feel it in the air – the feeling of consumer confidence. People across Australia are enjoying more stability and feeling increasingly confident to make substantial purchases like houses, caravans and cars. This was evident in the recent release of the January New Car Sales results by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).

Official new-car sales figures for January 2021 show 79,666 vehicles were reported as sold, an increase of 11.1 per cent compared to the same month last year – and the best January since 2012 prior to the pandemic.

It is also the third month in a row of double-digit growth in car sales as travel restrictions are eased and dealers continue to fill backorders. We also saw a 25.4% increase from private buyers consisting mainly of SUV purchases, compared to January 2020.

 

Here are the front runners in new car sales in January 2021:

 

The Top 10 Cars

Toyota HiLux (3,913)

Ford Ranger (3,120)

Toyota RAV4 (3,066)

Toyota LandCruiser (2,388)

Mazda CX-5 (2,081)

Toyota Corolla (2062)

Hyundai i30 (1952)

Mitsubishi Triton (1908)

Isuzu D-Max (1822)

Nissan X-Trail (1593)

Kia Cerato (1545)

 

Dealers are still predicting stock shortages due to a rise in demand and restrictions in production, so we recommend our customers use the Platform Direct Car Buying Service to help navigate the purchase process. Our consultants can make unbiased recommendations on makes and models based on your needs and stock availability. We can also arrange finance pre-approval to help secure your order early.

 

Here are some helpful links:

Car Buying Service

Calculate your Car Repayments

Apply for Pre-Approval on your Car Finance

Contact our helpful Finance Brokers

Phase 2 of Government scheme opens further credit opportunities for SMEs

While it seems the current climate may result in tightened lending conditions, there is still good news for businesses.

The Coronavirus SME Guarantee Scheme is allowing many otherwise viable SMEs access to additional funding to survive the impact of COVID-19, recover and invest for the future.

The Australian government is guaranteeing 50% of new loans made by eligible lenders to SMEs, to a total amount of up to $40 billion. This is intended to improve banks’ readiness and ability to provide credit, as well as lower interest rates.

What does it mean for me?

In the second phase of the scheme, which started on 1st October 2020, you’re able to apply for both secured and unsecured loans of up to $1 million, for terms of up to five years with a possible initial six month repayment holiday (at the discretion of your lender).

SMEs will be able to access the scheme to use loans for more than just working capital (so that a wider range of investment can be funded) – and secured lending will be permitted (excluding commercial or residential property).

In phase two, the maximum loan term has also increased from a three-year limit, to five years.

You have until 30 June 2021 to take advantage of the scheme.

Am I eligible?

All active Australian businesses with turnover of less than $50 million in the previous financial year, or expected turnover of less than $50 million in the current financial year, are eligible to apply for loans under the Scheme.

Both self-employed individuals and non-profit businesses are eligible, providing they meet the turnover requirements.

How do I apply?

First, contact your broker at Platform Direct Finance. We can help you make sure you’re eligible and prepare your application. The lender will then decide on whether to extend the credit. It’s that easy.

Other support

If your business has been affected by COVID-19 but you don’t want to take out a loan, the Government has also introduced a range of other measures to support businesses. You can find more information on other forms of government assistance available here, or speak with your broker to find out which initiatives may benefit you.

This article was originally published by OneAffiniti.com

The Facts about Equipment Finance

What is Equipment Finance?

Equipment finance is the funding of all types of equipment used predominantly for business use. By funding the equipment over terms up to 5 years, it allows businesses to finance capital purchases without effecting their working capital.

Why use Equipment Finance?

  • Deal size range from $5,000 to multimillion-dollar transactions
  • Can be used for all business structures
  • Applicable to all industries
  • Can be used for start-up businesses
  • Efficient approval and settlement
  • Funding for 100% of the purchase price, including GST
  • Terms up to 5 years (7 years in certain circumstances)
  • No additional property security or registered mortgage debentures required (in nearly all cases)
  • Fixed repayments for the term
  • Tailored monthly payments

Types of Equipment that can be Financed:

  • Yellow Goods – Earthmoving, Construction, Mining and Machinery
  • Agricultural Equipment – Tractors, Headers, Sprayers, Air Seeders and Hay Balers
  • Medical Equipment – Diagnostic Instruments, Endoscope Technology and Imaging Systems
  • Haulage Equipment – Prime Movers, Tray Trucks, Refrigerated Pantechs and Tipper Trailers
  • Marine – Yachts, Pleasure Craft, Commercial Fishing Boats, Charter Boats
  • Specialised Equipment – Gym Equipment, Solar Systems
  • Office Equipment – Computers, Software, Furniture, Printers and Phone Systems
  • Automotive – Cars, Utes, Trucks and Trailers

What Finance Products are available?

Equipment Lease

With an asset lease agreement, you lease the equipment from the lender and pay a fixed amount each month for its use. At the conclusion of the contract, you can take ownership of the equipment by paying off the residual on the lease, refinance and extend the lease term, or sell the equipment. A major advantage to the asset lease method is that it does not appear on your accounting books as an asset, potentially saving you some extra cash in tax.

Chattel Mortgage

The lender will give you the entire amount for the equipment, allowing you to purchase it outright. However, you will have to pay the loan back in instalments, much like a mortgage on a house. The purchased piece of machinery is security on the loan. Once the loan has been paid off, you retain ownership of the equipment.

Equipment Rental

With an equipment rental, the lender purchases the equipment and rents it back to you. At the end of the agreement you may renew the lease agreement, purchase the equipment or hand the equipment back to the lender.

The advantage of renting the equipment is particularly useful when you are renting equipment that only has a short lifespan eg. laptops. In addition, all payments are tax deductible.

Always consult your Financial Advisor or Accountant prior to making any decisions on the product that will suit you.

Benefits of Equipment Finance

  • Improves cash flow as you are making regular, fixed repayments rather than buying outright
  • Improves working capital
  • Avoids the need to invest capital/cash in equipment but still allows the business to operate effectively
  • Maximises business efficiency

There are a number of different ways to finance your equipment purchases. At Platform Direct we can help untangle the web of different products, terms and structures to provide you with clear options that suit your business needs. Contact our helpful consultants today.

Rental contract vs chattel mortgage: which is best for you?

Getting ready to ramp up your business to make the most of the reopening economy? You may need to invest in updated equipment – vehicles, machinery or computer systems, for example – in order to maximise your benefit from the reawakening of commerce. But it’s now more important than ever before to protect your working capital and look at alternative forms of finance for your capital expenditure.

Two forms of finance you might consider are a rental contract and a chattel mortgage. Which one is going to serve you best?

Rental contract

During the term of a rental contract, your business will not own the asset it is using. The asset is purchased by the finance provider and leased to your business. When the rental contract ends you may have three options (depending on the type of lease):

Purchase the asset from the bank or a third party, should they chose to sell, for the agreed market value
Renew the lease for a further period
Take out a new lease on a new asset and return the asset to the bank or a third party

Chattel mortgage

Also known as a Specific Security Agreement, a chattel mortgage is a loan to your business to buy an asset, with the loan secured only on the asset being purchased. Your business owns the asset from day one.

Pros & cons of a rental contract

When you lease an asset you avoid a major drain on your working capital, especially important if you will only need to use it for a short time. It means, too, that you get to use the latest equipment (such as a truck with advanced fuel economy and safety features) and up-to-the-minute technology (e.g. laptops for your employees to facilitate remote working). Meanwhile, the finance provider, not you, takes the risk that the asset will be ageing, if not obsolete, by the time the lease agreement ends.

On the downside, you won’t own the asset while the rental contract lasts.

From a tax viewpoint, you can claim a deduction for the net monthly payments as well as a credit for the GST portion of the payments.

Pros & cons of a chattel mortgage

A chattel mortgage is a reasonably flexible finance option. You can borrow up to 100% of the purchase price, or reduce your loan repayments by providing a substantial deposit. It’s also possible to structure repayments so that the larger drains on funds come at times when your cash flow is more able to cope.

Unfortunately, because you own the asset, your business is responsible for maintaining it (you are also required to maintain the asset under a rental unless it is a fully maintained rental which has a service element), insuring it, and risking that it may rapidly become outdated.

A GST input credit applicable to the full purchase price can be claimed immediately when you purchase the asset, while loan interest charges and annual depreciation are tax deductions against your business income.

So which one is best for your business?

Your choice of rental contract or chattel mortgage will depend to a large extent on the asset’s type, cost and lifespan, and whether you prefer to claim an upfront GST credit and annual depreciation, or spread your tax deductions over the life of a lease.

A finance lease, which has a relatively low interest rate, can be an ideal alternative to a chattel mortgage for high-value, long-lifespan assets such as commercial vehicles and medical equipment. Since the finance provider is claiming the GST input tax credit, the amount you need to finance is lower than it would be with a chattel mortgage, and repayments can be structured to suit your cash flow.

On the other hand, a rental may be more suitable for quickly outdated IT and telecommunications assets, since you can immediately upgrade to a more up-to-date model (without having to dispose of the old one) when the lease period ends.

This article was originally published by OneAffiniti.com

 

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EOFY 2020 Competition Winner

We wanted to make the End of Financial Year extra special for our customers this year! We gave everyone who financed with us between 11 May and 30 June, the chance to Win $5000 Cash and we are excited to announce the winner…

 

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Paul London from Sydney’s Best Pool Service financed two Toyota HiLux’s through Platform Direct Finance in June, to add to his fleet of call-out vehicles. These commercial finance packages automatically put him in the draw to win… and win he did!

Paul has been a loyal customer of Platform Direct Finance since 2012, and our consultant Lisa Ferris from our Central Coast office, has arranged finance for over 10 company vehicles for him.

“Lisa has been excellent to work with over the years. Her processes ensure all our transactions are seamless,” said Paul. “I simply contact Platform Direct when we need a new car and the finance is usually finalised within the week. All contactless via email and docusign, very easy.”

Paul won’t be jumping on a plane anytime soon, but he’s looking forward to shouting the family a local Aussie holiday with his winnings.

Paul London Sydney’s Best Pool Service-2

Congratulations Paul!

 

Is now the right time for updating business equipment?

Given that COVID-19 has plunged the economy into uncertainty, it might seem like an odd idea to be updating business equipment right now. There are certainly arguments in favour of postponing decisions and playing a wait-and-see game. Successful business owners, however, know that getting the timing right is important, and delaying now could see you missing out on valuable opportunities.

Why it’s especially important now to keep equipment up-to-date

Your equipment plays a vital role in helping you to achieve your business goals by earning revenue while, ideally, keeping costs as low as possible. Depending on your business type, you cannot function without, for example, your vehicles, manufacturing plant, agricultural machinery, medical devices, office furniture or computers. The more up-to-date they are, the more likely they are to increase your revenue and lower your maintenance costs.

However, it’s important not to update just for the sake of it. Work out how much extra revenue or cost savings your new equipment will deliver, and compare it with the finance and usage costs. You need to see a positive outcome to make it worthwhile but in these particularly challenging times, you may also want to prepare for the bounce back to normality. If the economy bounces back quickly there may be a significant demand for new equipment, which could result in shortages. You’ll be sitting pretty if you’re all tooled up and ready to go.

Now is a favourable time for equipment purchases

As the financial year draws to a close, it’s a good time to review your equipment needs. You can take advantage of end-of-financial-year sales when equipment manufacturers are ready to discount their stock in order to meet annual sales targets. Understandably, there may be even more price reductions this year than normal.

If you have already made asset purchases in the last year or decide to purchase soon, you might qualify for tax benefits from the revised instant asset write-off scheme. This allows businesses with an annual turnover under $500 million to write-off qualifying asset purchases with an individual cost of up to $150,000 as a tax-deductible expense in the current financial year, provided that the asset is first installed and ready for use between 12 March and 31 December 2020.

Equipment finance could help preserve your working capital

Right now, though, you probably have extra demands on your working capital. You may need to continue paying your employees and creditors, while also working to keep the doors open.

So, if you are looking to purchase new equipment without using your working capital, equipment finance could be a solution. There is a wide range of options, including:

  • Finance lease
  • Commercial hire purchase
  • Specific security agreement (Chattel mortgage)
  • Rental agreement

Contact your Platform Direct broker for advice

In some cases, your finance broker will work with your accountant to structure your finance so that not only are the tax deductions are optimised, but the initial repayments are also lower helping you navigate this uncertain period.

The end of the financial year is approaching quickly, so if you are interested in upgrading your equipment, pick up the phone and give us a call on 1300 554 553 today.

 

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This article was originally published by OneAffiniti.com

Platinum Rebrand To Platform Direct Finance

This week, car and equipment finance solution experts Platinum Direct Finance becomes Platform Direct Finance. Whether you’re a current customer or have previously had a loan with us, you can rest assured that while our name has changed, our great service and product offerings have not.

As a bigger provider, Platform Direct Finance can pass on the benefits of our stronger purchasing power to help you secure better finance solutions, interest rates and tailored repayment options. We are the same trusted partner, just with a new look and name.

With Platform Direct Finance, enjoy the benefits of direct access to:

 

Over 40 lenders – Australia’s largest panel of financiers
Access to a huge choice of car and equipment finance products
Honest advice and support from experienced professionals
Our own in-house car buying service
Your own online client portal for applications

If you need asset finance for business or pleasure, get in touch with us today for on-the-spot repayment quotes for items such as trucks, office equipment, machinery, boats, jet skis, forklifts, motorbikes, caravans and cars.

With the current low interest rates, you may be able to upgrade to a newer model for less than your current repayments! Platform Direct Finance is the same reliable, professional finance partner – now with a new name and look.

Our team is here to help you find the best solution for your car and equipment finance needs. Please contact us, we’re here to assist.

Brad Crinion
CEO
Platform Direct Finance

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