Starting a business requires many different moving pieces and the right financials to keep it running. While some startups are self-funded, others may be in need of investors or business loans. According to the National Small Business Association (NSBA), 33% of small business owners received no financing, while 64% received a bank loan. Today, more small business owners report they are able to obtain adequate financing than six months prior.
Having access to capital is a necessary ingredient for upward mobility in life. But it’s also a challenging problem that hits young people especially hard. So how can the younger generation, saddled with college debt, sky-high housing prices and a potentially subpar credit history, get a financial leg up?
Once upon a time, a young woman named Goldilocks wanted to refinance her mortgage. She visited a website she saw advertised on TV and filled out a form for a rate quote. Some she received were too big. Others were too small. One was just right, so she allowed the website to pass her information along to the lender who offered it.
Has past money mismanagement or just plain bad luck tarnished your credit history? Have retailers, banks and other lenders denied you leases, loans and credit cards as a result? If so, you’re not alone. According to Kelly Davies, Chief Communications Officer at Amigo Loans, a UK company offering guarantor loans for people with poor or no credit, 12 million consumers are unable to borrow from banks because of their credit score.
The average American consumer carried $6,354 in credit card debt in 2017, a nearly 3 percent increase over the previous year according to Experian’s State of Credit survey. Though consumers are only utilizing an average of 30 percent of their available revolving credit, 43 percent are carrying a balance every month—a practice which can easily add up to thousands of dollars in high-interest charges each year.
Many small business owners struggle to find the money to grow their business, boost pay for their employees and become an even bigger asset to their community. Many even struggle to pay their bills each month, living in an endless paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. There’s a California-based organization called Opportunity Fund who’s mission is to invest in those without adequate financial resources in order to better their lives.
If you’re tired of traditional lenders, the internet is chock full of options for any type of loan you can imagine. But whether you want to lower your student loan payments, buy a house or get a loan to fix up your home, how do you decide where to get the funds?
SoFi is one of the leaders in the online loan business, promising speed, transparency and a community-oriented approach designed to help customers get the very best bang for their buck. Rachel Reichblum, senior manager of product communications at SoFi, spoke to RewardExpert about the benefits of choosing to become a SoFi member. “We take a unique approach to lending, offering lower interest rates and big savings,” she said.
