For the last twenty years, I have owned a third-party origination company/brokerage in Seattle. Throughout the years we have received hundreds of emails and letters from customers telling us how their business wouldn’t be where it is today if it... read more
October 2019
The Alta Group tapped four of its consultants working with organizations in regions outside the U.S. to offer insights. There are interesting developments underway in global markets, including specific sectors and geographies, that offer potential expansion targets. In the regions... read more
October 2019
The first step in developing a long-term equipment financing strategy is to identify all of the fixed and variable costs associated with operating your current fleet. In other words, what is your current total cost of operation? A spend analysis... read more
October 2019
In certain segments of our industry, the interest rate charged for the advance of loan proceeds may exceed the rates allowed under the usury laws of the state where the borrower or lessee may be located. It is important to... read more
August 2019
Financial technology — fintech — has reshaped the financing landscape for more than a decade. How has this first generation of fintech transformed equipment finance? How will the next? Turns out Fintech Gen 1 has proven more of an industry... read more
August 2019
I started as a leasing broker in 1990, and I have made every mistake known to man since then. I once spent $5,000 on an ad in a national magazine (insisted on the right-hand page because I heard it gets... read more
August 2019
It happened again. This time, not simply via an oral ruling by a judge from the bench, but in a written opinion, for all the world to see. And even though the litigants settled their differences after the decision was... read more
June 2019
With all the hype about blockchain revolutionizing the way business gets done globally, have you ever stopped to think about whether the equipment leasing and finance industry is ready to dive into this potentially disruptive technology? There’s ample evidence of... read more
June 2019
“Why do I need you?” The wording may be different each time the question is asked, but it translates to a clear request for an explanation of value. That the question is being asked by our banking colleagues is an... read more
June 2019
Between June 2018 and June 2019, the price of construction equipment has risen by 5.8%. That’s a rate more than three-and-a-half times the rate of inflation. As a result of these cost increases, managers of construction equipment are under pressure... read more
October 2019
After participating in the banking and finance industry for all of my career and spending over thirty years specifically in the equipment leasing and finance industry as a credit analyst, lending officer, and broker division manager, I have developed an... read more
June 2019
All financial institutions have a liability policy, and most believe the policy covers vicarious liability arising from leased assets. For example, as a lessor, you lease a motor vehicle which is involved in an accident caused by the lessee. The... read more
May/June 2019
Vendor partnerships have existed for decades and continue to be a staple in the equipment leasing and financing industry. Manufacturers and resellers who rely on these programs understand that when vendor partnerships work well, they provide high value. However, during... read more
May/June 2019
The AACFB Annual Conference was held May 2-4, at Caesar’s Palace Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. With a final attendance count of 353 – comprised of 168 brokers, 177 funder/associates and 8 guests – along with 61 exhibitors, it... read more
May/June 2019
The used truck market has changed considerably in the last five years. 2015 capped off a nice four-year run (2011-2015) of a healthy used truck market. But by the end of 2015, activity slowed down and at the same time... read more
July 2019