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The Next Step for Mortgages in the UK

May 6th, 2011 1:52 am

The steady increase of the Bank of England base rate over the past twelve to eighteen months has gently eased the rampant property market. Buy-to-let investing has begun to fall out of favour with novice investors and potential first-time-buyers have had to put their plans on hold as the cost of borrowing becomes too much to bear.

While the steady increase in interest rates has cooled the jets of the UK mortgage market to some degree, it is the events of the US sub-prime mortgage industry that has finally caused mild panic across the pond.

It is safe to say that the sub-prime issue has not thrown the UK mortgage market into complete chaos, however it has, for the first time in many years, cast some doubt as to the future fortunes of the industry. For the first time in many years is has become difficult to predict the future of financing residential property in the UK.

Some analysts are predicting it will be harder to get a mortgage in the UK over the next few years. This is because at least one major lender and several smaller ones have already fallen afoul of the industry regulator and have either had to be bailed out by the Government or have closed their doors permanently. The theory is that with fewer mortgage lenders in the market, fewer products will be available to UK home owners.

The problem with this theory is that the analysts are assuming the UK mortgage market is supply driven. In other words, if there are fewer mortgage products to choose from then fewer people will apply for one. It follows then that the mortgage market will experience a slow down in the UK. It may not be the case, however, that the UK mortgage market operates this way.

People still need somewhere to live and most UK residents dream of owning their own home. This has led other analysts to the theory that the causalities of the relatively minor fallout from the US sub-prime mortgage problem will simply be replaced by their competitors. In other words, the demand for UK mortgage products will remain fairly stable and the supply of mortgage products will be replaced by other lenders.

It is likely that applications from first-time-buyers will decrease, however, as lenders pull products from the market that are tailored to this particular type of borrower. This is because they represent a risky investment for lenders so it is likely they will be one group of borrowers to experience a reduction in supply.

Other types of borrowers shouldn’t feel the pinch as much. The market for remortgages and buy-to-let mortgages should remain relatively strong despite the turmoil in the US mortgage market. While it is difficult to predict exactly what path the UK mortgage market will take in the short to medium term, it is safe to say that there will be more uncertainty to come.

Revenue Accounting

April 29th, 2011 4:09 am

Revenue accounting is the process of receiving, organizing and recording payments and invoicing, recording, tracking, and collecting loans and other types of debt receivable on customer accounts. Revenue accounting provides essential tools for determining and keeping track of the revenue generated. In business, revenue means the income that a firm actually receives from its activities, especially from sales of products and / or services to customers. Consistent revenue growth is essential for a firm to attract investors to its publicly traded stock. However, revenue is less important than profit to investors. The word ‘top line’ is also used to represent the term ‘revenue,’ because in a company’s profit and loss account, revenue is usually placed at the top, and all other costs and expenses below that.

‘Revenue recognition’ is one the four major principles listed in the US generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The other three include the ‘historical cost principle,’ ‘matching principle’ and the ‘full disclosure principle.’ Data capture, preparation, accounting, auditing, reconciliation, management reporting, and interline billing are the main processes involved in revenue accounting. Airline revenue accounting system is a good example. Its objective is to provide scheduled passenger airlines with a computerized solution to cater to the needs of passenger revenue accounting departments. Revenue accounting has now grown more complex and auditors are now examining financial records in finer details. Unfortunately, many accounting systems do not handle complex revenue processes well because they are designed for simple revenue processes. You can automate revenue accounting by using software packages. They help you mange multiple business models, corporate entities, and currencies.

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