Archive | April, 2019

Best Practices for Collecting Debt from Millennials in 2019

29 Apr

Millennials, those youthful consumers born after 1980, are about to overtake Baby Boomers as the largest living adult population in the U.S., with more than 74 million of them working and accruing debt. Speaking of debt, there is a lot of it; CNBC says the average student loan debt is around $33,000  – and yet that isn’t even the main source of debt for the older millennial.

That’s why the chances are good that your business will often be conducting debt collection from the millennial population. What are some special considerations related to this age group? Are there any communication best practices to follow?

Facts About Millennials and The Debt They Accrue

According to CNBC, Millennials between the ages of 25 and 34 have around $42,000 in debt. The highest level of debt is from credit cards. But CNBC says these young professionals also have other stressors that prior generations didn’t have, such as higher education expenses and student loans as well as the high cost of housing. Almost one-half of Millennials are 90-days past due on at least one bill. In fact, Americans owe more than $1 trillion in debt from student loans. It’s possible that other debts will suffer as these people spend more money on college debt.

While debt is increasing across all age brackets in the United States, these trends are particularly troubling for an age group that is just getting started on a career path. CNBC says that Generation Z, the age bracket that comes behind the Millennials is following in their footsteps with an average debt of $4,343.

Given the high debt ratio for these young people, are there any considerations for handling collecting debt that might be different from older populations?

Best Practices for Collecting Debt from Millennials

Collecting debt from Millennials is actually different from GenX or the Baby Boomers. First, it might be more difficult to reach these young consumers, because most of them have given up a landline for a personal smartphone.

Pursuing debt collection from this youthful population requires a few tricks in order to accommodate their personal preferences and styles:

  • Use technology to reach Millennials. They are one of the first generations to grow up with the immediacy of the internet and a host of software tools. Debt collection must mine this tech-familiarity to reach these consumers.
    Tip: Try setting up a web portal so these customers can explore easy online payment.
  • Make connections with Millennials and use the power of relationships to pursue debt collections.
    Tip: A compassionate and diplomatic approach to debt collection can go a long way when it comes to collecting what’s owed.

Debt collection for the Millennial population requires some flexibility to handle the special needs of this population. Contact me today at 770-224-8504 for more information.

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Businesses and Cash Flow

22 Apr

Business and Cash Flow

The first rule of business is to stay in business, and businesses need cash to operate. Every successful business keeps a close eye on cash flow for this reason. There are many tax-saving advantages for those who own or have improved commercial properties through tax law. If you own or lease commercial or income producing property and you are not taking advantage of all that US Tax Code has to offer, you are actually diminishing cash flow.

Let’s look at how your business can easily increase its cash flow by using the cost segregation method of depreciating your building.

Cost segregation is a way for commercial property owners to accelerate their building’s depreciation, saving significantly on income taxes. Within the first five years of building ownership, an owner can save up to $100,000 for every $1 million in building costs. To maximize cash flow, an owner or lessee who has paid for improvements can have a cost segregation study performed.

At CSSI, we perform an engineering-based study to ensure you comply with US Tax Code rules and regulations. Our team of specialists will segregate parts of your building that are deemed non-structural. Non-structural items include carpeting, flooring, cabinets, specialty lighting and electrical, etc. These and other non-structural items are placed in accelerated tax lives. After the analysis, your CPA will adjust your depreciation schedule from the conventional 27.5-/39-year schedule to a 5-, 7-, 15-, and 27.5-/39-year schedule.
A cost segregation study reduces your taxable income and results in lower taxes paid. Using this cash surplus to reinvest in your business or pay down debt is a great way of maximizing the time value of money.

At CSSI, our tax experts will help your business generate more cash flow through an engineering-based study. In some cases, the calculations from our study can be necessary to realize benefits from the 2014 Repair Regulations and the 2017 TCJA. Contact us today, and we can provide you with a no-cost preliminary analysis, and we can facilitate a discussion with you and your CPA or tax professional.

Contact me directly at 770-224-8504, or schedule a conversation with me by clicking here, to see how much you can add to your cash flow this year. There is, as always, no cost or obligation.

It’s Your Money . . . Keep More of It!

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