By atlantapatriot at Citysearch June 04, 2011
We take four family vehicles here and to Barrett Parkway location, and the employees always do a great job. Recently changed name/brand to Castrol Premium Lube Express (better oil), but same employees, same owner. I highly recommend! Manager is Robert - very nice. All the employees polite and helpful. Also by far the nicest oil change waiting room i have ever seen - free wi-fi, DirecTV, very very very clean! ...read more
By CSMobileUser2 at Citysearch July 15, 2010
Everything was great from the waiting room to the service,they were very professional.The young man named Justin was very nice. ...read more
We have all seen the ads on TV. They come on late at night and in the middle of the day, companies promising to 'reduce your debt' and 'stop harassing phone calls'. Some of them use advertising implying that they are somehow affiliated with president Obama or the federal government. Consumer, beware! Most of these companies are frauds and tricksters. They lure you in with promises of settling your credit card debt 'for pennies on the dollar' but really just want to get you locked into a service agreement or contract that could cause you to wind up with worse than just bad credit! Millions of consumers have fallen into the debt management and credit repair trap. In fact, over 10 million consumers nationwide are enrolled with these so-called consumer service companies. In fact, so many consumers have been scammed by these companies that the Federal Trade Commission has felt it necessary to devote entire sections of it's website to advice for consumers regarding these services. Check out this excerpt from the FTC's website: "The Truth There is no guarantee that the services debt settlement companies offer are legitimate. There also is no guarantee that a creditor will accept partial payment of a legitimate debt. In fact, if you stop making payments on a credit card, late fees and interest usually are added to the debt each month. If you exceed your credit limit, additional fees and charges also can be added. This can cause your original debt to double or triple. All these fees will put you further in the hole. While creditors have no obligation to agree to negotiate the amount a consumer owes, they have a legal obligation to provide accurate information to the credit reporting agencies, including your failure to make monthly payments. That can result in a negative entry on your credit report. And in certain situations, creditors may have the right to sue you to recover the money you owe. In some instances, when creditors win a lawsuit, they have the right to garnish your wages or put a lien on your home. Finally, the Internal Revenue Service may consider any amount of forgiven debt to be taxable income."Source: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre26.shtm Before you sign anything for a debt settlement company, please take the time to do your homework. Many of these companies employ slick talking call center employees to convince you to stop paying your creditors and pay them instead. They employ a strategy that consists of you entering into a 3-5 year program that forces you to pay them before they ever send a dime to your creditors. By the time they actually get around to making an attempt to settle your debt, the creditors have already damaged your credit rating and may even be suing you for your outstanding debt. In the event that you are sued by a creditor, the debt settlement company is not going to provide you with any legal representation or advice and will most likely tell you that you are on your own at that point. Here is another excerpt from the FTC's wesite: Tip-offs to Rip-offs Steer clear of debt relief companies that: charge any fees before it settles your debts guarantee they can remove your unsecured debt tout a "new government program" to bail out personal credit card debt promise that unsecured debts can be paid off with pennies on the dollar tell you to stop making payments to or communicating with your creditors tell you it can stop all debt collection calls and lawsuits claim that creditors never sue consumers for non-payment of unsecured debt promise that using their system will have no negative impact on your credit report claim that they can remove accurate negative information from your credit report. If you decide to work with a debt settlement company, be sure to check it out with your state Attorney General, local consumer protection agency, and the Better Business Bureau. They can tell you if any consumer complaints are on file about the firm you're considering doing business with. Also, ask your state Attorney General if the company is required to be licensed to work in your state and, if so, whether it is. Source: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre26.shtm The FTC has many other resources for consumers who are in trouble with their finances. As well, try your own state's consumer protection agency for additional help. Don't be fooled into making your situation worse than it already is! Be careful and remember: There is no new way to get out of debt! The only way to get creditors off your back and restore your credit rating is to pay your accounts off. The creditors are willing to settle with you if you have the means to do so. For an individual debt evaluation and consultation, call VEASLEY CONSULTING LLC @ 678-993-6970 today! ...read more
By Veasley Consulting LLC August 11, 2012
The IRS has just announced it increased the standard mileage ratefor qualified business drivers for the second half of 2011. The adjustment reflects rising costs at the gas pumps this year. It is accompanied by a hike in the standard mileage rate for medical and job-related moving expenses. (IRS Announcement 2011-40) Do You Qualify for the Standard Mileage Rate? The standard mileage rate deduction is available to most taxpayers. However, it can’t be used if you: Operate cars for hire (such as taxis and limos);Use five or more cars at a time (such as fleet operations);Have claimed an accelerated depreciation deduction for the vehicle in the past;Have taken a Section 179 deduction for the vehicle in the past;Have claimed actual expenses after 1997 for a vehicle that is leased; orAre a rural mail carrier who has received a qualified reimbursement. Background: If you use a vehicle for business driving, you can generally deduct the actual expenses attributable to your business use. This includes expenses such as gas, oil, tires, insurance, repairs, licenses and vehicle registration fees. In addition, you may claim a depreciation allowance for the vehicle, based on the percentage of business use. However, annual write-offs are subject to so-called “luxury car” limits, indexed annually. For instance, the maximum first-year deduction allowed for a passenger car placed in service in 2011 is $11,060. (The usual $3,060 deduction is increased by $8,000 due to the “bonus depreciation” tax break under the 2010 Tax Relief Act.) Therefore, if a taxpayer uses his or her car 90 percent for business in 2011, the deduction is limited to $9,954 (90 percent of $11,060). But keeping track of every last vehicle-rated expense can be hard work. Another option: Instead of deducting your actual expenses, you may be able to use an IRS-approved short-cut (see right-hand box for qualification rules). With the standard mileage deduction, you don’t have to account for all your actual expenses, although you still must record the mileage for each business trip, the date, the destinations, the names and relationships of the business parties and the business purpose of the travel. The rate is adjusted annually by the IRS. Initially, the IRS established a rate of 51 cents a business mile for 2011 (up just 1 cent from 50 cents a mile in 2010). But higher gas prices spurred calls for a mid-year adjustment. There was some precedent for this action: The standard mileage rate was increased for the last six months of 2008 after gas prices soared. Now, the IRS has announced that the standard rate will increase to 55.5 cents a mile — a jump of 4.5 cents a mile — effective July 1, 2011. Contact your CPA for details ...read more
By Southeastern Business Intermediaries, LLC July 05, 2011
10 BORROWER MISTAKES TO GETTING THAT COMMERCIAL OR BUSINESS LOAN</strong>1. Not knowing your credit rating. Before you apply for a loan, you need to know where you stand. Get copies of your credit scores from the three major credit bureaus so you will know if you're likely to get the loan approved.2 Not reading the terms carefully before signing. You should also ask questions about anything you do not fully understand3 Not locking in a rate. Interest rates change. If you think you've found a good rate, lock it in before it goes up. 4 Not explaining what the loan is for. When applying for a business loan, you need to indicate how the money will be used. Lenders want to see that you know exactly what your needs are and how this loan will meet those needs.5 Making major changes. You do not want to make significant personnel or other changes to your ongoing business structure before applying for a business loan. Lenders want to be able to see stability in how you do business and with whom.6 Applying only to the most convenient lender7 Not having your finances up-to-date. You shouldn't apply without having the proper financial documentation. Make sure financials are up-to-date.8 Failing to have some equity in the project. Not unlike a down payment having equity in a business project significantly enhances your chances of securing a business loan. 9 Having no collateral. You need to provide some collateral, should there be a default in payment.10 Not having a business plan. A business plan is essential for a lender to see your goals and specifically, how you intend to reach them. You must include all applicable supporting data, including financials. I you need help from $1M to $40M financing let us know. ...read more
By Southeastern Business Intermediaries, LLC June 11, 2011
Making the decision to sell one's stocks can be very confusing if one is a novice. There are a number of factors that should be considered when selling stocks, such as what price one should sell the stocks for and when is a good time to put them on the market. ...read more