The most frequently asked question about leasing is the advantages behind it. People want to know about the benefits of leasing over buying any type of equipment. The most prominent advantage of leasing is that it provides the lessee with working capital that can be used for maintenance and upkeep of the equipment. Another advantage that the lessee has is that he can add equipment that is contemporary at any time during the lease period. This advantage is not available when a person buys the equipment instead of leasing it.

Another frequently asked question is about the definition of 'lease.' Lease can be defined as an agreement or a contract between two parties that explains the terms and conditions such as the time period of the lease, payment options and the date of return of the equipment.

Questions regarding cancellation of a lease are also common but canceling a lease is not possible. The lessee is bound by the law to make payments according to the terms and conditions in the contract, even if the equipment that is leased is not in use.

Queries about tax payments are frequent and people want to know whether there are any tax deductions when a lease contract is signed. The lessee must pay the taxes that are connected to the lease such as sales tax, which is charged separately and has to be paid with the monthly payments of the lease.

Questions about procedure for acquiring a lease contract are also raised. The first step in leasing any type of equipment is the filling out of a simple one-page form that is called the credit application form. After sending out the financial information to the lessor, the lessee has to wait for the lease documents that are sent to him for signing.

The most important question arises if the equipment is damaged. There is no replacement guarantee in the lease contract and it is better to insure the equipment because the entire lease contract depends upon the condition of the equipment at the end of the lease period.

Dental equipment such as dental X ray machine, dental chairs, dental tables, carts, billing software, and laboratory test equipment can be leased at many companies that provide services as a lessee.

Dental equipment leasing can be used to finance any equipment that a person may need to run his business. Almost any type of gear can be funded without affecting the lessee's personal credit. The more equipment that a person finances by means of unsecured lines of credit, the more it impacts the concerned person's credit rating and exploits precious emergency resources.

Dental equipment leasing has no impact on the personal credit rating and keeps the unsecured types of credit accessible for emergencies and increases the buying power of the lessee. Dental equipment leasing also has many tax advantages. Dental equipment leasing increases the person's liabilities and that results in a lower tax encumbrance.

Dental equipment is very expensive in the United States of America and buying it can be a great financial risk. To avoid any hassles it is better to lease equipment rather than buy it. This option provides the lessee with a cheap and effective alternative to renting.

Almost all equipment leases begin with an acceptance or commencement. The lessee inspects the equipment and announces it as fit for service. When the lease begins then the equipment belongs to the lessee even if the equipment is in a lessor's warehouse. A lease shouldn't begin until the lessee has started to use the equipment successfully.

It is important to inspect the equipment before leasing, because once the deal is signed then the lessee has to pay the lessor even if the equipment does not work.

Almost all leases have a quote about the 'fair market value' at which the lessee has to return the goods to the lessor. A lessee needs to understand how the value is calculated and the charges that it includes. It is advisable to hire an accountant or an attorney in order to avoid any legal hassles in the future.

There are numerous equipment leasing companies in the United States that provide leasing as an option for those customers who want to use quality goods at a cheaper rate.

Leasing is a much better option when the equipment that is leased is most likely to become outdated or obsolete. Such problems are common because of the continuously changing state of technology and new inventions that, if not used, can prove detrimental to a company's success. This can happen because experienced competitors can make the company go bankrupt through fierce competition.

Automotive repair equipment includes heavy as well as small tools that can be leased if there are companies that provide such services. The equipment that is being leased must have a high market value and if this condition is not satisfied then the purpose of a lease is completely defeated. Cheap equipment can be bought directly in the market and are not worth leasing. However, if the equipment is expensive then leasing it is a much better option because this gives the lessee an opportunity to use state-of-the-art material at much cheaper rates.

There is an automotive repair software available in the market that gives instructions and guidelines for repairing a car or any vehicle. The software can be called a tool or equipment that helps the owner or the driver to repair his car without taking anyone's help and such software are available on lease.

If the tools are to be acquired in bulk then leasing is a much better option compared to buying. If a fleet of cars is to be maintained then the tools required would be in large quantities and the leasing option becomes economically viable. A big advantage of leasing tools and equipment is that the lessee does not have to spend huge amounts of money for acquiring top quality equipment. This is the reason why eighty percent of the companies in the United States of America lease their equipment instead of buying it.

After information technology, the property or real estate rental sector is the most dynamic sector in the Indian business scenario today. Major factors that are responsible for bringing about this change include, increasing popularity of electronic commerce among people, growth in information technology/information technology-enabled services industry, emergence of India as an important investment centre in the world market, growth in foreign direct investments and others. This budding sector is today witnessing development in all its major segments like, residential, retail and commercial in all of the metropolitan cities of the country like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.

At present the country’s commercial and residential real estate market has a price tag of about $50 billion, and is expected to grow 25% in a yearly basis. This growth in the property market is being led largely by the rapid expansion of its information technology industry and the simultaneous growth in the purchasing power of the Indian middle class. Major growth is being witnessed by the commercial property sector as more and more multinational companies are entering the Indian market. Foreign information technology and customer services companies of the BPO sector are renting large commercial spaces in order to expand their business process in India.

The growth and the highly mobile nature of the Indian middle class have brought about a boom in the residential real estate segment. Today, people are ready to pay large sums as rent for apartments, flats and homes in metros. The rapid rise in the number of lessee has been compensated by reciprocal growth in the number of lessor. People have come to know the residential real estate as an important investment option. Today, they are investing heavily in the residential real estate market and leasing their homes and apartments for rent and this has further boosted the property rental sector in India.

Moreover, the key factor behind the sudden rise of the Indian real estate sector is the changing policy of the Indian government toward foreign direct investment and joint ventures. The Indian government is relaxing and is keen to liberalize its trade regulations for multinationals. So, from investors point or price everything is gearing up for a rapid growth in the property rental sector in the next few years. For those who are interested to invest in India this seems to be the right time.

I was driving my son to his 8th grade semi-final football game a couple of days ago when it struck me like a bolt of lightning. Sitting at a red light, the car in front of me, the cars to my left and right, and the car behind me...were all Toyotas. I stopped to ponder this and wondered what are the odds of being stuck at a light and being surrounded by 4 Japanese cars, all from the same manufacturer?

Thirty years ago, I would have taken the odds and placed the bet, but today, it is more common than we all probably realize. So, being a financial coach, I thought I should do some research and understand this phenomenon a little better. The facts I discovered are shocking to say the least, so fasten your seat belt and get ready for this...

The stock market value (the market capitalization- all the shares of stock of a company multiplied by the current stock price) of Ford Motors(F) and General Motors (GM) COMBINED is $34 billion.. Seems like a pretty decent number, right? Pull that seat belt a little snugger...the stock market value of Toyota Motors (TM) is a staggering $193 billion!! Toyota Motors is worth 5 1/2 times the value of our two remaining American stalwarts COMBINED. 28 years in the investment business and I had no idea that it had gotten so out of control. The investing world has voted and Toyota is the overwhelming winner.

So let's peel back this onion a little more: what gives here? What happened and when did this all occur?

Toyota will complete its fiscal year 2007 on March 31, 2007, and its revenues will be about $196 billion, followed by March 31, 2008 at about $210 billion. The earnings per share (EPS) expectations for March 31, 2007 is $7.67 per share, and March 31, 2008, $8.45 per share. For a company of this massive size, 10% earnings growth is quite admirable. Shareholders equity at Toyota is $90 billion. All very impressive numbers.

As for our two American companies, the news is not so good, and the overall income statement numbers are a bit depressing. GM's revenues for calendar 2006/2007 are expected to be $170 billion for both years. Flat revenues, no growth whatsoever. Ford's revenues for calendar 2006/2007 is also expected to be flat at $144 billion for both years. Ford will lose money this year and next, while GM is scheduled to be profitable for both years, but with negligible growth.

GM and Ford are saddled with huge long term debt, $285 billion and $154 billion, respectively; and very low shareholders equity at about $14 billion each. So where do we go from here?

Toyota is the leader in developing the hybrid line of autos, half combustible engine, half electric. Consumer surveys are showing great confidence in Toyota's leadership position with the Hybrids. The Camry is also the number one selling car in the United States; not the number one import--the number one seller period . Toyota's luxury line, Lexus, also leads the pack in customer satisfaction surveys and repeat buyers. Repeat buyers has been the strategy of Toyota since the 1970's. Smother the customers with service, decent pricing and quality and guess what? They come back for more.

Toyota sells each car at a profit. Their operations are lean, efficient and cutting edge. Meanwhile, GM and Ford are hurting with exorbitant medical benefits costs to both their current workers and their retirees. Both companies have to play defense before they can play offense. Both have begun the painful exercise of plant closings, layoffs and extreme cost cutting. It is their only way out of the financial quagmire both are mired in.

Both GM and Ford have been rumoured to be involved in merger discussions with several different European auto makers. It may be a necessary outcome for their survival. Both companies need a major cash rich, profitable partner to go the distance. I predict that in the next 3-5 years, GM and Ford employess will be speaking a foreign language just to get along with their new partners or owners. Anybody remember Chrysler?

Well, we got to my son's game a little early...his team eeked out a victory. When we got back to our car to go out and celebrate (that's an ice cream treat for an 8th grader), guess what kind of cars were parked to my left and right? You guessed it....