Most Clicked ELFA SmartBrief Stories
1. Tax break for small businesses fuels equipment purchases
ELFA SmartBrief | Mar 16, 2010
A tax break funded by the stimulus legislation lets small businesses treat a wide range of property and equipment purchases as expenses and deduct them. Section 179 has the additional benefit of spurring companies to spend to get the write-off. Thomas Implement, a farming-equipment retailer, has made an additional $2 million in sales since 2008 because of the tax break, the company said. CNNMoney.com (03/15)
2. FASB will soon propose change to mark-to-market rules, sources say
ELFA SmartBrief | Mar 15, 2010
The Financial Accounting Standards Board is expected to propose another change to mark-to-market rules soon, sources said. The proposal could affect $2.8 trillion in assets held on the books of JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo. Wall Street Journal, The (03/15)
3. 5 tips to help you manage like Jack
ELFA SmartBrief | Mar 18, 2010
Jack Welch was a legend in the business world, and his management style holds useful lessons for any modern executive, writes Marc Davis. Whether it's Welch's ability to welcome change or his laissez-faire leadership style, you can't go wrong by following the former General Electric CEO's example, Davis writes. "In business as in life, there are no guarantees," he adds. "But for any business -- gigantic, medium-sized, modest, or small -- the management philosophy of Jack Welch may be applied equally." San Francisco Chronicle (03/16)
4. CIT won't sell aircraft-finance unit
ELFA SmartBrief | Mar 19, 2010
CIT Group CEO John Thain decided to keep the company's aircraft-finance unit, said C. Jeffrey Knittel, president of CIT's transportation-finance business. With the unit's aircraft leases valued at about $6.51 billion, Thain "decided this business is core," Knittel said during an industry gathering. Bloomberg BusinessWeek (03/18)
5. GE dividend might resume with finance unit's "snapback"
ELFA SmartBrief | Mar 17, 2010
Bloomberg (03/16)
6. Analysis: High credit score is no slam dunk for small firms seeking loans
ELFA SmartBrief | Mar 18, 2010
Small businesses often find that having a high credit score does not automatically lead to getting a loan or a line of credit, according to The Wall Street Journal. Instead, lenders look at several metrics, such as a personal credit score, as well conduct a comprehensive underwriting review, the newspaper notes. Wall Street Journal, The (03/18)
7. Seabury exec says questions persist for aircraft leasing, finance
ELFA SmartBrief | Mar 15, 2010
Henri Courpron, Seabury Group's president of aerospace, said it is unclear whether 2010 will be kind to the aircraft-finance and -leasing industries. "The big question is who is going to replace the big leasing companies," he said. "They used to take 25% of the orders. But clearly, [GE Capital Aviation Services] and [International Lease Finance] haven't placed orders in a long time." Wall Street Journal, The (03/11)
8. CIT expects its asset base to shrink this year
ELFA SmartBrief | Mar 17, 2010
CIT Group reported improved credit quality in the fourth quarter, with 4.77% of its average financial receivables charged off. In the third quarter, that amount was 9.34%. Still, the company expects its asset base to narrow this year as it continues to realign operations after bankruptcy. Wall Street Journal, The (03/17)
9. CIT's book value is a pleasant surprise to investors
ELFA SmartBrief | Mar 18, 2010
At $41.99 per share, CIT Group's book value is 16% more than its stock price, CEO John Thain said during his first conference call with investors. It is an improvement from the company's projection in October, when it said the book value would be $40 by Dec. 31. CIT is widely expected to lose money throughout the year, hence its focus on book value instead of earnings. "We're going to have to focus on that debt structure to get ourselves in a position where the funding costs are more in line with our businesses," Thain said. Bloomberg BusinessWeek (03/17) Wall Street Journal, The (03/18)
10. How to knock your next speech out of the park
ELFA SmartBrief | Mar 16, 2010
Most executives are content to cruise through their speeches on autopilot, doing just enough to keep their audience awake, writes communications coach Nick Morgan. To stand out from the pack, Morgan advises, get out from behind the lectern, interact with your audience or simply give yourself permission to show a little passion. Harvard Business Review online (03/12)
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