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July 19,2001 Headlines----
American Express Cuts Again--- CIT and ALSTOM Team Up for the Second Time in Less than Six Months Regions Announces Earnings and Dividend Leasing Ethics----Last Call In Defense of Certified Lease Professionals--- United Association of Equipment Leasing Conference Oct.25-28 ( funding sources who have signed up to exhibit ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amex Predicts Earnings Will Fall; Sets Job Cuts By Paul Beckett, Wall Street Journal Admitting it misjudged the "riskiness"of its junk-bond investments, American Express announced a pretax write-down of $826 million that will pummel second-quarter profits. The company also unveiled plans to cut as many as 5,000 more jobs because of the weak economy. The write-down came as a particularly nasty surprise for investors because the company took a similar pretax charge of $182 million three months ago, and said then that the move would avoid potentially bigger losses down the road. Second-quarter earnings will drop about 76% from a year ago as a result of the write-down, the company said. The continuing financial woes at the travel and financial-services company, combined with the economic slowdown that the company expects to continue into next year, present a formidable challenge for Kenneth Chenault, a company veteran who became chairman and chief executive earlier this year. Analysts said if Chenault can't fix the problems within 12 months, pressure will build for him to consider selling the company, which recently has been viewed as a potential takeover target or merger partner for another big financial firm. "Ken's off to a tough start," said Mark Alpert, analyst at Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown. Indeed, analysts attributed the relatively small decline in American Express's share price Wednesday (7/18/01) in part to speculation that the company will increasingly be viewed as a takeover candidate. In 4 p.m. New York Stock Exchange composite trading Wednesday, shares of American Express, a component stock of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, were down $1.28, or 3.3%, at $37.50. So far this year, the shares have dropped 32%. The announcements "suggest they are trying to right-size the company themselves," said Joel Houck, analyst with A.G. Edwards & Co. in St. Louis. "But if they are unsuccessful by 2002 and they can't provide some level of comfort, I think pressure's going to mount" for a sale. "We don't comment on market speculation," Chenault said in an interview. But he added, "We believe we have good growth prospects for the company and we want to position the company well entering 2002, and when we see a rebound in the economy I think we will be well-poised to perform." Earnings are due to be formally announced next week. A consensus of analysts' forecasts compiled by Thomson Financial/First Call had previously pegged second-quarter earnings at 53 cents, while the company's estimates suggest earnings will now come in at about 13 cents. Excluding the write-down in the junk-bond portfolio at its American Express Financial Advisors unit, the company said it expects income of $714 million, or 53 cents a share, down from the year-earlier period, when the company earned $740 million, or 54 cents a share. Because of a "more negative view of the economy," the company also said it would eliminate 4,000 to 5,000 jobs this quarter, in addition to about 1,600 job cuts initiated in the first half of the year. As a result, the company expects to post a pretax restructuring charge of $310 million to $370 million in its third-quarter results. Taken together, the job cuts this year will represent about 7% of the total work force. "The actions we announced today are being taken to ensure that we're in a strong position to navigate through what we expect to be a longer period of economic weakness," Chenault said. The junk-bond write-down involved investments the Financial Advisors unit had made in large pools of junk bonds. About $79 million of the charge relates to losses from defaults in the second quarter. A further $403 million stems from lowering of the company's assumptions about the future value of other investments because it now expects junk-bond defaults to remain high into next year. And $344 million of the charge comes from the sale of securities to reduce the risk of the overall portfolio and to increase its credit quality. Chenault said the company "didn't fully comprehend" the risk underlying the securities that it purchased from the junk-bond pool that were rated investment-grade. He added that Wednesday's actions were designed to make the portfolio "high quality and less volatile." American Express Financial Advisors will now have 7% of its portfolio invested in junk securities, down from the 10% to 12% it has had since 1998. The write-down is expected to lead to a $307 million second-quarter loss at the Financial Advisors unit. There are other signs the business is having a tough year: Excluding junk-bond losses, the unit's earnings are expected to decline 22% from a year ago because of weak equity markets and lower investment-product sales. The slowing economy also took a toll at the company's flagship Travel Related Services unit, which includes charge cards. Earnings there are expected to increase about 3%, a much lower rate than in recent years, because of "the substantial slowdown in corporate card-member spending on travel and entertainment," the company said. ( Readers have said that Sierra Cities will go the way Rockwell went, and perhaps they are correct; however, Tom Depping is most likely in Costa Rica, enjoying the cigars from his plantation there, most glad he is out of the leasing business. Maybe that is why he referred to himself as the “gazelle” upon leaving. He got out of there fast. editor ). #### ########### #################### Regions Announces Earnings and Dividend
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-- Regions Financial Corporation (NASDAQ/NM: RGBK) today announced earnings for the quarter and six months ended June 30, 2001. Operating income totaled $130.6 million or $.57 per diluted share for the second quarter of 2001, compared to $125.3 million or $.57 for the second quarter of 2000. Cash earnings, consistent with recent accounting pronouncements effective in 2002, totaled $.63 per diluted share, a 7% increase over the same period of the prior year. Operating income in 2001 excludes second quarter, non-recurring after-tax expenses of $17.8 million. These expenses are primarily related to the Morgan Keegan transaction and Regions' branch rationalization project. Cash earnings excludes the amortization of excess purchase price and in the second quarter of 2001, non-recurring charges. Net income totaled $112.8 million or $.49 per diluted share and $125.3 million or $.57 per diluted share for the second quarters of 2001 and 2000, respectively. Net income totaled $235.6 million or $1.05 per diluted share and $271.3 million or $1.22 per diluted share for the six months ended June 30, 2001 and 2000, respectively. Revenue for the second quarter of 2001 was favorably impacted by the addition of Morgan Keegan, which contributed $129 million to second quarter revenues. Carl E. Jones, Jr., chairman, president and chief executive officer of Regions, said, "The integration of Morgan Keegan is going very well. Their contribution to the second quarter performance is in line with our expectations. The addition to our franchise of Morgan Keegan positions us as a major provider of financial services in the South and results in a better diversified revenue stream. For the first time in our history, non-interest income exceeded 40% of total revenue." "We continue to execute our strategy of redeploying capital into more profitable products and lines of business. This strategy, coupled with a weak economy, is resulting in slower growth in earning assets and flat earnings comparisons with the prior quarter. We believe that a more profitable product mix and better diversified revenue stream positions Regions for improved performance in the future. We are pleased with the relatively low level of loan losses despite a slowing economy and continue to feel confident in the overall quality of our loan portfolio." Regions also announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $.28 per share, payable October 1, 2001, to stockholders of record as of September 14, 2001. This is the 121st consecutive quarter in which the company has paid cash dividends, going back to its formation in 1971. Regions Financial Corporation, with $45.1 billion in assets, ranks among the 25 largest financial services companies in the nation. Serving customers throughout the South, it provides traditional commercial and retail banking services and other financial services in the fields of investment banking, asset management, trust, mutual funds, securities brokerage, insurance, leasing and mortgage banking. Its banking affiliate, Regions Bank, offers banking services from more than 680 banking offices in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Regions provides investment and brokerage services from more than 54 offices of Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc., one of the South's largest investment firms. Regions ranks on both the Forbes 500 and the Fortune 500 listing of America's largest companies; its common stock is traded in the Nasdaq National Market System under the symbol RGBK. ### ############ ################ Leasing Ethics---Last Call ( in Chronological order, as received ) This rambling discourse over the issue of ethics is truly futile. No newsletter, no policing agency, and no "blacklist" could ever stop certain people from lying, cheating, and stealing. It is as old as the Bible, and probably older! If anyone truly believes that licensing stops people from lying, think "Bill Clinton", who has a license to practice law, but lied under penalty of perjury, with the entire world watching. If anyone thinks policing stops people from stealing, look at the recent rip-off at the FBI of over 100 computers and guns. Somehow I think "FBI" are slightly more powerful initials than "ELA", "UAEL", "EAEL", or "CLP". Nor is public chastisement effective. In 18th century London, pick pocketing was so prolific that the authorities decided to make it a hang able offense. At the public hangings, however, there were so many pickpocketing the law was repealed! Let's just do the stuff our parents taught us in kindergarten. Treat people with respect. Do the job, do it fairly and honestly, and do it right. Let's be smart, creative, and aggressive when necessary, but never desperate . Let's not in this "recessionary"economy yield to the temptation to do business with anyone who comes our way. We will pay in the end for, as they say, he who sleeps with the dogs awakes with fleas. As Spike Lee said "Do the Right Thing". It's all we can do. And for God sakes, let's move on to another topic. This is getting old! Ken Greene Kenneth C. Greene & Associates 300 Drakes Landing Road Suite 250 Greenbrae, CA 94904 Tel: 415 925 0700 Fax: 415 925 1293 E-Mail: kgreene100@aol.com +++ What is everyone complaining about? This "ethics" issue is getting real old. The basis of our industry has always been, and probably always will be, an uneducated consumer that we profit from. Skirting the usury laws, not disclosing interest rates, interim rent charges, automatic lease renewals, excessive residuals, etc. etc. By the way, I am well aware that some of these are contractual rights the lessor has. However, just because it is a right the lessor has by virtue of the contract doesn't make it fair or ethical. For that matter, just because a questionable practice is universally used within the industry and is considered the norm doesn't make it ethical. Nor does the passage of time. As far as I am concerned you have no room to complain until every lease you participate in (as broker or funder) clearly states the true interest rate being charged on the first page of the documents. If it doesn't and you're one of the people who are complaining about ethics in our industry, you are a hypocrite. Everyone should stop complaining and start focusing on adding value their customers would be willing to pay for. If you don't like this business or the ethics involved, get out. Just don't be a holier-than-thou hypocrite. Print this if you would like. Jeff Wetter jwetter@flexlease.com www.flexlease.com +++ WHEN YOU TELL THE TRUTH, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO REMEMBER.....Gee what a concept...maybe if the Leasing industry would start giving fair deals ,and not trying to "rip every ones head off"...we would have a better rep...There are going to be Hogs in every industry, but the concentrated numbers in this industry is unreal...SDI was a great example of HOGS. They have gone to slaughter, thank God Jesse James Vice President Vendor Services Bluedot Funding,LLC 800-850-3101 ext. 234 530-430-3018 Fax +++ I must agree with Mr. Vionnet's statement that a title does not make a person. I personally have seen the way a number of CLP's behave, and I honestly believe that each one of them would steal from their mothers if it would give them another penny. And these CLP's would then pat themselves on the back for the money they made! Mr. Julian's comment regarding the "crying foul" due to the lack of funding of one deal smacks too true. This is why I think that the listserve does a disservice to the leasing industry. Some deals will never get done - there is just too much hair. Some deals will take a lot of work. Instead of pissin' & moanin' about that fact that all of your deals are not slam-dunks, just shut-up and get to work. Julian's idea about a Bounty is interesting...but who will run it? CLP's? UAEL?, ELA?, etc... I hope not. You may quote me. Cary Sue Lavan Home State Leasing Corp. subsidiary of Home State Bank +++ Let me speak from a Funders viewpoint. I agree with Debbie regarding the issue of ethics. I have been funding Brokers for over 25 years and can say without a doubt that CLP means nothing to me as it relates to ethics. Russ has some good points. So do some of the other responders. What makes me cringe is when some of the CLP people who I would not fund because of their ethics are on the podium at EAL and other events. I too got caught with the Nor Kong fraud and with the Xerox fraud on the East Coast. Please guess whom I purchased them from? They both had CLP after their names. Neither would honor reps & warrants. Fortunately a major firm did the commodity check and my company did not suffer. Greed and wealth are the mantra for many newer Brokers. When transactions are split onto three "app only" deals which get under the radar because of the size, when transactions are double and triple brokered without notification, when Brokers get upset because of a points limitation, when signatures are altered, when reps & warrants mean nothing, when a fraud transaction occurs and the Brokers offers to "split the loss" and when Brokers get by the points limitation by keeping the first so many payments or when the Broker asks the funding source to fund the transaction for 33 months in arrears on a 36 month deal so that they can keep the first three payments and the customer wants to know why the transaction is documented for 33 months when quoted for 36, all of which happen all the time, knowledge of one who one does business with is the best economic decision. Please be advised that I have always represented a funding source, not a "Super Broker" so my comments come from someone who has "written the check" and quite possibly may have seen it all. Food for thought. Do business with people you can trust. As long as you do, ethics are not a problem. If you don't believe me, ask Citicorp and what they have done with Copelco, EAB and The Associates. There is a reason they do not buy Broker Paper. Kit: Don't not use my name as I am still funding Brokers. +++ You said last call, but the last few responses made my blood boil. They referred to the small broker that can't survive, and has to be unethical. The small broker can make a good living and be ethical. Charging 10-15 points is not a problem with ethics. If you give a client a payment and they are happy, then they are happy. 10-15 points profit in most industries is below par. America was created on the backs of the small business owners. And most of them started in the spare bedroom and worked hard to get the business going. Being a small broker, I am amazed at all the whining. Everyone should shut up, try to make the best of a tough industry and close some business. Please withhold my name. +++ To the author of: I find to quite entertaining when these small timers talk about ethic's when they buy money @ 12.00% APR, add $75.00 doc fee, 10 points of profit and call it a good deal. Charging these small business owners outrageous lease pricing is what gives the industry a bad name. Are 10 points of commission ethical? NOT! But I'm sure all of these brokers would like to get these types of yields on every transaction. It's the life of the small ticket broker but it is also ruining small businesses nationwide. I strongly advise your to keep funding deals at your margins, I could stand one less competitor. In fact, please consider a start-up program since that is where all of us brokers are really ruining the small business community. Your 11.5% start-up program could single handedly save the mom and pop. By your syntax and spelling, it is clear you may lack of higher education so please research the following three word phrase "risk versus return". Andrew S. Nere Innovative Lease Services, Inc. ils@ilslease.com (800)438-1470 Ext. 204 ++++ Let these bleeding hearts add up their mortgage payments over 30 years and see how much interest Wells Fargo is making off the "Poor Little American Homeowner". Margin is the name of game! Thank You in advance for printing these responses, I enjoy your letters! Tim Baker Vision Capital +++ "I had a customer mail me a thank you card that I received today. I booked a lease for this customer with a payment of $491.00 (our yield on this transaction was 11.49%). When I got a hold of this gentleman originally, he had docs from Republic Leasing with a payment of $688.00. Same terms (48 month,1 advance, 10%put)" Kit, I think your anonymous contributor mixed up his numbers in the heat of bashing us small brokers. The deal he describes is roughly $20,000. If we are to believe his numbers, the broker added 40 or more points to his Republic deal. I don't think that would fly over at Republic. ******************************************* John Craine, VP Sales PowerNet Financial Group Inc. Your Professional Equipment Leasing Network http://www.thePowerNet.com (800)348-2288 Fax (509)695-3091 ( We asked Anonymous for a response, and here it is: Obviously another comment from a small timer, but thank him/her for checking the numbers for me. It must of took him/her an hour to figure that out with his/her blue book of Annuity tables. After calling “MY” customer back to confirm the numbers she wrote on her thank you card, she informed me that the payment was $608.88. It was an honest mistake on her part. I was not bashing Republic Leasing, I don’t know anything about them. I’m sure they are just trying to build a portfolio like the rest of us. Do they even have a web site? I couldn’t find it. Oh, by the way, the terms on our current promotion are .0272, 36 months, 1 advance, zero doc fee, FMV not to exceed 20%, minimum transaction of $2M. I have been running this program for the last 5 months and doing between 4-5MM a month in volume. Just one leasing salesperson, backed by a great company, with good products, approving leases in under 2 minutes. How does the lease broker compete with that? Another thing, I want everyone to be clear on my prospective. I feel there is room for everyone in this business. From the Billion Dollar + leasing companies, to the small timers (under 50MM). There is enough business for everyone to make a little money. Lease brokers are bottom feeders swimming in a tank full of sharks. If they would only realize that and quit trying to land vendor programs that produce 5MM annually and call on the small mom & pop shops that don’t interest us, they would do better. But please don’t try to make a living 10 pointing less financially savvy small business owners, it’s hard enough on them already. Anonymous +++ Ethics and other issues keep coming up as the leasing industry continues to mature. Gerry Egan once pointed out to me that when it comes to distribution, our industry shares a number of common traits and structures with the insurance industry, and is probably more like it than anything else. Given that their industry is more mature and established, has anyone looked at what happened when our friends in the insurance business faced similar issues? Knowing how they have dealt with such issues might help us to implement some suitable solutions for our industry. Are there any veterans out there from the insurance industry willing to share their thoughts? Mike McPherson WESTPORT LEASING CORPORATION Vancouver, B.C. CANADA mikemc@westportleasing.com Phone: (604) 681-1260 or 1-800-667-0747 Fax: (604) 681-1680 or 1-800-667-4426 +++ I find it almost amusing that you have all of these people writing to your letter being so Bold as to slam people with names commenting on ethics and complaining about other people actually making money on their transactions. If you don't have the Kahuna's to say who you are then we don't care to hear their rhetoric. Especially the person that commented on the Republic lease and they got the deal at 11.49% - way to show your back side Mr. Ethics. Last I checked we are all in this to make money! If he wants to do charity work for the small business owners of the world let the guy become a 5013c organization and maybe he will sleep better at night! As for the rest of us that have paid the dues and are now realizing the fruit of our labors God Bless em' for makin' money!!!!! If you have to sell deals at 11.49% to get the deal then all you are is the cheapest rate. At the end of the day I would rather provide a service, relationship, and make a nice margin doing it! As best said on Jerry McQuire - "It's no-show friends - its' show BUSINESS!!!" I've got to go back to MAKING MARGIN! Please print my name! (there's a new one!) Tim Baker Vision Capital +++ What amazes me is that everyone is blaming the "SMALL BROKER" for all of the problems with ETHICS in equipment leasing today! I am a small broker, who has clients that I am getting repeat business from (some as long as 6 years!) and have never engaged in unethical practices! Some of my former funding sources have done things like stopping broker programs after my company built up a base of leases (they got vendors and customers!) which became their portfolio! Or how about this! You check a reference on a client's existing lease and the lessor calls the client and offers, "whatever their quote is, we will beat it!" Or how about this, your funding source decides to start a direct program that has lower rates than your buy rates! So who has the problem with ETHICS? Sincerely, Joseph Leslie President FCI Financial Services, Inc. +++ Well I think an editorial would be more powerful and effective in the industry. Don't you agree? --- JOHNBAT3@aol.com ( Hey, I am still trying to get people to follow the Ten Commandments in our Sunday Sermon, and most say, “Knock it off, I’m too busy to read this stuff about our “soul.” Our kids are too busy to hear a prayer in school. It isn’t good for them. “ editor ) +++ EVERY industry, regulated or not, has its share of bad actors. And EVERY industry ultimately has to police itself. Years ago I lost several deals to a large California bank. When I called for bank references, bank loan officers turned up on the customer's doorstep. Unethical and, probably, illegal. In one case, the bank's loan officer threatened the customer that he would reduce the customer's line of credit if the customer signed the lease with me. Another large California bank was notorious for low-balling new customers, then jacking the rate way up later. The same bank's syndication department shot gunned deals to as many as 23 lenders at the same time. Needless to say, none of those lenders knew about the other packages. Currently, unscrupulous mortgage bankers are luring seniors into overpriced loans, then piling multiple loans one on top of the other with the result that the seniors, unable to meet the excessively high payments, are losing their homes. And these are all highly regulated and licensed. The leasing industry has successfully regulated itself for years. Yeah, that's a provocative statement, but most lessors, brokers and funders are not only ethical, but are acutely aware of their fiduciary responsibilities. Sure, we have had an increase in the absolute number of sleazy operators, but I'll bet that the percentage of bad to good is no higher than it has ever been. It seems that way because we have more players in the business and we have public discussions such as this. The suggestion that lessors and brokers "boycott" unethical funders isn't new. For instance, the common habit of funders going around brokers to get at their customers is almost a standard practice (they are even doing it before the deal is signed). If this happens to you, let other lessors know. This always worked in the past. Funders who tried to "backdoor" a broker quickly lost all their sources of business. And, word can spread a lot faster now. Funders who tolerated (and may have encouraged) sleazy behavior on the part of their sources will probably change their tune as their portfolios crash from the weight of excessive delinquencies. Just look at Leasingnews' List some time. Don't just rely on the associations and their Standards committees. They can only act when ethics violations involve their members. The logical conclusion is that only ethical operators will belong to the associations and the unethical ones will all be outside. That will not help either the associations or the industry. Ideally, all lessors, brokers and funders should be members of one or more leasing associations, and would only do business with association members. Customers should ask the right questions and deal only with association members. The associations should once and for all get together and hammer out a national and common set of Ethical Standards, and then enforce them. But with all that it is still up to the individual lessor, broker or funder to keep ethical standards high and continue to expose unethical activities and isolate those who practice them. Bob Teichman, CLP Teichman Financial Training 3030 Bridgeway Sausalito, CA 94965 Tel: 415-331-6445 Fax: 415-331-6451 e-mail: BoTei@aol.com "Providing education and training to the equipment leasing and financing industry." +++ It funny sitting here reading the viewpoints from small brokers, mostly commission guys pounding phones, to Mid size firms, mostly order takers who give money away and are proud of it, and the funding sources. Everyone seems to blame each other for every thing in the book. Lets ask ourselves this, what is really at issue here? Brokers who jack lessees? Brokers who misrepresent deals to funding sources? Funding sources misrepresenting portfolios to investment banks? Lets now enter the world of reality, everyone jacks everyone on a daily basis, even well respected establishments. You think your local supermarket gives you a good deal? Look at how much money they make a month, they could spare a few price breaks. Think you got a good deal on your new car? You got 200 over invoice and are happy, problem is you didn't add in dealer holdback and actually got over a thousand over invoice, woops! You went to your local Chinese fast food place and got a good deal for a $3.50 chicken bowl, right? Wrong, considering how much the food costs to make, the owner was probably laughing at you behind the glass. He probably makes over $200k a year. Lets stop the preaching ok people? The hypocrisy is unbecoming. You funding sources don't like fraudulent small brokers? Then why are you welcoming the 2 dirtiest names in equipment leasing back into the business with open arms? You lessees don't like high rates? Buy a business calculator and read the manual, or better yet ask your bank for the money. I'm sure you will love all those blanket and notes receivable liens they will place on you. Investment banks complaining about getting burned? Maybe you should know what your buying before you buy it. Quit paying some Phoenix Institute Grad over 100k a year to analyze the portfolio. You want regulation? That will slow this industry to a crawl. Red tape will increase drastically and credit windows will shrink to cut losses that could've been absorbed before. The industry will suffer and so will the business owner. The funds they used to so easily get from the various leasing sources will evaporate. I don't like the government telling me how to run my business because of stupid customers, I'm sure you won't either. Laissez Faire! In a free market every problem is an opportunity. If this fraud is so rampant and hurtful then open your own source and tout your honesty to funding sources and the general population alike. If unethical behavior is such a problem then you should make millions. From the banter about this topic on leasing news your volume will topple GE Capital within months! Quit complaining to Kit and seize the opportunity before someone else does. This is the foundation our economy is based on. I would hate to see us become a society of victicrats. Name withheld +++ Fascinating series exchanges on ethics over the last few days. You really do us all quite a service by putting so many (vastly!) different views on the table. Lots of very bright people with diametrically opposed perspectives! Thanks for bringing it all to us. Bob ( This is the “Last Word”---for the time being. editor ) -------------------------------- Certified Lease Professional Complaints Dear Kit, Please print this response to Carry Sue Lavan regarding her complaint about the UAEL and CLP test. Since she has aired this publicly I want to answer her publicly as I am familiar with her case. Maybe it will help others who want to take the CLP test to understand their responsibility when they sit for the exam. Dear Ms. Lavan, Where in the world did you get the impression that attending the Institute for Leasing Professionals class would guarantee your passage of the CLP exam? Did you attend a school where the teachers gave you the test prior to sitting for the exam? While I am aware that certain seminars of this nature may have been conducted, without the authorization of the UAEL from time to time, I am certain that the one you attended was not one of them. It is the responsibility of the candidate to know and understand the body of knowledge that is required to pass the test. The instructors are there to enhance your knowledge and provide some instruction and coaching for those areas of the exam that may not be within the scope of your particular career path in the industry. The CLP exam tests a wide range of leasing industry knowledge and it is your responsibility to study extensively for the test. This includes knowing the Leasing Professional's Handbook from cover to cover and reviewing other material that is widely available and not necessarily produced by the UAEL or the CLP foundation. You obviously have the impression that attending a seminar and sitting for the exam "entitles" you to be a CLP. I recently had the opportunity to train the leasing delegation from the Zhejiang Central Bank leasing company, People Repbulic of China. I provided two days of instruction and, on the second day the students needed to ask a question. They humbly asked me, through their interpreter, if this would be OK. I was puzzled by this so I asked why they would preface their question in such a manner. The answer was that as the teacher I obviously knew the material I was teaching. It was their failure to learn properly that necessitated asking questions to clarify the material in their minds. Obviously they understood their responsibility in the Instructor/Student relationship. I personally reviewed your case and complaint, and discussed it extensively with Mr. McCommon, and Mr. Canavatti, respectively the UAEL education committee liaison and chair. As I recall you were offered the opportunity to re-take the exam and Mr. McCommon was either going to coach you himself or arrange for coaching. You, however, continued to demand a refund which I decided was an unreasonable request on your part. So don't blame the UAEL. If it makes you feel better you can blame me for your failure to pass the test. I have personally taught many CLP seminars and proctored many tests. I know of people who have had to sit for the exam 2 or even 3 times before they passed the test. These people identified their areas of weakness, worked on those areas, persevered and eventually passed the exam and became CLPs. Some people have taken the test on multiple occasions and never turned in a passing grade. I would heartily advise that you take Cindy Spurdle up on her offer to let you re-take the exam rather than use a public forum to rationalize your own failure by impuning one of the worthiest educational pursuits this industry currently offers and the association who originally brought it to the industry. Bob Rodi, CLP President LeaseNOW, Inc. drlease@leasenow.com www.leasenow.com 1-800-321-LEAS (5327)x 101 +++ Having just returned from vacation, reading these anonymous email messages highly critical of the CLP program makes me ill. If someone thinks that I am a blow hard because I am involved with the CLP Foundation, let that person have the guts to come forward and state his/her) name. The long held belief is that people will not take the CLP program for fear of failing. I would not air an ignorant submission unless the writer agreed to give his (her) name. The writer obviously knows little about the CLP program and is missing the point totally about its value. I do not believe that being awarded the CLP designation is akin to granting a license. Let those persons who ignorantly criticize CLP come forward and state their names. I bet they will not! - Steve Steven B. Geller, CLP Leasing Solutions LLC www.leasingsolutionsllc.com 20 Dike Drive, Wesley Hills, NY 10952 sgeller@leasingsolutionsllc.com phone:(845)362-6106 fax: (845) 354-2803 cell phone: (914) 552-0842 P.S. I bet those same people never volunteered to assist in any meaningful fashion with any of the leasing industry associations either! +++ I would like to comment on the CLP seminar as well as the exam itself. I myself have taken the seminar and decided to take a pass when it came to test time. Although I have been in the leasing for 10 years, I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of information covered in such a short period of time. I also felt that the areas that I was weak in, weren't covered as well as I would have hoped. When I tried to ask the speaker to slow down, I was almost treated as though slowing down might be an inconvenience. Consequently, I decided to hold off on taking the exam until I was better prepared and had a chance to review the material on my own. Since I attended the seminar, I have heard rumor that there might be a mentoring program established for CLP candidates. I think this is a great idea! I have to think there are many experienced leasing professionals like myself that are well versed in leasing as a whole but could use a little help in one or two areas. Anyway, for all those individuals that would like to become a CLP and might need a little help, let's keep our finger crossed that we hear more on the mentoring program in the very near future. Sincerely, William J. Griffith Padco Lease Corp. Chicago, IL 60603 P.S. I just wanted to add that I attended the CLP seminar last year. I felt that way too much information was crammed into 3 days. Although I like many individuals that took the class had 10 or more years in leasing, the speed at which the class moved posed a challenge when trying to keep up. The worst part was when an individual(s) requested something be covered in more detail or at a slower pace in didn't happen. The end result for me is that I decided not to take the exam. It was not because I don't know leasing as a whole, or not because I am literate, it was just the apprehension. In any event, since I took the class, Nancy from Edwin Siegal here in Chicago has mentioned in New Orleans that UAEL in considering a mentoring program to assist CLP candidates through the process. I thought that was and is a great idea. I hope it actually comes to fruition. Have you heard anything on this subject. If so, I would be interested in signing up... In closing, all of us here at Padco thank you for your daily emails. We appreciate the forum and what you are trying to accomplish. Sincerely, Bill Griffith, Credit Manager Padco Lease Corp. 800-347-5884 ----------------------- I've been watching the thread on your ethics discussion and have my own observations and responses for your various (mostly anonymous) writers: In 18 years of leasing business, I have had very few ethics problems with my lenders and encountered relatively few ethical problems with other brokers or lease marketers, regardless of their size. I champion Free Enterprise and am strongly opposed to governmental regulation. ("We're from the government. We're here to help." Yeah, right!) The CLP designation is ANYTHING BUT a joke. I EARNED my certification by 18 years of full time dedication to my industry, by study and education and by passing an exam designed to test my knowledge of the leasing business. (That test is evidently difficult enough that many who have taken it have failed to pass.) The CLP exam and the designation don't make any difference in ethics and, since all applicants would already be members of one or more professional associations, the written agreement to abide by the code(s) of ethics that was already required by membership doesn't change the level of ethics any. However, the CLP designation, when applied to other leasing professionals gives me confidence that they aren't "newbies" or amateurs. Nobody ever intended that the CLP designation would indicate that an individual is better suited for marriage or sainthood or that they are better qualified to teach their dog to roll over. I'm a SMALL broker and proud of it. I don't see any evidence that we are a 'dying breed.' I SURE don't have any problems with earning my living through what one of your 'name withheld' writers called 'outrageous lease pricing.' Why is 10 points too much? How could it be unethical if I have helped my Lessee to accomplish his business objectives, helped my vendor to make a sale and helped my lender to make a sound (but not risk-free) investment? Your name withheld writer accuses me and my fellow "small ticket brokers" of "also ruining small businesses nationwide."? My staff, my salespeople and I provide a valuable service to all parties to the transactions we handle. I am proud to earn my living this way. And I have had countless customers who signed lease documents on which I made 15% fees (or more) and they keep coming back for more and recommending us to their friends. I invite my clients to join me in my Kiwanis club, my breakfast/leads club and to give me honest feedback after each transaction we complete for them. (Lease $mart also offers a lowest rate guarantee and backs it up with $50 cash. Our policy has no fine print and we paid out $50 just 7 times last year, including 5 times to our existing customers when they called to compare our rates with a manufacturer-supported leasing program.) I am proud of my own ethics and try not to criticize the ethics of others unless they encourage me to do so by some action or statement that goes too far. Your 'name withheld' evidently has a bit of a guilty conscience. Poor guy! (or gal) I sincerely hope they can find gainful employment in another industry. While I don't know Bob Rodi very well, I respect his perspective and recognize him as being well informed with a considered and balanced opinion. Since he has allowed himself to be a VOLUNTEER officer to one of our industry's professional associations, I think certainly he's entitled to both having and expressing an opinion, even when I might disagree with him. Your reader who is chicken to identify himself should be ashamed of themselves for having nothing more important to say than "Blah" and using it to throw mud at Bob by using the words greed and implying a lack of morals in the same paragraph. So what's the solution to the apparent ethics problem? Certainly information is key. Information about what is the latest scam and who the latest perpetrator is. Information, especially that which creates reputations of honesty or dishonesty help all of the rest of us to manage and deal with competition in a fair and honest way is incredibly valuable. That information comes via venues such as Leasing News and the NAELB Post, sometimes supplemented by direct exchanges of phone calls and e-mails with specifics and cautions. Education is at the root of information, so ALL of the various opportunities for education about our industry and our competitors is obviously valuable. Thanks for being a conduit and a resource for our mutual continuing education. The rest of you guys who are so negative and depressing should seek another line of work. -- Gary Greene, CLP Lease $mart - Equipment Leasing & Financing for Business & Industry http://www.lease-smart.com http://www.WeFinanceWebSites.com Happiness is . . . A Positive Cash Flow (TM) 520/628-9929 UAEL Annual Conference & Exposition - October 25-28, 2001 at the Hyatt Regency Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas An opportunity to meet one-on-one with Funding Sources & Service Providers and to attend timely informative educational sessions. And as always, the social events are not to be missed as they are not only excellent for networking but fun. Confirmed Exhibitors to date: 1Lease Affiliated Corporate Services, Inc. Amembal Capital Corp American Appraisal Associates, Inc. American Express Business Finance American Lease Insurance Agency Corp Bancorp Financial Services, Inc. Bank of the West Bonded Collections CambridgEcommerce, Inc. CapitalStream CBIZ Property Tax Solutions, Inc. Centerpoint Financial Services, LLC CLP Foundation Commercial Money Center, Inc. (CMC) Creative Capital Leasing Group, LLC Dolsen Leasing Co. Douglas-Guardian Services Corp Edwin C. Sigel, Ltd. Equifax Equilease Financial Services, Inc. Equipment Lessors Protection Association Financial Pacific Leasing, LLC First Financial, LLC Fisher-Anderson, L.C. GE Capital/Colonial Pacific Leasing Hindin/Owen/Engelke, Inc. Hutchinson, Perry & Associates IFC Credit Corporation Information Leasing Corp. Brokerage Services Integrated Financial Solutions LeaseTeam, Inc. Leverage Leasing Company Lexis Nexis Manifest Funding Services Pawnee Leasing Corp. Pentech Financial Services, Inc. Puget Sound Leasing Co., Inc. Pullman Bank & Trust Company Quail Capital Corp Quiktrak, Inc. Republic Leasing Company, Inc. Santa Barbara Bank & Trust SecureLease SmartMoves Standard Professional Services, Inc. Sterling Bank Leasing The Monitor UCC Direct Services This is a conference you have to attend! Make your hotel reservations today by calling the Hyatt Regency on the Riverwalk at 210-222-1234 and ask for the UAEL group rate! Keep an eye on your mailbox (the old-fashion one) for your copy of the full conference brochure. See you in San Antonio! Joanie Dalton - Managing Director UAEL - United Association of Equipment Leasing 520 Third Street, #201 Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 444-9235 x27 (510) 444-1346 fax joanie@uael.org www.uael.org ### ############### ######################### CIT Rail Resources Continues Expansion Into Canada's Rail Market
CIT and ALSTOM Team Up for the Second Time in Less than Six Months CALGARY, Alberta, CIT Rail Resources, a division of CIT and one of the nation's largest providers of financing and leasing services to the rail industry, announced today that it has signed an agreement with ALSTOM Canada, Inc. to lease five remanufactured locomotives to Great Canadian Railtour. The transaction signifies CIT's continued expansion into the Canadian rail market and marks the first deal signed by the CIT Rail Resources' new Canadian office, CIT Credit Group Alberta, Inc., located in Calgary. "Despite the current economic slowdown, CIT Rail Resources has continued its aggressive expansion efforts and we see the Canadian rail market as one that holds great potential for us," said George Cashman, senior vice president of Finance at CIT Rail Resources. "ALSTOM was approached by Great Canadian Railtour, who was looking to improve the quality of their locomotive fleet. ALSTOM then teamed up with us for this transaction as they needed a strong financing partner who had the structuring capabilities to develop a flexible financing solution to meet the cashflow requirements of Great Canadian." This deal follows CIT's acquisition of 100 newly remanufactured locomotives from ALSTOM, the parent company of ALSTOM Canada and a global specialist in transportation infrastructure, announced December of last year. Commenting on the deal, Richard Latini, vice president of CIT Rail Resources, said, "This agreement is the result of hard work and excellent synchronization between CIT and ALSTOM. We all worked diligently toward a very successful conclusion and look forward to continuing our collaboration and to being an important partner in their growth." Rated the number one rail tour in the world by the New York Times, The Great Canadian Railtour Company offers two-day, luxury rail tours that begin in Vancouver, British Columbia, and take passengers through the Canadian Rockies to Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta. About CIT Rail Resources CIT Rail Resources, a business unit of CIT's Capital Finance group, provides a wide array of equipment leasing and financial services to the rail industry and is one of the largest rail car lessors in North America. It's fleet, totaling more than 45,000 freight cars and 400 locomotives, is the most modern fleet in the industry. About CIT CIT, the financial services subsidiary of Tyco International Ltd. (NYSE: TYC; LSE: TYI; BSX: TYC), is a leading, global source of financing and leasing capital and an advisor for companies in more than 30 industries. Managing more than $50 billion in assets across a diversified portfolio, CIT is the trusted financial engine empowering many of today's industry leaders and emerging businesses, offering vendor, equipment, commercial, factoring, consumer and structured financing capabilities. Founded in 1908, CIT operates extensively in the United States and Canada with strategic locations in Europe, Latin and South America, and the Pacific Rim. For more information on CIT, visit the Web site at www.cit.com. About Tyco International Ltd Tyco International Ltd. (NYSE: TYC, LSE: TYI, BSX: TYC) is a diversified manufacturing and service company. Tyco is the world's largest manufacturer and servicer of electrical and electronic components; the world's largest designer, manufacturer, installer and servicer of undersea telecommunications systems; the world's largest manufacturer, installer and provider of fire protection systems and electronic security services and the world's largest manufacturer of flow control valves. Tyco also holds strong leadership positions in medical device products, financing and leasing capital, plastics and adhesives. Tyco operates in more than 100 countries and had fiscal 2000 sales of $28.9 billion. ### ############# ####################### -------------------------------------------------------------------- www.leasingnews.org
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