Smart Equipment Leasing: Comparing Bank Financing With Leasing Companies

by Tom Williams

Savvy business owners who choose to lease business equipment can save themselves hard-earned cash, accumulated debt, and industrial-strength headaches by optimizing their relationships with lending entities.

Customers who are looking to lease equipment for their business most frequently seek financing from one of two sources ? traditional bank financing programs, or specialized leasing companies like eLease. The following are four key differences to consider when comparing these programs.

1. Interest Rate Fluctuations In a healthy economy, banks often choose to offer equipment leasing as a service for their business clients. In this way, banks foster economic growth in local communities by supporting expansion in growing industries. However, banks are not in the business of taking risks, and because of this, their programs are subject to change as current economic conditions falter. An example of this is interest rates. Consistent with their conservative risk philosophy, banks do not entertain risk with interest rates. Typically, bank lines fluctuate on the Prime Rate — as the Federal Reserve raises or lowers the rate, so will your interest payment increase or decrease. These economic fluctuations can have financial impact on your business outside of your control. The opposite is true for leasing companies, because they take 100% of the interest rate risk. Therefore, when industry rates decrease or increase, your lease payment stays the same. The payment on a lease will never change during its term regardless of interest rates and inflation. You know what you are getting from day one.