As an International security consultant who specialises in close protection, I am frequently asked for information from an aspiring bodyguard, or teams of aspiring bodyguards about how to avoid being ripped off by unscrupulous close protection security training companies.
During close to 20 years of active service in providing close protection services and close protection training in 42 countries across 4 continents I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked this question.
I have trained tens of thousands of bodyguards and close protection officers for governments, military special forces, intelligence agencies, law enforcement agencies, security companies and corporate businesses.
As a security consultant I am often tasked with providing seminars and presentations on close protection, and once again this question is always one of the first asked in the question and answer sessions.
I decided to write a series of questions which aspiring bodyguards or close protection teams could ask of any close protection training company offering bodyguard training to fee paying customers. My list is probably not an exhaustive list, but it covers all the main questions you should know the answers to before parting with your financial investment.
Make no bones about it, if you are an aspiring bodyguard looking to enter the close protection industry then you will need the finest close protection security training available.
This bodyguard training is even more relevant if you are considering looking for a bodyguard job in politically high risk destinations, or as a close protection security consultant in one of the world's war zones like Afghanistan.
Professional close protection training delivered by world class close protection companies and bodyguard Instructors is not cheap. That's why I refer to it as an Investment.
To train a 'aspiring bodyguard' in all the aspects required to prepare you for the rigours of extremely high-risk VIP protection operations will cost you anything from £8,000-,000 to £12,000-£18,000. Anyone who tells you different doesn't know the VIP protection industry as good as they might think.
Many cowboy companies try to sucker you in on the premise of paying a low cost fee for an initial training programme. Trust me planning your training like this will cost you heavily in finance, time, effort and energy. In my personal experience it's also pre-programmed for failure.
I have worked for numerous close protection companies and bodyguard agencies as an adjunct close protection Instructor and have extensive knowledge of the global close protection industry and all the major professional players providing professional bodyguard training.
My list of 30 Things To Know Before You Invest In Close Protection Training is based on my own personal experience gleaned from the thousands of close protection officers I have trained and worked with.
It is worth noting that there are very few actual reputable close protection training companies around the world. I can in fact count the truly professional companies on two hands.
A tip worth remembering is; never be fobbed off by a close protection training company representative who when asked any of the following questions refuses to answer citing 'security confidentiality' applies.
The technical term for this type of response is, 'bulls**t.' Everyone of the top professional companies I personally know will be more than happy to answer these questions in the full knowledge that no confidentialities will be breached.
Don't allow yourself to be dazzled with close protection jargon or wild promises of a guaranteed bodyguard job, or war stories about how the close protection training companies only utilise for SAS or other special forces instructors for their bodyguard training.
Take it from me, I have personally trained several SAS personnel and lots and lots of other global special forces in close protection skills. The one thing most of them had in common was that they had never received any prior close protection training.
Historically most of the companies who dangle the bodyguard job or bodyguard job Iraq carrot never last. Their bodyguard job offer usually consists of a one night shift as a night club bouncer, or even worse as a 1 day shift following a 'paid surveillance mark around a town centre.'
This is your money you are investing and the very best way to minimise the risk of a bad investment is to conduct a thorough due diligence campaign on prospective close protection security companies.
For some of the less scrupulous bodyguard training companies, you might have to concoct a story which plays to their greed in order to even solicit a response. The best stories are usually legitimate stories, for example I once received the following enquiry from a parent.
"My son is due to leave University and wishes to take up a career in the close protection industry. As a graduation gift my wife and I have agreed to provide him with a £10,000 contribution towards his professional training and the purchase of his basic equipment. How do I know which bodyguard training company is legitimate?"
As a security consultant I suggested he write to each of the close protection companies he had short listed and utilise my close protection know 30 secrets before you invest in bodyguarding training. As follows...
I would like answers to the following questions before I make a decision to invest this figure into your company.
1. How many hours and days of training would it take to qualify as a close protection officer?
2. Do you run 2, 5, 10, 20 or 30 day close protection training programmes?
3. How much is the training per 100 hours?
4. How much is your 2 day training programme?
5. How much is your 5 day training programme?
6. Do these fees include residential accommodation, meals and travel expenses?
7. Do you run a 2 or 5 day introductory training programme?
8. How much is this introductory training programme?
9. Does your close protection training include insurance for your students?
10. How many students attend each individual close protection training programme?
11. Is your executive protection training accredited by any security association?
12. Is your close protection training accredited by the SIA?
13. Do successful graduates of your close protection training programme receive a diploma?
14. How long is your close protection certification valid for?
15. Do you run your close protection training programmes in the UK?
16. Do you run your close protection training programmes overseas?
17. Do you run specialist training programmes for advanced close protection officers?
18. Do you run firearms training programmes for close protection officers?
19. Do you have your own close protection operational jobs division?
20. Do you offer bodyguard jobs to successful graduates of your close protection training programmes?
21. Do you offer a bodyguard association membership?
22. Do you offer a close protection home study training programme/s?
23. Do you offer close protection merchandise like books and DVD's for sale?
24. Do you have a minimum/maximum training age?
25. Do you have fitness entry requirements?
26. Do you have any medical condition restrictions for students?
27. What qualifications do your Instructors have?
28. Do your students have to pass a graduation examination?
29. Do you offer students a career development loan?
30. How long have you been in business?
The British American Security Expert advises: Contact as many executive protection and security companies who offer bodyguard training as possible. Do your research, collate as many responses as possible as you will then be best placed to make an informed decision on which close protection training company to invest your money with.
You are paying for a professional security service, provided hopefully by a professional security consultant or a company of professional security consultants. This security service is just like paying for any other professional service.
For example you wouldn't invest £10,000 in someone who offered you shares in a Nigerian Gold Mine without conducting extensive research into the business and the players running the business.
The British American Security Expert Tip: Given the advance in technology relating to Internet e-commerce sales, most people look to the major on-line price comparison web site players when buying car insurance or holidays or mortgages etc. Think moneysupermarket.com or comparethemarket.com.
These companies have invested in software technology to bring you price and services price comparisons from the one web site. closeprotectiongz.com is likely to be the first executive protection company to offer a detailed comparison of all the reputable executive protection training and security bodyguard companies. Look out soon for this state of the art feature.
Security remains high on the list of global growth industries & executive protection business security is one of the fastest related growth sectors. Many people are looking to enter the security industry as executive protection bodyguards to service the business demand.
Close protection know 30 secrets before you invest in bodyguarding training highlights the secrets you need to know before you invest in security bodyguard executive protection training.
Showing posts with label Secrets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Secrets. Show all posts
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
$25,000 Unsecured Personal Loans: Secrets To Improving Approval Chances
Lenders have simple desires. All they want is to be sure a borrower will never default on their loan. Convincing them this will be the case is the chief challenge for applicants, but the good news is there are ways to do so. Even for large commitments, like a ,000 unsecured personal loan, establishing certainty is possible.
There are, of course, great problems in securing loan approval without security, with lenders generally expecting to get some item of worth as compensation should the borrower default. But since bad credit scores have only a limited influence over the approval process, income and affordability are the key issues.
But a strong loan application is needed to see an unsecured personal loan approved. With some carefully executed steps, it is possible to improve the chances of getting the green light. Amongst them is adding a cosigner, improving credit scores and finding an open-minded lender.
Advantages of a Cosigner
When seeking a large ,000 unsecured personal loan, convincing lenders to take the risk without any collateral to fall back on is difficult. But often the problem is finding something to use as collateral. In such cases, adding a cosigner to the application makes a major difference to the situation.
A cosigner effectively guarantees monthly repayments will be made, even if the borrower is unable to make them. This is not technically security, but the effect is certainly to remove the perceived risk in the eyes of the lenders. As a consequence, the interest rate is lower, so getting loan approval without security is very likely.
However, there are conditions associated with cosigners. They must have an excellent credit history and a large enough income to handle repayments in the event they must step in to replace the borrower. But with a cosigner, approval of the unsecured personal loan is practically a formality.
Improve Credit Scores
Even if a cosigner is not included in the application, it is possible to enhance approval chances by taking time to improve your credit scores. When applying for a ,000 unsecured personal loan, a higher score can mean savings of perhaps as much as per month, depending on the terms of the loan.
Raising the score is done by basically reducing the debt faced, clearing some or all of the existing loans. With each debt that is paid off, the credit score is adjusted upward, and as a consequence, lower interest rates are charged by lenders. So, getting loan approval without security is more likely.
There are two ways to clear debts. Either take out a large consolidation loan to clear them all in one go, or take out a series of small loans to clear individuals debts. The latter option takes longer to make an impact, but an unsecured personal loan will eventually become more attainable.
Finding Open-Minded Lenders
Traditional lenders are very cautious when it comes to lending large sums of money to bad credit borrowers. With a lack of security, the chances of approval for a ,000 unsecured personal loan becomes even less.
The task of finding lenders that are open-minded enough to accept the risk can be challenging, but online lenders are known to fit the bill perfectly. In fact, getting loan approval without security is common place.
Of course, there is no such thing as a guaranteed approval for an unsecured personal loan, especially a large loan. However, if income is sufficient, the credit score of the applicant has been improved and a cosigner is included, then it can be hard for a lender not to approve the application.
There are, of course, great problems in securing loan approval without security, with lenders generally expecting to get some item of worth as compensation should the borrower default. But since bad credit scores have only a limited influence over the approval process, income and affordability are the key issues.
But a strong loan application is needed to see an unsecured personal loan approved. With some carefully executed steps, it is possible to improve the chances of getting the green light. Amongst them is adding a cosigner, improving credit scores and finding an open-minded lender.
Advantages of a Cosigner
When seeking a large ,000 unsecured personal loan, convincing lenders to take the risk without any collateral to fall back on is difficult. But often the problem is finding something to use as collateral. In such cases, adding a cosigner to the application makes a major difference to the situation.
A cosigner effectively guarantees monthly repayments will be made, even if the borrower is unable to make them. This is not technically security, but the effect is certainly to remove the perceived risk in the eyes of the lenders. As a consequence, the interest rate is lower, so getting loan approval without security is very likely.
However, there are conditions associated with cosigners. They must have an excellent credit history and a large enough income to handle repayments in the event they must step in to replace the borrower. But with a cosigner, approval of the unsecured personal loan is practically a formality.
Improve Credit Scores
Even if a cosigner is not included in the application, it is possible to enhance approval chances by taking time to improve your credit scores. When applying for a ,000 unsecured personal loan, a higher score can mean savings of perhaps as much as per month, depending on the terms of the loan.
Raising the score is done by basically reducing the debt faced, clearing some or all of the existing loans. With each debt that is paid off, the credit score is adjusted upward, and as a consequence, lower interest rates are charged by lenders. So, getting loan approval without security is more likely.
There are two ways to clear debts. Either take out a large consolidation loan to clear them all in one go, or take out a series of small loans to clear individuals debts. The latter option takes longer to make an impact, but an unsecured personal loan will eventually become more attainable.
Finding Open-Minded Lenders
Traditional lenders are very cautious when it comes to lending large sums of money to bad credit borrowers. With a lack of security, the chances of approval for a ,000 unsecured personal loan becomes even less.
The task of finding lenders that are open-minded enough to accept the risk can be challenging, but online lenders are known to fit the bill perfectly. In fact, getting loan approval without security is common place.
Of course, there is no such thing as a guaranteed approval for an unsecured personal loan, especially a large loan. However, if income is sufficient, the credit score of the applicant has been improved and a cosigner is included, then it can be hard for a lender not to approve the application.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Hamp Loan Modification Guidelines: Lender Secrets Uncovered
The key to a successful loan modification application is properly presenting your income and expenses to your loan servicer. A very slight difference in your income or your monthly spending could cost you an application denial instead of enjoying the benefits of reduced mortgage payments. Few tricks may help you to present yourself to your lender in a way that would ensure better chances of success.
HAMP Income and DTI Requirements
HAMP revolves around percentages and ratios. As it is a nationwide program, there are no individual considerations, just pure statistics mated with mathematics. The first number a borrower should keep in mind is 31%. This number represents a maximum portion of your gross monthly income that should be contributed towards your mortgage payment under HAMP. If your monthly mortgage payment is lower than 31% of your monthly paycheck, then you should not waste your time applying for a loan modification. If you are above even by 1%, then you are a likely candidate for mortgage payment reduction under HAMP provisions. Do not get too excited, though, as there are some other numbers and ratios to consider.
Excess Monthly Cash Flow Guidelines
This complex phrase means very simple and obvious thing your monthly budget, i.e. your earnings less your expenses. What you are going are going to find out here is either that you are chronically short on cash or you have some leftover money every month. No matter whether you end up being in surplus or in deficit, make sure that you play the numbers to your advantage. You should budget your mortgage as 31% of your monthly income. Your surplus or deficit should not exceed 10% of your monthly paycheck. These numbers would show your lender that you would be capable of handling modified payments without overextending yourself; otherwise, they may decline your application because loan modification would not prevent you from future loan defaults due to insufficient cash flow.
Net Present Value Assessment
Lenders utilize the Net Present Value (NPV) test in order to establish how a loan modification under HAMP would affect their bottom line. It is calculated using a complex formula that considers multiple factors to include the current market of your home, your interest rate, your mortgage principal balance, your income and expenses, and some others. What NPV test accomplishes is that it establishes the worthiness of utilizing government incentives included in HAMP for lenders. Even negligible changes to the way your expenses are calculated may result in passing of previously failed test, and vice versa. Should you fail, a lender would reject your HAMP loan modification application and present you with some alternative options instead.
Above are the major guidelines lenders abide by when making loan modification application evaluations. While there are some other things taken into the equation, complying with the major three guidelines explained above would most likely guarantee a successful loan modification. Playing with numbers may be difficult and time-consuming, but when your home is at risk it is very well worth doing, especially since adjustments to your financial statements may be done at any time preceding the loan modification decision.
HAMP Income and DTI Requirements
HAMP revolves around percentages and ratios. As it is a nationwide program, there are no individual considerations, just pure statistics mated with mathematics. The first number a borrower should keep in mind is 31%. This number represents a maximum portion of your gross monthly income that should be contributed towards your mortgage payment under HAMP. If your monthly mortgage payment is lower than 31% of your monthly paycheck, then you should not waste your time applying for a loan modification. If you are above even by 1%, then you are a likely candidate for mortgage payment reduction under HAMP provisions. Do not get too excited, though, as there are some other numbers and ratios to consider.
Excess Monthly Cash Flow Guidelines
This complex phrase means very simple and obvious thing your monthly budget, i.e. your earnings less your expenses. What you are going are going to find out here is either that you are chronically short on cash or you have some leftover money every month. No matter whether you end up being in surplus or in deficit, make sure that you play the numbers to your advantage. You should budget your mortgage as 31% of your monthly income. Your surplus or deficit should not exceed 10% of your monthly paycheck. These numbers would show your lender that you would be capable of handling modified payments without overextending yourself; otherwise, they may decline your application because loan modification would not prevent you from future loan defaults due to insufficient cash flow.
Net Present Value Assessment
Lenders utilize the Net Present Value (NPV) test in order to establish how a loan modification under HAMP would affect their bottom line. It is calculated using a complex formula that considers multiple factors to include the current market of your home, your interest rate, your mortgage principal balance, your income and expenses, and some others. What NPV test accomplishes is that it establishes the worthiness of utilizing government incentives included in HAMP for lenders. Even negligible changes to the way your expenses are calculated may result in passing of previously failed test, and vice versa. Should you fail, a lender would reject your HAMP loan modification application and present you with some alternative options instead.
Above are the major guidelines lenders abide by when making loan modification application evaluations. While there are some other things taken into the equation, complying with the major three guidelines explained above would most likely guarantee a successful loan modification. Playing with numbers may be difficult and time-consuming, but when your home is at risk it is very well worth doing, especially since adjustments to your financial statements may be done at any time preceding the loan modification decision.
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