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Bennet Grill
Bennet Grill is a writer who has a passion for business and finance. He is currently an Economics major at Duke University in North Carolina.
Articles written by Bennet Grill
You'll definitely enjoy these articles on entrepreneurship. Bennet has an amazing knack for explaining complex concepts in simple, easy to understand terms.
- Agricultural Commodity Futures - Small businesses that operate in the agricultural industry must understand how agricultural commodity futures work. In this business finance article, we offer a primer for understanding commodities futures.
- Balance Sheets - Are terms like cash flow, balance sheets, and EBITDA all Latin to you? The second article in this four-part series on understanding financial statements focuses on balance sheet statements.
- Cash Flow - So you've developed an amazing product and are ready to start a business, but you're not exactly a big finance person. The first article in this four-part series on understanding financial statements focuses on cash flow statements.
- Collateralized Debt Obligations - Entrepreneurs should understand how various financial instruments work. In this article, we take a look at collateralized debt obligations or CDOs. CDOs are a form of credit derivative that creates a series of cash flows from a pool of credit assets.
- Credit Default Swaps - If somebody asked you what credit default swaps are, would you know the answer? This article offers an excellent primer on credit default swaps.
- Economic Derivatives - Sophisticated entrepreneurs hedge business risk by using financial instruments called derivatives. We take a look at how economic derivatives can protect entrepreneurs from drastic changes in a country's economic climate.
- Energy Derivatives - Energy trading and energy derivatives may seem like a strange concept to some. We offer an explanation of how energy derivatives work and the role they play in risk management.
- Financial Metrics - If you can't measure it, you can't manage it. The fourth article in this four-part series on financial statements focuses on financial metrics.
- First and Second Lien Loans - Trying to get a loan for your business? It is important to understand the different types of debt, whether that be subordinated or unsubordinated, unsecured or secured. This article focuses on first and second lien loans.
- Freight Derivatives - Freight derivatives are growing in popularity as companies rush to hedge against dramatically rising or falling freight rates.
- Income Statement - If you'd like to understand the significance and function of financial statements as it relates to running a business, then this article is for you. The third article in this four-part series on understanding financial statements focuses on Income Statements.
- Inflation Derivatives - Should your business be purchasing inflation derivatives? In this article, we explain what inflation derivatives are and why buying inflation derivatives might be a smart move.
- Insurance Derivatives - Insurance derivatives are financial instruments in which the value is determined by the performance of an underlying insurance risk or asset.
- Non-Cash Compensation: Granting Equity - Generally, companies choose to compensate their employees through cash, stock, and benefits. While cash is easily explained and benefits may include 401k plans, healthcare, and insurance, stock may be granted in through a number of different financial instruments. This article seeks to explain some common methods companies use to granting equity as a component of compensation
- Phantom Stock and Stock Appreciation Rights - So you're an entrepreneur with a young company and you want to get your employees excited about the performance of the company but can't afford the cost of dilution associated with issuing options or restricted stock. Phantom stock and Stock Appreciation Rights can be a great way to overcome this obstacle.
- Senior Debt - Debt financing can be a great way to fund future growth. This article teaches you some of the basics regarding senior debt.
- Startup Equity Financing and Debt Financing - When a young company needs to raise money, they can opt for equity financing or debt financing. Here's how those financing rounds impact the company's capitalization structure.
- Subordinated Debt - Start-up businesses often require financing in the form of debt, which, unlike equity funding, allows the company access to greater capital resources while remaining free from the unwanted pressures of outside investors. This article offers a primer on understanding subordinated debt.
- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: An Introduction - The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed in 2002 after a number of corporate scandals including Tyco International, WorldCom, and most notably, Enron. While this legislation does not apply to private firms, it is important information for entrepreneurs to know what Sarbanes-Oxley is.
- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Help for Small Businesses - The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed in 2002 after a number of corporate scandals including Tyco International, WorldCom, and most notably, Enron. This article focuses on how Sarbanes-Oxley affects small businesses.
- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Title I - The Sarbanes-Oxley Act dictates how all public companies are required to disclose financial information. This article focuses on Title I of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which defines the role of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Title II - The Sarbanes-Oxley Act highlighted some of the faulty accounting and dishonest business practices which contributed to the recession of the early 2000s.This article focuses on Title II of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, a section of the Act that discusses auditor independence.
- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Title III—Audit Committees - This article focuses on the first half of Title III of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Title III of Sarbanes-Oxley outlines various guidelines for corporate responsibility.
- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Title III—Blackout Periods - This article focuses on the second half of Title III of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Title III of Sarbanes-Oxley outlines various guidelines for corporate responsibility.
- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Title IV - This article focuses on the Title IV of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Title IV of Sarbanes-Oxley deals with public company financial reporting and the enhanced financial disclosures required by the Act.
- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Title IX-XI - In our final article reviewing the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we focus on Titles IX-XI. Respectively, these sections of the Act deal with White-Collar Crime Penalty Enhancements, Corporate Tax Returns, and Corporate Fraud And Accountability.
- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Title V - Financial and industry analysts played a large role in the financial scandals that brought down the economy. This article focuses on the Title V of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, a section that specifically addresses Analyst Conflicts of Interest with the aim of keeping securities analysts on the straight and narrow.
- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Title VI - This article focuses on the Title VI of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, also known as the Commission Resources and Authority. In this section of the Act, some common penny stock scams are specifically addressed.
- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Title VII— Past Violators and Investment Banks - This article focuses on the second half of Title VII of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. This section of the Act looks at how investment banks contributed to the financial crisis.
- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Title VII—Accounting Firms and Credit Rating Agencies - This article focuses on the first half of Title VII of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, also referred to as the Studies and Reports section of the Act. This part of Sarbanes-Oxley looks at some intrinsic problems associated with the accounting industry.
- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Title VIII - This article focuses on Title VIII of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which addresses Corporate And Criminal Fraud Accountability.
- Understanding Equity Transactions: Stock Contracts I - In order to understand the capitalization structure of a company, it is important to know what the different types of contracts are to purchase and sell stock of the company. This is the first of two articles on stock contracts.
- Understanding Equity Transactions: Stock Contracts II - This second article on stock contracts provides a more detailed explanation of investment strategies with option contracts.
- Understanding IRAs - Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (Education IRAs) - An Individual Retirement Account, or IRA, is a type of account which allows investors to contribute to their retirement through a beneficial tax structure. IRAs may be started by employees or employers and have a variety of different structures and applications. This article reviews the Coverdell Education Savings Account, formerly known as the Education IRA.
- Understanding IRAs - Individual Retirement Account History - An Individual Retirement Account, or IRA, is a type of account which allows investors to contribute to their retirement through a beneficial tax structure. IRAs may be started by employees or employers and have a variety of different structures and applications. This article reviews the history of Individual Retirement Accounts.
- Understanding IRAs - The Roth Individual Retirement Account - An Individual Retirement Account, or IRA, is a type of account which allows investors to contribute to their retirement through a beneficial tax structure. IRAs may be started by employees or employers and have a variety of different structures and applications. This article reviews the Roth Individual Retirement Account.
- Understanding IRAs - Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts - An Individual Retirement Account, or IRA, is a type of account which allows investors to contribute to their retirement through a beneficial tax structure. IRAs may be started by employees or employers and have a variety of different structures and applications. This article reviews what is known as the Traditional IRA.
- Understanding the Conference Board Leading Economic Index - Economists often argue whether or not the economists is technically in a recession or not; while technical definitions for a recession vary, many economists look to the Leading Economic Index (LEI) as a forecast tool to judge where the economy is heading. Business owners and entrepreneurs can benefit from monitoring the LEI in order to better prepare for financial downturns or upswings.
- Understanding the Dow Jones Indexes - Have you heard news reports of the "Dow" rising or falling, and knew that it had something to do with the stock market, but wasn't completely sure of what the "Dow" was? Dow Jones & Company has created a number of indexes which track the financial performance of certain stocks since 1896. This article explains what the "Dow" is, and the role it plays in today's financial markets.
- Understanding the NASDAQ - Like the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the NASDAQ is often mentioned as an indicator of the health of the American economy. This article explains how the NASDAQ came into its current form and the role it plays in equity markets.
- Understanding the New York Stock Exchange - The New York Stock Exchange is the oldest and largest stock exchange in American history. This article explains how the New York Stock Exchange came into its current form and the role it plays in financial markets.
- Understanding the S&P 500 - Like the "Dow," the price of the S&P 500 is often mentioned on news reports when the stock market is discussed. What exactly does the S&P 500 represent, and what does it mean for business owners and entrepreneurs? This article outlines the historical significance of the S&P as well as its current role in financial markets.
- Weather Derivatives - Derivatives are a type of financial instrument whose value is derived (hence the name of the security) on some sort of underlying asset or value. Derivatives can be used to hedge against an existing investment or be used to function as a form of insurance. This article focuses on weather derivatives.
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