What financial planning items can you review in July to free up more bandwidth for key end-of-year decisions? Debt, estate planning and insurance.

Debt is typically perceived as an obligation rather than a return on investment. The interest rate you are paying on a loan should be viewed in parallel with the opportunities available in other assets. Have a sub 3% mortgage when the current 30 year fixed rates are at 6%?? Keep it and pay it down slowly! Have a 20% rate on your credit card balance? Pay that balance down as soon as possible. You aren’t getting a 20% return on average from ANY risk asset.

The best outcomes when it comes to financing ultimately stem from optionality. The more options you have to either finance growth or get yourself out of a cash flow pickle, the better positioned your business will be. Here are five financing alternatives to those toxic merchant cash advances.