I wish I could say that I wasn’t writing this article from experience but that would be a lie. I wish I could say that chemistry is never an issue between the consultant, S1 attorney and newly elected board members but that would be nave.

The truth is some attorneys who perform great on some public offerings are an absolute nightmare on other transactions. Some board members with a gargantuan size portfolio of contacts are worth the aggravation on some deals but on others fall flat on their face as they try to take the whole company to the ground with them. The reality is qualifying an attorney for the process of an S1 filing goes far beyond whether they’ve got time and experience under their belt. You need to ask the more difficult questions that are almost impossible to test for such as, how do they react in stressful situations? Are they open to stepping outside of their comfort zone to engage in cutting edge filing strategies to speed up the offering process? Do they help with the fundraising? Are they able to refer a PCAOB auditor and a market maker to file the 15c211? These are things that need to be addressed with your S1 attorney but are difficult to actually test beforehand.

Each lawyer is different and all I can say is sit down with them and drill them with a million different questions from a multitude of angles to test their knowledge and their patience. Watch their facial expressions, hand gestures, eye and forehead shift. Look for a bouncing leg or foot and other nervous habits and what questions did you ask to trigger this nervous twitch?

The same techniques can be used for qualifying a board member. The only way to get the best idea of whether there is a fit is to push them to the brink during the interview?

Be careful with this as many qualified professionals could easily take this challenge as disrespect and they’ll walk so don’t be rude or arrogant but with a placid look on your face and a calm voice, drill them and drill them hard.

Many consultants in this industry, myself included had to learn this lesson the hard way and took a lot of time and effort to correct the mistake of bringing on the wrong individual for the solution we were seeking. This is an extremely high stress industry and the environment is constantly at 100 degrees.

Concentrate on being calm, forward thinking, compromising on some issues and uncompromising on others, write down 10 pages of questions and when you sit down with the candidate ask all those questions and other questions that come to mind during the meeting. Test them, push them and get the right person for the job.

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When acquiring real estate, good credit is very important to have. Good credit can make the difference between qualifying for a mortgage or being turned down, which could be disastrous for you.

Before you even start looking for houses to buy, you should go and get your credit record so that you can see where you stand. If you do this, you can attempt to improve it before applying to the finance institutions.

There are also some things you can do to improve your credit score. Make sure you pay down any credit card balances that you may have and pay off any loans that you can.

You need to start trying to better your credit about half a year before you go cap in hand to the lending institutions. It takes at least this long to mend bad credit and to have this alteration show on your credit history.

Remember that better credit rating means better mortgage interest rate. This is more important than many people might think because they tend to overlook the fact that lower interest rates can save them thousands of dollars when computed over the duration of the loan.

If your credit rating is very low, you might not be able to get a mortgage loan, at least without a large down payment. Plus, even if you are able to get a loan, you’ll be paying a much higher interest rate.

Defaulting on a mortgage loan can be very detrimental to your credit rating. Before you get a loan, do some careful calculations to determine just how much debt you can comfortably afford.

As soon as you have it, you need to make sure that all your payments go through in the right time, so it keeps your credit looking good. The last thing you want is penalties for late payment.

The author has been publishing commentary about credit tips for the last three years. Additionally, this writer is fond of writing on New York City real estate topics, such as Midtown apartments in addition to Battery Park City apartments.

If you thought paying for college was a challenge, wait until you discover the joys of making ends meet on an entry level salary. While you may not find yourself to be financially comfortable for a few years, you can start off on the right foot by setting a budget as soon as you negotiate your salary of your first post-college job. Make sure that you sharpen your pencil (and get rid of all luxuries) if you find that you won’t have any fun money left after meeting your obligations. The next steps are below:

1. Never pay bills after the due date. There are fees and interest charges attached to balances when you miss your due date by even a couple days. What’s more, your almighty credit report could take a hit as well. If you’re not sure why a respectable credit rating is important, try getting a car loan or a lease on an apartment without one. If your credit score is good, you’ll likely see better rates for car insurance and loans, too.

2. Don’t get carried away with credit cards. While you may be old enough to obtain a credit card without a co-signer, you need to demonstrate true restraint if you don’t want to wind up over your head in debt. It’s a good idea to accept a credit card as a way to start building a positive credit history, but be sure to pay the full balance every month. You’ll avoid paying interest and won’t find yourself buying more than you can afford. Using a credit card for online or large item purchases is smart because you can dispute the purchase if something goes wrong, but don’t let yourself linger in paying off the balance.

3. Save, save, save. It’s hard to find money to tuck away for a rainy day when your living expenses come alarmingly close to your net pay every month, but it’s a good habit to get into. If you have some savings, you won’t have to go into debt when little emergencies like car repairs creep up. The easiest way to save is through a savings program, like a 401k, through your employer. You won’t even miss it from your check and it grows faster than other types of savings because the employer chips in as well.

4. Keep your eye on your checking account balance. The biggest culprit in overdrawn accounts is the debit card. Don’t confuse it with a credit card – the money comes directly out of your checking account. If you don’t keep a log of what you’ve spent with your debit card you might find that you’ve spend more than you have. The result is nasty overdraft fees that multiply with every single usage. Imagine a drive-through burger ending up costing you over $40 by the time you add the fee.

While you may learn the hard way as you transition from college student to a member of the adult working world, keep doing your best to be financial responsible. It’s a very rewarding habit to get into.

Jon Ross is an economics instructor who runs seminars on scholarships and online degree programs for adults.