Ideas & Insight

It’s often difficult for married couples to save as much as they need for retirement when one spouse doesn’t work outside the home — perhaps so that spouse can take care of children or elderly parents. In general, an IRA contribution is allowed only if a taxpayer has compensation. However, an exception involves a “spousal” […]

Just about every business owner’s strategic plans for 2020 look far different now than they did heading into the year. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a changed economy in profound ways, forcing many companies to recalibrate suddenly and severely. As your business moves forward in this uncertain environment, it’s important to re-evaluate competitiveness. You may […]

As you may recall, the Small Business Administration (SBA) launched the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) back in April to help companies reeling from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Created under a provision of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the PPP is available to U.S. businesses with fewer than 500 […]

For business owners, building a succession plan is ideally a long-term project. You want to begin laying out a smooth ownership transition, and perhaps grooming a successor, years in advance. And you shouldn’t officially hand over the reins until many minute details have been checked and rechecked. But it doesn’t always work out this way. As […]

Staffing up to reopen a business can be an expensive and risky undertaking. As more state and local governments ease the restrictions related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reopening has happened and is becoming an option for more and more business owners. If you haven’t already reopened, you probably will be able to soon. […]

Although the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has walloped most U.S. businesses, how your business recovers will largely be construction-industry-specific. For example, most construction companies need to address disruptions to project schedules and overseas supply chains. They may need to renegotiate building contracts and find replacements for workers who are no longer available due to travel […]

According to a recent survey by CNBC, 22% of U.S. businesses have been forced to lay off workers or employee furloughs as a result of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Although most employers regard these actions as a last resort, it’s important to know your responsibilities, particularly if you furlough workers. Following are the answers […]

The economic impact of the COVID-19 has been enormous.  Some estimates suggest over 30 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits as a result of this economic impact. Normally when applying for unemployment, you would be eligible to receive a certain percent of your prior wages for up to 26 weeks, subject to a maximum […]

On Wednesday night, the U.S. Senate passed The House bill called the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act and sent it to President Trump, who is expected to sign it. This bill changes things on the Paycheck Protection Program. Here is a summary of main points of the legislation: You now have 5 years to repay the […]

Chances are, employers don’t need the force of law to make them care about the health of their employees, especially during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. But it’s still important to know what the federal worfplace safety agency – the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) – has to say about employees returning to their […]