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Financial Planning
Plan and optimize your financial future with data-driven insights
The Mandatory Roth Catch-Up Rule: What Business Owners Over 50 Need to Know for 2026
Starting January 1, 2026, anyone whose 2025 FICA wages exceeded $150,000 must direct their entire 401(k) catch-up contribution — $8,000 standard or $11,250 for ages 60-63 — into a Roth account, with no pre-tax option and no opt-out.
What It Actually Costs to Sell Your Business: Broker Fees, the Lehman Formula, and Hidden Costs
Business brokers and M&A advisors charge Double Lehman commissions of 10% down to 2% by tier, but minimum fee floors, non-creditable retainers, expense reimbursement, and tail clauses routinely add 5-20% on top of the quoted success-fee percentage.
New Jersey Caps the NOL Deduction at $1 Million: What Corporations Need to Know for 2026–2030
New Jersey's A5322 caps corporate net operating loss deductions at $1 million per year for privilege periods ending July 31, 2026 through July 31, 2030, with public utilities exempt, a six-year carryforward extension for disallowed losses, an estimated-tax penalty safe harbor, and an 80%-to-75% limitation phase-down through 2032.
Donor-Advised Funds for Small Business Owners: Timing Charitable Giving Under the 2026 Rules
Starting in 2026, itemized charitable deductions only count above a 0.5%-of-AGI floor, while the new non-itemizer deduction excludes donor-advised funds. This guide shows small business owners how to respond — bunching several years of giving into one high-income year, donating appreciated stock to avoid capital gains, and using the 60%/30% AGI limits and five-year carryforward around a business sale.
Commercial Insurance Rates in 2026: Which Lines Are Falling, Which Are Rising, and How to Negotiate Your Renewal
US commercial insurance premiums fell for the first time since 2017 — but only in some lines. Property is down up to 25%, cyber is soft, while general liability, commercial auto, and umbrella are still rising 7–15% on social inflation and $31 billion in nuclear verdicts. A line-by-line 2026 renewal guide with negotiation tactics for small businesses.
The $875 Billion Maturity Wall: A Small Business Guide to Refinancing Commercial Real Estate in 2026
Roughly $875 billion in commercial real estate loans mature in 2026 — about 17% of all outstanding commercial mortgage debt — with rates 150-250 basis points above origination. A practical guide for owner-occupiers and tenants, covering the financing gap, DSCR targets of 1.20x-1.35x, SBA 504/7(a) options, and a nine-month refinancing timeline.
Small Business Health Insurance in 2026: Why Premiums Are Up 11% and What Your Options Are
Small-group health insurance premiums are rising a median 11% for 2026, with single coverage averaging $703 a month and family coverage near $2,000 per employee. Here's why costs are spiking, how level-funded plans, QSEHRA, and ICHRA compare to traditional group coverage, and a five-question framework for deciding before your renewal deadline.
Sequence-of-Returns Risk: Why the Order of Market Returns Can Make or Break Your Retirement
Two retirees with identical average returns can end up decades apart in portfolio longevity — the order of returns decides it. How sequence-of-returns risk works, why the ten-year retirement risk zone hits business owners and freelancers hardest, and five defenses including cash buffers, bucket strategies, bond tents, and spending guardrails.
How the Fed's Rate Path Actually Hits Your Business Loan: A 2026 Prime Rate Guide
The prime rate — not the federal funds rate — drives variable business loan payments. It sits at 6.75% in mid-2026, with SBA 7(a) loans priced at Prime + 2.25%–3.0%. Here's the payment math on a quarter-point cut (about $37/month on a $250,000 loan) and how to plan around the Fed's uncertain rate path.
June 2026 Inflation Report: Why a Cooler CPI Doesn't Mean Lower Supplier Costs
June 2026 CPI fell 0.4% — the largest monthly drop since April 2020 — cutting annual inflation to 3.5%, but core prices were flat and producer inflation still runs 5.5%. What the CPI/PPI gap means for small-business supplier costs, tariff pass-through, and fall contract negotiations.
DOL FAB 2026-01: What EBSA's Duty-of-Loyalty Enforcement Shift Means for Small 401(k) Plan Sponsors
EBSA's Field Assistance Bulletin 2026-01 prioritizes duty-of-loyalty and prohibited-transaction cases over process-based prudence claims, and caps routine ERISA investigations at 18 months (30 for complex ones). Here's what small-business 401(k) sponsors should document to stay protected.
The National Flood Insurance Program Expires September 30, 2026: A Small Business Guide
The NFIP's authority to issue and renew flood insurance expires September 30, 2026 unless Congress reauthorizes it. During a lapse, existing policies stay in force and claims are still paid, but no new or renewal policies can be written — a risk for small businesses closing on property, refinancing, or renewing coverage in flood zones. Here's what happens in a lapse and how to prepare.