#debt-management
Debt management strategies and payoff planning
New York's $1.065 billion settlement with Yellowstone Capital canceled $534 million in small-business MCA debt for over 18,000 merchants — but canceled debt is generally taxable income unless you can claim an exclusion like insolvency, so here's how to spot an illegal MCA and get your books ready.
Divide 72 by an annual rate and you get the approximate years for money to double: $50,000 at 9% doubles in 8 years, while a 24% credit card balance doubles what you owe in 3. How business owners can use the Rule of 72 to compare investments, price debt, and gauge inflation's drag on idle cash.
DSCR equals net operating income divided by total debt service. Most conventional lenders require at least 1.25, SBA programs 1.1 to 1.25, and a ratio below 1.0 is an automatic decline. Here is how to calculate yours, the mistakes that sink applications, and how to improve a weak ratio before you apply.
The Rule of 78 front-loads loan interest so a lender on a 48-month, $8,000-interest equipment loan has earned about 74% of that interest by month 24 — gutting the savings from early payoff. Here's how precomputed loans work, where they're still legal under 15 U.S.C. § 1615, and how to spot one before you sign.
The times interest earned (TIE) ratio — EBIT divided by interest expense — tells lenders how many times over your operating earnings cover your interest bill. Most lenders want at least 2.5–3.0; below 1.5 signals high default risk. Here's how to calculate it, where it falls short, and how to improve it before a loan application.
In 2026 the Subchapter V small-business bankruptcy debt limit is $3,424,000, down from the pandemic-era $7.5 million ceiling that expired in June 2024 — a bill in Congress could restore the higher threshold for businesses currently locked out of the cheaper reorganization track.
Loan covenants—DSCR, fixed charge coverage, tangible net worth, and leverage limits—can put a small business borrower in default while every payment is current. A practical breakdown of affirmative, negative, and financial covenants, cure periods, waiver requests, and what to negotiate before signing a credit agreement.
A 1099-C does not automatically mean a tax bill. This guide covers when canceled debt is taxable, the five Form 982 exclusions (bankruptcy, insolvency, qualified farm, real property business, principal residence), the 2026 expiration of the student loan and mortgage forgiveness exclusions, and the recordkeeping that proves insolvency to the IRS.
A walkthrough of the IRS's four core tax debt relief programs — installment agreements, Offer in Compromise, Currently Not Collectible status, and penalty abatement — including the 2026 shift to automatic first-time abatement, the 21% OIC acceptance rate from the 2024 IRS Data Book, and how to spot Offer in Compromise mills flagged on the IRS Dirty Dozen list.
A 2026 guide to the five legitimate IRS resolution programs—installment agreements, Offer in Compromise, Currently Not Collectible status, penalty abatement, and innocent spouse relief—plus the warning signs of OIC mill scams and the step-by-step process from a CP14 notice to a working agreement.
Six IRS-approved paths to clear back taxes — short-term plans, 72-month installment agreements, penalty abatement, Offer in Compromise, and Currently Not Collectible status — with eligibility, fees, and when to use each.
Form 433-D authorizes a Direct Debit Installment Agreement (DDIA) with the IRS — $31 setup online with direct debit versus $130 without, automatic monthly payments, and a reduced 0.25% failure-to-pay penalty. A walkthrough of who needs the form, how to complete each section, and how it differs from Forms 9465, 433-A, and 433-F.
