#financial-planning
Financial Planning
Plan and optimize your financial future with data-driven insights
FDIC Insurance and Payroll Accounts: A Small Business Guide to the Main Street Depositor Protection Act
The Main Street Depositor Protection Act (S. 4198) would raise FDIC coverage for noninterest-bearing business payroll accounts to between $250,000 and $5 million, up from today's flat $250,000 limit, but the bill had not passed Congress as of March 2026.
Parametric Insurance: The Faster Payout That's Changing How Small Businesses Survive a Disaster
Parametric insurance pays out within days of a measurable trigger like wind speed or flood depth, instead of the 6-12 week claims process of traditional business interruption coverage — but its basis risk means it works best as a fast-cash layer alongside, not instead of, traditional coverage.
Family Business Succession: A Governance and Bookkeeping Guide for the Third Generation
Only about 12% of family businesses reach a third generation, and the failure usually traces to unclear governance and commingled finances rather than a lack of talent; this guide covers the access-apprenticeship-authority framework, separating family council from board, and the bookkeeping habits that make succession planning possible.
The New Wage-Based H-1B Lottery: What Small Employers Need to Know for 2026
DHS's new H-1B rule replaces the random lottery with wage-weighted selection starting the FY2027 cap season, cutting entry-level (Level I) selection odds from about 30% to roughly 15% while pushing Level IV odds above 61%, and DHS estimates it will affect 5,193 small business petitioners.
HOA Reserve Fund Accounting: How Boards Fix Underfunded Reserves
Roughly 70–75% of U.S. homeowners associations hold underfunded reserves, and about a third sit below 50% funded. This guide covers what state reserve laws actually require, how to read a percent-funded number, the bookkeeping mistakes that compound the gap, and a multi-year funding plan boards can adopt without shocking homeowners.
Indoor Skydiving Wind Tunnel Facility Bookkeeping: A Financial Guide
A recirculating wind tunnel costs $7-10 million to build, and running one full-speed at 230 km/h can draw over 570 kW, making electricity, not rent or payroll, the largest line item on most indoor skydiving facilities' income statements.
Small-Group Health Premiums Are Jumping 11% in 2026 — Here's How to Keep Coverage Without Blowing Your Budget
Small-group health insurance premiums are rising a median 11% in 2026, per Peterson-KFF analysis of 318 insurer rate filings, with 2–5 employee firms up 23% since 2022. What's driving it — GLP-1 drugs, a shrinking risk pool, 9% medical inflation — and seven concrete cost levers, from level-funded plans to ICHRAs.
Umbrella Insurance for Small Business Owners: What It Covers and What It Costs
Commercial umbrella coverage of $1-2 million typically costs under $50 a month for low-risk small businesses, yet most personal umbrella policies exclude business activity entirely, leaving freelancers and side-hustle owners exposed above their general liability limits.
Business Valuation in Divorce: How Much Is a Spouse's Company Worth?
Business valuation in divorce hinges on separating enterprise goodwill from personal goodwill and active from passive appreciation, using ASA/ABV/CVA-credentialed methods like income, market, and asset approaches.
Digital Estate Planning for Business Owners: What Happens to Your Domains, Crypto, and Cloud Accounts When You're Gone
An estimated 20% of all Bitcoin is permanently inaccessible because owners died without sharing private keys — a practical guide to inventorying domains, crypto wallets, and cloud accounts under RUFADAA before a crisis forces the issue.
New Jersey Family Leave Act Expansion 2026: A Guide for Small Employers Before July 17
New Jersey's Family Leave Act expands July 17, 2026, lowering the employer threshold from 30 to 15 workers and cutting eligibility to 3 months and 250 hours worked, extending job-protected leave to roughly 400,000 more employees.
Nonprofit Reserve Funds and Revenue Diversification: Surviving a Federal Grant Freeze
Since early 2025, roughly $425 billion in federal funding has been canceled, paused, or put under review, while 52% of nonprofits hold three months or less of operating cash. This guide covers building a 3–6 month unrestricted operating reserve, capping any single funder at 25–30% of revenue, and tracking both in books that answer concentration questions in minutes.