That degree will cost you $300,000 or more, counting lost earnings. Worth it, if you want to climb the corporate ladder. Not so much, if you’re looking to buy or build most small businesses. Twenty-five years ago, after leaving his job as a Senate staffer, Alan Pentz spent two years earning an M.B.A. from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. He went on to build the Corner Alliance into a $35-million-in-revenue government consulting firm and recently stepped back from running it day-to-day to launch The Owner Institute, a coaching firm for other small business…

If the stock market has you on edge right now, you’re not alone. Fear is a natural reaction when your hard-earned money seems to vanish overnight. But emotional decisions often lead to costly investment mistakes. This guide gives you seven ways to stay grounded, protect your investments, and keep building wealth – especially during times of uncertainty. Take a moment to pause before you act When emotions run high, your ability to make rational decisions runs low. Emotions like fear and excitement trigger the primal part of your brain, which is designed to help you escape predators, not handle market…

Missing the tax filing deadline is not an uncommon occurrence, and the Internal Revenue Service provides several mechanisms to help you get back on track. This article outlines the essential steps you should take if you failed to file taxes on Tax Day. 1. File Your Tax Return As Soon As Possible Avoid The Failure-To-File Penalty The IRS imposes a significant penalty for failing to file your tax return on time. This penalty is calculated at 5% of the unpaid taxes for each month or part of a month that the return is overdue, up to a maximum of 25%.…

Married student loan borrowers can breathe a bit easier after the Department of Education on Tuesday walked back an earlier statement that had suggested there would be significant changes to how payments are calculated under income-driven repayment plans. Under federal law, married borrowers who file taxes jointly with their spouse and are enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan – a type of federal student loan repayment program that ties monthly payments to the borrower’s income and family size – would have their payments calculated based on their combined income. But borrowers who file taxes separately from their spouse are supposed…

Massive Student Loan And Income-Driven Repayment Plan Processing Uncertainty Remains The good news for student loan borrowers is that they can once again submit applications for income-driven repayment plans, student loan forgiveness, and federal loan consolidation. Additionally, a recent update from a Department of Education court filing provided a general timeline for when student loan servicers will resume processing applications. However, despite this update, significant uncertainty persists about when applications will actually be processed and many other essential details that student loan borrowers are eagerly awaiting. Advocates warn that borrowers remain in limbo, unsure how long they’ll wait or the…

The Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network recently enacted a Geographic Targeting Order aimed at stopping money laundering by Mexican drug cartels. The new order requires money service businesses located in 30 Zip codes in California and Texas across seven counties along the Mexican border to report and retain records of all transactions of more than $200 as well as verify the identity of the people doing such transactions. The new regulation goes into effect on April 14 and remains in force until Sept. 9, 2025 although it may well be extended. In January, President Trump issued an…

The Trump administration has released several major updates on the processing of income-driven repayment plan requests, providing borrowers who are pursuing affordable payments and eventual student loan forgiveness with critical new insights on what to expect in the coming weeks. The Department of Education took down applications for income-driven repayment plans in February and suspended all processing following a ruling by a federal appeals court in a legal battle over the SAVE plan. SAVE is one of four current income-driven repayment options that offer borrowers affordable monthly payments tied to their income and family size, historically with the possibility of…

What Student Loan Borrowers Could Lose If The CFPB Is Gutted The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been a watchdog for student loan borrowers since its inception. The agency’s future is in doubt amid political and legal threats, raising the question: What happens to student loan borrowers if the CFPB is eliminated or severely weakened? This isn’t a hypothetical. President Donald Trump’s administration had already taken steps to dismantle the agency, including closing the CFPB’s headquarters, ordering employees to cease most work, and terminating over 100 probationary and term employees. While a district court judge had issued a temporary injunction…

I am asked all the time, “What is the best state in which to form my LLC.” My answer is usually the same, which is the best state to form your LLC is the one that you are in. Today we have yet another good example of why this is so, as found in the opinion of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Arrowhead Capital Finance, Ltd. v. Seven Arts Entertainment, Inc., 2025 WL 551357 (S.D.N.Y., Feb. 18, 2025). We pick up this case after a judgment for about $2.5 million has been entered…

Who Is Still Eligible For The $1,400 Stimulus Check IRS Payment? With only a few days remaining, those eligible for the $1,400 stimulus check IRS payment must act fast. As I wrote in a previous Forbes post, most eligible individuals have already received their payment; however, you may still be eligible if you meet two conditions. First, you qualified for the $1,400 third stimulus check back in 2021. Second, you have not yet received the payment either as a stimulus check, a payment from the IRS, or a credit on your taxes. For those who qualify, claiming the $1,400 now…