Category: General

COVID-19 has changed every aspect of our lives, including home buying. Like other states, Pennsylvania recently eased social distancing requirements and updated real estate market health and safety best practices. While buyers are eager to come out of hibernation and take advantage of the lowest 30-year fixed mortgage rates in history, taking time to understand current market conditions and updated safety precautions could make the home buying process less stressful.

The Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act has made it easier for businesses to receive loan forgiveness by relaxing some of the requirements that were initially established when the PPP Loan program was created by the CARES Act.  To help maximize the loan forgiveness your business is eligible for, we’ve put together 6 tips. 

With all the paperwork and changes to the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program, we know it is hard to keep track of dates. To help you prepare, we've put together a list of dates and deadlines to help you maximize your loan forgiveness.

On Friday, June 5, the PPP Flexibility Act (PPPFA) was signed into law.  The primary benefit of this new legislation for Paycheck Protection Program loan borrowers is that it gives them additional time to qualify for loan forgiveness and eases the requirements surrounding the percentage of loan proceeds that must go toward payroll in order to receive forgiveness. Here are a few highlights so you can begin to decide which course of action is best for your business.  

On Friday, May 15, the Small Business Administration (SBA) issued the Loan Forgiveness Application for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans along with a list of instructions for completing the application.  Last week, we provided a Refresher on Eligible Expenses for PPP Loan Forgiveness.  We now turn our attention to documentation the SBA requires you to provide in order to verify your eligible payroll and non-payroll expenses.

During times of crisis, one of the way scammers attempt to spread malicious software, aka malware, is by sending emails that appear to come from government agencies. Ephrata National Bank has become aware of an email appearing to be from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) that contains malware.  The email is identified by the Subject: SBA/Grant/Testing Centre Vouchers.

If you're considering changing jobs, you're not alone. Today, few people stay with one employer until retirement. It's likely that at some point during your career, you'll be looking for a new job. You may be looking to make more money or seeking greater career opportunities. Or, you may be forced to look for new employment if your company restructures. Whatever the reason, you'll eventually be faced with an important decision: When you receive an offer, should you take it? You can find the job that's right for you by following a few sensible steps.

As a business owner, you're going to have to decide when will be the right time to step out of the family business and how you'll do it. There are many estate planning tools you can use to transfer your business. Selecting the right one will depend on whether you plan to retire from the business or keep it until you die.