Over the course of 2018, tariffs and their economic impact dominated business headlines. What began as a handful of U.S.-imposed tariffs soon precipitated retaliatory tariffs from other countries. By the end of the third quarter, these combined tariffs had encompassed ...

Tagged with: Corporate Finance James Barger

One year ago, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was signed into law. Its centerpiece was a permanent reduction of the corporate tax rate to a flat 21 percent. It also permanently repealed the corporate alternative minimum tax (AMT). ...

Tagged with: Corporate Finance James Barger

October is National Women’s Small Business Month, and we’ve made progress in the United States to reach gender parity in business ownership. Today, there are more than 11 million women-owned businesses and women now represent more than half of the ...

Tagged with: Corporate Finance James Barger

In 2014 the Wall Street Journal published an article titled, “U.S. companies cling to writing paper checks.” At the time, 50 percent of business-to-business payments were being made by check, at an average of $5.91 per check—an estimated 10 times ...

Tagged with: Corporate Finance James Barger

Even in the face of tax reform uncertainty, 2017 proved to be a near-record year for mergers and acquisitions. Companies accepted uncertainty to avoid missing opportunities to remain competitive. With tax reform certainty and technology convergence being major themes in ...

Tagged with: Corporate Finance James Barger

On Dec. 22, 2017, President Donald Trump signed into law the most sweeping overhaul of the U.S. tax code in 31 years. One of the most talked about items in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 was ...

Tagged with: Corporate Finance James Barger

May is National Small Business month—a time to recognize small businesses and their impact on American culture and economy, as well as honor the amazing people who run them. Here’s a saying you’ve surely heard before: Small business is the ...

Tagged with: Corporate Finance James Barger

Earlier this year, KeyBank conducted a survey of businesses with annual revenues between $20 million and $4 billion to uncover how they were planning to invest in 2018. More than 90 percent of respondents said they planned to keep their ...

Tagged with: Corporate Finance James Barger

When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 passed, reactions were mixed. Many economists and business leaders took a “wait-and-see” stance, with the most optimistic believing that slashing the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to a flat 21 ...

Tagged with: Corporate Finance James Barger

According to the Equipment Leasing and Financing Association, in 2018 businesses are expected to make their largest capital investments since 2012. Driving this activity is an increase in business confidence, a strong global economy and, yes, the first tax overhaul ...

Tagged with: Corporate Finance James Barger

In 2017, the Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate three times. It is forecasting an additional three hikes in the coming year. While this is a good sign for the economy—an indicator of expected economic growth—it also means the ...

Tagged with: Corporate Finance James Barger

When most people think of insurance, they think of purchasing a policy to protect against the loss of their home or car. To an extent, this is accurate. But an insurance policy—at least a good insurance policy—is much more than ...

Tagged with: Corporate Finance James Barger

Tax planning should be a year-round priority for everyone. However, for business owners who tend to think of taxes only when returns are being prepared, here are some year-end tax savings strategies to consider before the turn of the calendar. ...

Tagged with: Corporate Finance James Barger

The short-term demands of running a business often distract business owners from the long-term importance of developing a comprehensive transition plan. This includes proper planning for protecting and preserving the future of their business. For business owners, the goal of ...

Tagged with: Corporate Finance James Barger