Article archive

Illinois Tightens Sales Finance Agency Rules for Receivables Purchasers

Illinois has revised the Sales Finance Agency Act through HB 5290, now Public Act 104-0516. Effective June 26, 2026, the law increases licensing, examination, and enforcement requirements for entities purchasing retail installment contracts, retail charge agreements, and related receivables in Illinois.

July 2026

5 Business Lessons Every CEO Can Apply

Five CEO lessons on using AI wisely, building the right network, staying close to customers, and leading with an ownership mindset.

Note-on-Note Financing Explained: Borrowing Against Your Notes

Note-on-note financing is how note investors recycle capital without selling. The facilities are lightly licensed by name, but regulated at every edge.

Buying Mortgage Notes From Banks: How It Works and What to Check

Banks sell notes to manage capital and clean up balance sheets. Buying them is the easy part; the diligence and the licensing plan are what separate professionals.

Performing vs Non-Performing Notes: The Compliance Difference

The price discount on non-performing notes is compensation for work, and much of that work is regulated. Here is how the licensing analysis splits between the two.

Mortgage Note Investing for Beginners: The Licensing Side Nobody Explains

Most beginner guides cover yield math and due diligence. Almost none explain when buying a mortgage note makes you a regulated lender, servicer, or debt collector.

Can an LLC Be a Nonprofit? What the IRS Actually Allows

The LLC is the default vehicle for new businesses, so founders ask if it works for charities too. Technically yes, practically almost never. Here is why.

What Is a Foundation? Private Foundations vs Public Charities

Every foundation is a nonprofit, but not every nonprofit is a foundation. The difference is where the money comes from, and it changes the rules entirely.

Are Churches Nonprofit Organizations? How 501(c)(3) Applies

Churches hold a unique position in nonprofit law: automatically tax exempt, excused from the Form 990, and exempt from most fundraising registration.

How Much Does It Cost to Start a Nonprofit? Full Fee Breakdown

The federal fees are fixed and modest. The real budget question is the state layer and the recurring compliance calendar that starts the day you incorporate.

IRS Form 990 Explained: Which 990 Your Nonprofit Files and When

The Form 990 series is the annual information return nearly every exempt organization files. Here is which version applies to you and why missing it is costly.

Nonprofit Board of Directors: Roles, Positions, and Responsibilities

Every nonprofit corporation is governed by a board of directors. Here is what the board actually does, the positions it needs, and the duties the law imposes.

What Is a Nonprofit Corporation? How It Works and How to Form One

A nonprofit corporation is a corporation with no shareholders: it can earn revenue and pay salaries, but nobody owns it and nobody takes the profits.

Types of Nonprofits: 501(c) Categories and Charity Types Explained

The tax code recognizes more than two dozen categories of exempt organizations. Here are the ones that matter in practice and how to tell which fits.

What Does 501(c)(3) Mean? Requirements and How to Qualify

501(c)(3) is the section of the federal tax code that exempts charities, churches, and foundations, and it is the status that makes donations tax deductible.

Not-for-Profit vs Nonprofit: What Is the Difference?

The two terms get used interchangeably, but they carry different shades of meaning, and the IRS uses neither one the way most people expect.

May 2026

COLORADO AI DECISIONING LAW REPLACED Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 26-189 on May 14, 2026, repealing and replacing the state's earlier AI law with a narrower framework governing automated decision-making technology used in consequential decisions. Effective January 1, 2027, the law applies when automated tools materially influence decisions involving consumer access, eligibility, pricing, [...]

April 2026

NY BNPL LICENSING FRAMEWORK ADVANCES WITH DETAILED REQUIREMENTS Following earlier movement to regulate Buy Now, Pay Later products, New York regulators are now advancing a proposed rule that outlines how the framework would operate in practice. The rule would require most BNPL providers to obtain a state license and comply with detailed requirements covering disclosures, [...]

15 Licensing Application Process Facts That Delay Approvals

Most licensing delays come from small misses. A payment method that does not work, a stale certificate, the wrong signature, a missing ownership detail. These are the things that slow down filings, trigger deficiencies, and force teams to redo work they thought was finished. We pulled these from the webinar because they came up naturally [...]

California Delete Act: DROP Deadline and Data Broker Rules

Property managers in Maryland are running into a question that is getting more attention and creating real operational risk. Does collecting rent, especially when a tenant is past due, trigger Maryland's collection agency licensing requirements?

March 2026

FCC PROPOSES CALL CENTER ONSHORING, ENGLISH PROFICIENCY, AND ANTI-ROBOCALL MEASURES On March 26, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission voted to launch a new rulemaking focused on offshore call centers and the role they play in customer service, data security, and illegal robocall activity. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeks comment on a range of proposals [...]

February 2026

NYC ADOPTS SWEEPING DEBT COLLECTION RULE AMENDMENTS New York City has finalized a broad set of changes to its local debt collection rules, expanding obligations for collection agencies, debt buyers, and original creditors once they engage in "debt collection procedures." The final rule, effective Sept 1, clarifies several long-debated areas, including communication limits (applied per account), [...]

Maryland Rent Collection in 2026: 7 Licensing Risks Property Managers Must Avoid

Property managers in Maryland are running into a question that is getting more attention and creating real operational risk. Does collecting rent, especially when a tenant is past due, trigger Maryland's collection agency licensing requirements?