Resources
Business Financing Resources
36 plain-English guides covering financing basics, comparing loan options, avoiding common mistakes, and getting your business ready to fund.
Financing Basics
Understand the fundamentals of business financing
What is a Merchant Cash Advance (MCA)?
What an MCA is, why businesses use it, how repayment works, and how it differs from a traditional bank loan — the short version.
Working Capital — What It Actually Is and How to Finance It
Working capital is the operating buffer every going-concern business depends on. Here's how to measure it, why it matters, and which financing products fit which working-capital cash-flow shape.
Term Loan vs. MCA (2026): Cost, Speed & When Each Wins
Term loans and MCAs look similar on the application but behave very differently. Here's how to tell them apart and when each one wins.
How Business Credit Scores Actually Work
Personal FICO, Paydex, Intelliscore, FICO SBSS — what each business credit score measures, who looks at it, and how to build it.
How Much Home You Can Afford by Salary (The Rules Lenders Actually Use)
Lenders use the 28/36 rule as the starting framework: housing costs no more than 28% of gross monthly income, total debt no more than 36%. FHA is more flexible. Here's how the rules actually work.
How to Think About Investing Your Money — A Framework
Pick the account first, then the allocation, then the product. Most investors jump straight to product selection — and end up paying unnecessary taxes. This pillar resource lays out the sequence that makes investing decisions manageable.
Roth IRA Basics for Beginners — How It Works, Who Qualifies
Post-tax in, tax-free out — that's the Roth IRA proposition. Brian walks through how it works, who qualifies, and the four rules every beginner should understand before opening one.
How Much Money Should You Have Saved by Every Age? (2026 Guide)
The '1x salary by 30' rules of thumb are widely circulated. The Federal Reserve data tells a harder story. Brian's video walks through the age benchmarks; this editorial wrap adds the self-employed angle: SEP-IRA, Solo 401(k), and why personal financial stability matters for SMB funding.
Dollar Cost Averaging Explained 2026: When DCA Wins
DCA is one of the most cited investing strategies — and one of the most misunderstood. Brian's video covers the mechanics; this editorial layer adds the honest math: what DCA does well, what it doesn't, and when it's the right tool.
Tax Brackets Explained for Beginners — How the US Federal Tax System Actually Works (2026)
Most Americans misunderstand the progressive bracket system — you don't pay your top bracket on every dollar. Covers marginal vs. effective rates, the 2026 brackets, filing status differences, and why self-employed owners face a higher effective rate than W-2 employees at the same gross income.
Stock Market Terms for Beginners 2026: Plain-English Guide
Before you can make smart investing decisions, you have to understand the language. Brian's video walks through the terms beginners stumble on. This companion piece wraps each term in the primary-source definition — from SEC Investor.gov, FINRA, and the IRS — so you know exactly what each one means and how it affects you.
Selling a Rental Property: Capital Gains + Depreciation Recapture Tax (2026)
Most rental-property owners expect to pay long-term capital gains when they sell — and miss the second bill entirely: Section 1250 depreciation recapture. The IRS taxes all those annual depreciation deductions back at up to 25%, whether you claimed them or not. Brian's video walks through the mechanics. This editorial companion adds the IRS primary-source framework: the two-part gain split, the 'allowed or allowable' trap, NIIT, and 1031 like-kind exchanges.
What to Do If You Receive an IRS Audit Letter (2026) — Correspondence Audits, CP2000 Notices, and When to Hire Representation
Getting a letter from the IRS feels alarming. Most of the time, it isn't. The majority of IRS examinations are conducted entirely by mail — a correspondence audit asks you to substantiate one or two specific items by sending documentation. Brian's video walks through how to respond calmly and step-by-step; this companion piece adds the IRS primary-source layer: the 3 audit types, the 30-day window, burden-of-proof reality, your Taxpayer Bill of Rights, and when to call in a professional.
Rental Property Tax Deductions 2026: The Schedule E List
Rental income is reported on Schedule E, not Schedule C. Every legitimate operating expense listed there reduces taxable income — and most landlords under-claim because they either don't know the full deduction menu or confuse repairs (deductible same year) with improvements (capitalized and depreciated over time). Brian's video walks through the line items. This editorial companion adds the IRS primary-source framework: Schedule E mechanics, the repair-vs-improvement BAR test, 27.5-year MACRS depreciation, and the $25K passive-loss allowance most landlords miss.
SBA Loan Types Explained: 7(a), 504, Microloan, CAPLines & Disaster Loans
SBA loans aren't one product — they're six distinct programs with different caps, uses, and lenders. Here's how 7(a), 504, Microloan, CAPLines, and Disaster Loans actually differ.
Comparing Options
Learn how to evaluate different financing products
Factor Rate vs APR: How to Compare Business Loan Offers (2026)
Two offers, two different pricing conventions. Here's the math to translate factor rates into APR so you can compare apples to apples.
When to Choose an MCA Over a Bank Loan
MCAs cost more than bank loans on paper. Here's when speed, qualification, and flexibility actually make them the right call.
Equipment Financing vs. Cash Advance (MCA): 2026 Cost Comparison
If you're buying a specific piece of equipment, equipment financing is usually 2-4× cheaper than an MCA. Here's why — and when the MCA still wins.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Financing
Match the term of the financing to the term of the asset or expense. Here's how short-term and long-term debt actually compare.
Best Business Checking Accounts for Small Business in 2026
The best business checking accounts for 2026 are Mercury (tech startups), Relay (multi-entity budget management), NBKC (direct bank charter), and Found or Lili (solopreneurs with built-in bookkeeping). All offer $0 monthly fee tiers.
Best Business Credit Cards for Startups in 2026
Startup business cards range from no-PG corporate cards backed by your funding balance to traditional business cards requiring a personal guarantee. Our editorial team breaks down which is right for your stage.
Best Business Insurance Options for Small Business in 2026
Business insurance is not optional for most SMBs — lenders require it for SBA loans, leases require it, and a single uncovered event can wipe out years of equity. Our editorial team reviews the leading options for small business owners.
Best Payroll Services for Small Business in 2026
Payroll is one of the most legally consequential tasks a small business handles — late or incorrect filings trigger IRS penalties. Our editorial team reviews the five leading payroll services by price, features, and compliance quality.
Best Accounting Software for Small Business in 2026
Good accounting software is the foundation of every lender's underwriting decision — and every owner's tax prep. Our editorial team reviews the five leading options by cost, features, and SMB fit.
Franchise Cost by Category: What 285 Brands Actually Cost to Open (2026)
We grouped 285 franchise brands we've profiled into 15 categories to compare typical startup cost — from home-based referral models under $10K to full hotel builds over $8M.
Common Mistakes
Avoid the pitfalls that hurt business owners
5 Signs of a Predatory Lender
Predatory lenders are common in small business finance. These five tells are how you spot them before signing.
Why Stacking Loans Can Destroy Your Business
Stacking — taking a second MCA on top of an existing one — is the fastest way to compound a cash flow problem into a crisis. Here's the math.
Hidden Fees to Watch Out For
The headline rate isn't the whole rate. Here's the list of fees that quietly inflate the cost of small business financing.
7 IRS Audit Triggers Self-Employed Owners Should Avoid
The same patterns that trigger IRS audits also weaken funding applications. Home office, vehicle deductions, hobby-loss patterns, and 1099 mismatches — clean files on both sides.
Getting Funded
Prepare your business for successful funding
Documents You'll Need for Financing
What underwriters actually need to see, why they need it, and how to assemble it without slowing your application down.
How to Improve Your Approval Chances
Concrete steps to take in the 30-90 days before applying that meaningfully improve approval odds and pricing.
What Lenders Look For in Applications
What underwriters actually weigh — beyond the headline FICO and revenue numbers — and the qualitative factors that tip close decisions.
Timing Your Funding Request Right
Apply too early and you don't qualify; apply too late and you're in crisis pricing. Here's how to get the timing right.
What You Need Before Applying for Business Funding (2026 Checklist)
What to set up in months 0-6 of a new business so you're fundable when you need the capital. Entity, EIN, bank account, and the deposit history that opens lender eligibility.
S Corp vs LLC: Which Hurts Your Loan Eligibility Less?
The S Corp vs LLC trade-off, translated into funding terms. How lenders treat each structure, what K-1s look like to underwriters, and the personal guarantee picture.
S Corp Reasonable Compensation: How Much Salary to Pay Yourself
Why the IRS audits low S Corp wages, how 'reasonable' compensation is actually determined, and the funding-application angle most owners miss when they minimize their W-2.