#compliance

Compliance

Navigate regulatory compliance and maintain audit-ready financial records

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July 10, 20266 min read

AI Liability Insurance in 2026: The Coverage Gap Hiding in Your Small Business Policy

Two ISO endorsements effective January 2026 — CG 40 47 and CG 40 48 — carve AI-related bodily injury, property damage, and advertising injury claims out of standard general liability policies, while 74% of small businesses already use AI tools. This guide covers what the exclusions remove, why the Air Canada chatbot ruling makes customer-facing AI the biggest exposure, and the two paths back to coverage: write-back endorsements and standalone AI liability policies.

Mike Thrift

aibusiness-insuranceinsurance

July 10, 20269 min read

Algorithmic Pricing and Antitrust Risk: A 2026 Compliance Guide for Small Businesses

DOJ's 2025 RealPage settlement and new 2026 laws in New York, Maryland, and California mean small businesses using algorithmic pricing tools — from Amazon repricers to short-term rental software — now face real antitrust and disclosure compliance risk, not just large landlords.

Mike Thrift

antitrustcompliancelegal

July 10, 20269 min read

California's SB 68 Allergen Disclosure Law: A July 2026 Compliance Checklist for Restaurant Chains

California's SB 68 (the ADDE Act) requires restaurant chains with 20+ locations and at least one California site to disclose the nine major food allergens on every menu format starting July 1, 2026, with civil liability rather than regulatory fines as the primary enforcement risk.

Mike Thrift

restaurantcompliancelegal

July 10, 20268 min read

Congress Killed the $5 Overdraft Fee Cap. Here's What It Actually Costs Your Business Now

Congress repealed the CFPB's $5 overdraft fee cap via the Congressional Review Act in May 2025, before it ever took effect — large banks now charge $10 to $36 per overdraft and collected over $12 billion in overdraft and NSF revenue in a year. Here's what the repeal means for small business bank accounts, which states are stepping in, and five concrete ways to stop paying the fee.

Mike Thrift

bankingbusiness-bankingsmall-business

July 10, 20267 min read

Connecticut's July 2026 Business Laws: All-In Pricing, Right-to-Repair, and a Lower Data Privacy Threshold

Connecticut's July 1, 2026 laws require all-in advertised pricing, give independent repair shops manufacturer-level access to parts and documentation, and drop the CTDPA's coverage threshold to 35,000 residents with no-threshold triggers for sensitive data and data sales.

Mike Thrift

compliancelegalsmall-business

July 10, 20267 min read

Connecticut's Paid Sick Leave Law Now Covers 11+ Employees: What Changed in 2026

Connecticut's paid sick leave law now covers employers with 11 or more employees as of January 1, 2026, dropping to zero threshold by 2027, while 17 states plus D.C. mandate some form of paid sick leave with accrual typically at one hour per 30 hours worked.

Mike Thrift

small-businesscompliancepayroll

July 10, 20267 min read

The CPSC eFiling Mandate: What Small Importers Need to Know Now

Starting July 8, 2026, the CPSC requires importers to eFile certificate-of-compliance data directly into CBP's ACE system for every regulated shipment, with violations risking penalties up to $120,500 per infraction.

Mike Thrift

compliancee-commercesmall-business

July 10, 20269 min read

Debt Collection Agency Bookkeeping: Trust Accounts, Contingency Fees, and FDCPA Compliance

Debt collection agencies must hold client recoveries in a segregated trust account, recognize contingency fees only after collection, and run monthly three-way reconciliations of bank balance, book balance, and client ledger totals to avoid commingling violations and FDCPA compliance gaps.

Mike Thrift

bookkeepingaccounts-receivablecompliance

July 10, 20268 min read

The Duty Drawback Program: How Importers and Exporters Recover Up to 99% of Tariffs Paid

U.S. duty drawback refunds up to 99% of import duties when goods are re-exported or destroyed, and claims can reach back five years. Here's which tariffs qualify (Section 301, the 2026 Section 122 surcharge), which don't (Section 232), and the import records CBP requires to approve a claim.

Mike Thrift

tariffscustomstax

July 10, 20268 min read

Dynamic Currency Conversion: The Hidden 3-7% Checkout Fee and How to Account for It

Dynamic currency conversion (DCC) marks up foreign-card payments 3-7% above the interbank rate — sometimes 12-18% — and splits the revenue among DCC providers, acquirers, and merchants. Here is who profits, the Visa/Mastercard disclosure rules merchants must follow, and how to book DCC rebates and settlement variances separately from sales revenue.

Mike Thrift

paymentse-commercemulti-currency

July 10, 20269 min read

FDD Item 19 Explained: Why 40% of Franchisors Skip Earnings Claims

About 40% of franchisors disclose no Item 19 earnings data in their FDD, and any verbal revenue claim outside that section is not legally enforceable — here's how to read what's disclosed and what to do when it isn't.

Mike Thrift

franchise-bookkeepinglegalcompliance

July 10, 202610 min read

FEC Compliance Bookkeeping for Political Campaigns and PACs: A Treasurer's Guide

Unreconciled books — not fraud — are the most common way campaigns and PACs draw FEC scrutiny. A treasurer's guide to the $200 itemization threshold, 2025–2026 contribution limits ($3,500 per election to candidates), the 2026 filing calendar, what triggers an audit, and the double-entry bookkeeping practices that prevent RFAIs.

Mike Thrift

compliancebookkeepingrecordkeeping

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