#regulatory

Regulatory

Federal and state regulatory compliance, rulemaking, and deregulation guidance for businesses

August 16, 202618 min read

FinCEN's Residential Real Estate Rule Is Vacated: What All-Cash Closings Still Require in 2026

A federal court in the Eastern District of Texas vacated FinCEN's Residential Real Estate Reporting Rule nationwide on March 19, 2026, one day before it took effect, and FinCEN's May 18, 2026 FAQs confirm no Real Estate Report is required and no retroactive filing will be demanded if the Fifth Circuit reverses. The Geographic Targeting Orders were untouched and still bind title insurers in covered metros, so this guide covers the rule's three-part test (residential, non-financed, entity or trust buyer), the seven-step reporting-person cascade, and the intake, retention, and reinstatement-kit practices closing professionals should keep dormant rather than delete.

Mike Thrift

real-estatecomplianceregulatory

August 16, 202615 min read

The Free-Product Trap: What the FTC's Influencer Disclosure Crackdown Means for Small Businesses in 2026

Sending a creator a free product is a material connection under 16 CFR Part 255 even when you require nothing in return, and civil penalties now reach $53,088 per non-compliant post. This guide covers what triggers disclosure, why

Mike Thrift

complianceregulatorylegal

August 16, 202615 min read

New Jersey's $5,000 to $1.5 Million Data Broker Law: What Selling Customer Data Now Costs Small Businesses

New Jersey's A5328 (signed June 30 2026) charges $5,000 to $1.5 million a year to register as a data broker, and extends that regime to first-party 'data collectors' that sell data gathered from their own customers. Selling sensitive data is banned outright with no consent exception at $50,000 per record, effective immediately, while registration and fees are expected to be enforced from June 2027 under a $2,500-per-day penalty.

Mike Thrift

complianceprivacyregulatory

August 16, 202614 min read

Virginia's New 5-Employee Discrimination Threshold: An SB 637 Compliance Guide

Effective July 1, 2026, Virginia's SB 637 drops the Virginia Human Rights Act employer threshold from 15 employees to 5 and extends the filing window from 300 days to two years. Any business with five or more employees for each working day in 20 or more calendar weeks is now covered for every prohibited practice — not just discharge. Here is the 20-week counting rule, a seven-step compliance checklist, and the payroll and retention records an investigator asks for first.

Mike Thrift

compliancesmall-businesslegal

August 13, 20264 min read

Knocking at the Fed's Door: What Executive Order 14267 and the FTC-DOJ Deregulation Lists Mean for Regulated Businesses

EO 14267 directed FTC and DOJ to identify anticompetitive regulations — they returned 125+ rules for review. What it changes and what it doesn't for compliance.

Mike Thrift

small-businesscompliancelegal

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