Basics of ERISA in Indiana: A Practical Overview

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) is a federal statutory scheme that governs many employer-sponsored benefit plans. What Types of Benefit Plans Does ERISA Cover? ERISA generally applies to “employee benefit plans,” a term that includes employee welfare benefit plans (for example, health and certain disability-type benefits) and employee pension benefit plans…

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Understanding the Difference Between Easements and Encroachment Agreements Under Indiana Law

When dealing with property rights, it is essential to understand the legal tools available to address access, use, and boundary issues. Two common mechanisms are easements and encroachment agreements. Easements and encroachment agreements are two distinct legal tools that property owners in Indiana often encounter when addressing issues related to land use and boundaries. While…

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So, you’re a creditor in a bankruptcy case. Now what?

Most people go through life with little to no interaction with the bankruptcy court system. Those that do are usually voluntary players, like individual debtors who choose to file a bankruptcy case or lenders who know that losses are part of the business. However, sometimes a small business or an individual is pulled into someone…

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An update on SBA loans

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is an agency in the US Government that provides loan guaranties to banks that allows them to provide financial help to small businesses. This lets lenders give loans to small businesses that might otherwise be too risky without this additional level of insurance. The most common SBA loan is called…

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Using bankruptcy to correct mistakes made by small business owners

No one starts a business with the intention of having it stumble or fail. But mistakes happen – whether by accidental missteps or economic conditions – and not all businesses are profitable. Here are ways that bankruptcy might correct or mitigate mistakes made by small business owners: 1) Reorganizing tax debt One very common misstep…

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