Mixing business and personal money is the most common way liability protection fails. Here's what counts.

Handshake deals work until they don't. Here's the short list of terms that prevent most disputes.

Opening a bank account in another state usually doesn't require registering your LLC there. Here's what actually triggers registration.

The first hire triggers registrations, insurance, and filings that don't exist for a solo business.

How you take money out of your business changes what you owe. Here's how the three main routes differ.

Without a mechanism in your operating agreement, an absent partner keeps their interest indefinitely.

Owner funding is either capital or debt, and the difference affects your basis, your taxes, and what happens on a sale.

A personal guarantee sets aside your entity's protection for that obligation. Here's what to negotiate.

Transferring a mortgaged property to an LLC can trigger a due-on-sale clause. Here's what to check before you record a deed.

Loan applications stall over paperwork problems more often than credit ones. Here's what underwriting checks.