Attorneys Beware: scammers are after you

Attorneys Beware: scammers are after you

Beware the scammers are attempting to gain access to your trust accounts.  Recently, an attorney who received an email advising that a Swedish company needed the assistance of an attorney to complete a business transaction contacted Sage Investigations LLC. The...
Why is a Kovel Letter Important?

Why is a Kovel Letter Important?

An attorney should always issue a Kovel Letter to a forensic accountant after being hired by a client to represent them in a civil or criminal tax matter.  What is a Kovel letter?  It is a letter based on a landmark federal case, United States v. Kovel, 296...
Protect Your Client from Engaging in Hard Money Lending

Protect Your Client from Engaging in Hard Money Lending

The definition of Hard Money Lending is fairly simple: a Hard Money Loan is a loan of “last resort” or a short-term “bridge loan.” Bridge Loans are loans of short-term duration that are typically a temporary solution to longer term financing from more...
Due Diligence Helps Manage Risk

Due Diligence Helps Manage Risk

What is due diligence?  (1) The care that a reasonable person exercises to avoid harm to their person, finances or that of another person. [1] (2) The process of obtaining and evaluating details about the subject, entity, or investment opportunity before making a...
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Forgiveness of the Loan Proceeds

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Forgiveness of the Loan Proceeds

This article continues the series on PPP loans but relates to the forgiveness of the SBA PPP Loan.  Starting in October 2020, a recipient of a PPP Loan has ten months to report to its lender the disposition of the loan proceeds. The reporting can be done on Form 3508,...
Be Skeptical about Promissory Notes Sold as Safe Investments

Be Skeptical about Promissory Notes Sold as Safe Investments

In April 2009, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued a notice to investors entitled, Broken Promises: Promissory Note Fraud (U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission 2009).The notice defines a promissory note as a form of debt—similar to a loan or an IOU—that...