Get our email updates
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.
What's New
Upcoming Events
CNYBJ Job Board
Business Mentors
Ask Rusty: How Do I Navigate the Social Security Maze?
Dear Rusty: I am a woman, turning 65 [soon]. It seems that deciding when to claim Social Security is complicated. I would like more information to navigate through this maze. Thank you. Signed: Ready to Claim Dear Ready to Claim: Deciding when to claim Social Security can be challenging, but we hope to make it […]
VIEWPOINT: Timing is Everything: Mapping Charitable-Giving Plans Under New Tax Law
It’s never been easy to navigate the ever-shifting tax rules around charitable giving, and now it’s even trickier. Major changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025, are creating complexity, opportunity, and, for some, urgency. The OBBBA reshapes both how much you can deduct for charitable contributions
VIEWPOINT: Strategy Without a Soul: When Marketing Leads Without Brand Strategy
You’re launching campaigns, hitting deadlines, and filling the pipeline. On paper, things look great. But something’s off. Internal-messaging debates keep resurfacing. Campaigns feel shallow and reactive instead of resonant and on-point. Ask people what the brand stands for, and you get different answers from each. These are classic signs your marketing is outpacing your brand
Ask Rusty: Should I Take Social Security Now, or at age 70?
Dear Rusty: I was born in April 1958, and my plan has been to take my Social Security (SS) at age 70. However, my sister-in-law says that it is smarter to take it now while I am still working. I will be 70 in 2.5 years. Her husband collects his SS and has kept working.
VIEWPOINT: From Startup to Long-Term Success: How SBA Loans Can Help Businesses Grow
The journey to becoming a small-business owner is challenging yet rewarding. Each stage of this endeavor has opportunities and obstacles — from planning and development to launch and expansion. Fortunately, there are valuable resources available to support and empower entrepreneurs along the way. When you’re ready to scale your business, a loan with support from
VIEWPOINT: In Fight Over ACA Tax Credits, the Stakes are Lowest for NYS
As Washington, D.C. skirmishes over the future of enhanced tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), New York State (NYS) has relatively little to gain or lose. The number of New Yorkers using any ACA credits, enhanced or not, stands at about 119,000 or 0.6 percent of the population, the lowest proportion of any
VIEWPOINT: Navigating the Shift from FIRE to IRIS
IRS changes for Forms 1098, 1099, and other information returns If your business files Form 1098, 1099, or other information returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a major shift is on the horizon. The IRS has recently announced the launch of its new Information Return Intake System (IRIS), which is set to go live
VIEWPOINT: The Success Engine: Strategic Planning and Goal Alignment
Strategic planning, when coupled with goal alignment, is the engine that drives organizations to successfully achieve their goals. Whether your strategic goals include organic growth through capturing more market share, acquisitions, expanding into new markets, adapting to changing market demands, expanding facilities, or succession planning (or some combination of these and others), creating alignment from
VIEWPOINT: New York State’s MWBE Program: New Updates and Continuing Complexities
On May 9, 2025, New York State enacted legislation, as part of the FY 2025-26 New York State budget, extending and adding certain provisions to the New York State Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) program. Although program eligibility and requirements for participants remain the same — maintaining consistency for businesses, at least, for now
Ask Rusty: Should I Claim SS Early Because it’s Going Bankrupt?
Dear Rusty: My best friend is going to be age 62 and wants to begin taking her Social Security (SS) immediately. Her reasoning not to wait is the thought that it is going to run out in 10 years, so she wants as much of her money before that happens. I have paid into Social
Get our email updates
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.