Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Today marks a day of change no matter how one feels about it. Just how much change is to come, though, is still yet to be determined.

In the past, I have recommended caution when acting on what we think or fear might happen, knowing that in many cases one does not need to act within hours to take advantage (or at least not be hurt) by government actions. I continue with that advice now in a time when it could be a blessing if everyone embraced some extra calm and caution as a life rule.

Before the inauguration, Joe Biden already presented what he wants to pass as the next extensive aid package due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And yes, this will include further individual stimulus payments. It includes much more money going to many different places, too, but even with Democrats now having control in both houses of Congress, we cannot exactly what any aid package will look like in its final version.

And if you need any indicator of how important it is to know what a final version looks like, just look to the stimulus package passed by Congress late last month. Only after passage did we get to say that expenses paid for with PPP funds could still be tax deductible and to then see the possibility that those who received PPP funds could also qualify for an employee retention credit. We could not have counseled anyone that this would be the case on Christmas, but a couple days later …

Sometimes we push back against any form of change just because it is a form of change. For example, those changes can seem a pain, you felt you knew the rules and then the rules changed. And heck, it is not even the first time the PPP rules changed since the program began. But in the end, those changes only led to more advantages for more people and, ultimately, more money.

So let’s not get too against change before change even happens. Change can be good. Think back four years, eight years, 12 years, 20, years, 30 years … some changes were good for us, some changes were bad for us, the answers are different for different people, but we all made it through. And if we made it through 2020, we are bound to be able to traverse whatever change Is still upcoming in our near future. And if that change is something you don’t like, don’t worry, more is always coming.

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