The knowledge you need

At the end of April, the Biden Administration introduced the American Families Plan (AFP), comprehensive legislation that calls for an investment of $1.8T through grants and tax credits for family and educational programs.  As part of President Biden’s larger economic recovery package, it proposes universal preschool, two years of free community college, paid medical leave, an extension of the Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Credit, and the Child and Dependent Care Credit.

With the news of increased vaccinations and a drop in the number of reported new COVID-19 cases, it is easy to understand the optimism around the expected economic recovery. However, for many Atlanta area businesses, the financial challenges continue as activity has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. The reality is that local unemployment is hovering at 4.5% and overall Atlanta is still down over 160,000 jobs from last year.

The importance of robust cybersecurity controls and policies was on full display recently as the news of a ransomware cyberattack on the Colonial pipeline emerged. Cybercriminals were able to disrupt the delivery of fuel to the east coast pushing many into a frenzy due to dwindling fuel supplies.

Expanding retirement saving opportunities for American workers has been an ongoing priority for Congress over the past several years. The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019, made significant and important changes designed to increase saving opportunities.

Since the start of the pandemic, many Atlanta area businesses and organizations have relied on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) as a source of needed working capital. Originally implemented as part of the CARES Act, it has become one of the most popular Small Business Administration (SBA) offerings likely due to the forgiveness feature.

Since the start of the pandemic, Atlanta businesses have endured an action-packed lineup of government orders which have changed how businesses operate. For some this has meant modified hours, reduced capacity limits, and more restrictions on how to interact with customers. No one has been hit harder than the restaurant industry as many have had to transition to pick up or delivery service.

Since the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was created as part of the CARES Act in March 2020, there have been 274,303 loans issued to Georgia companies totaling $8.5B.  Since the start of the pandemic, PPP loans have become increasingly popular, in part, because of the possibility of full loan forgiveness.

As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, Atlanta individuals, families, and businesses are feeling the impact of restrictive government orders and health mandates in schools, at work, and other public places. While the arrival of the vaccine has helped to curb the number of new infections, there is still much work to be done as Georgia has only distributed 67% of received doses. Over the coming weeks, many will line up to receive either the first or second inoculation and manage with the side effects.

The need for a robust cybersecurity program is essential to protect personally identifiable information (PII) such as social security numbers, taxpayer identification numbers, financial account information, credit card information, and even physical and email address. Cybercriminals are increasingly looking to exploit IT systems to capture high-value information that can be used or sold to criminals.

The American Jobs Plan is a $2.3 trillion piece of legislation designed to improve America’s physical and digital infrastructure while enhancing advanced manufacturing capabilities. Atlanta construction companies stand to benefit from the proposed investment through targeted projects such as new roads and bridges, airports, rail, seaports, and even additional workforce training.