Important Information Regarding Emergency Loans Under the CARES Act

by Gulfshore Insurance

On March 27, 2020, the President signed a $2 trillion stimulus package (CARES Act) that included $349 billion for new, partially forgivable small business loans to cover certain payroll costs, mortgage interests, rents and utilities payments. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans will charge interest at no more than 4% and will be administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA). As the program’s name implies, PPP Loans are designed to provide cash to small businesses, including sole proprietors and independent contractors. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has issued the following guide to help small businesses and self-employed individuals prepare to file for a loan.

Small Business Guide to Emergency Loans

We have compiled the highlights of this new program below and recommend consulting with your legal and/or financial advisers regarding this matter.

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans for Small Businesses

• This new program provides 8 weeks of cash-flow assistance to small employers, including sole proprietors and independent contractors. Employers who maintain their payroll can get the loan forgiven for the portion of the loan that is used for payroll, rent, and utilities.
• Businesses can borrow 2.5 times what their average monthly payroll was during the period of 2/15/20 to 12/31/20. While your business can spend your loan on any expenses, it will only be forgiven later if you spend 75% of it on payroll and 25% of it on the other approved items during the 8-weeks after you receive the loan. Any portion of your loan that is not forgiven will be converted to a loan that has a .5% interest rate and must be repaid within 2 years.
• Small businesses and sole proprietors can begin applying this Friday, April 3rd. Self-employed and independent contractors can begin applying Friday, April 10th.
• These new Paycheck Protection Program loans will be handled through private banks and lenders. If you are interested in applying for a PPP loan, you should contact your local banker to ask if they are approved to handle PPP loans. If your bank is an authorized 7a lender, you will be able to apply for these loans through them.

Download the PPP Factsheet

Download the PPP Application

Additional Loan Tools

Do you qualify as a small business?

Here is the Small Business Administrations guide to size standards. This is a quick reference for quickly checking eligibility. We recommend also reviewing the SBA guidelines for eligibility.

Small Business Administration Loan Application

For more details, visit the U.S. Treasury Department’s new website at home.treasury.gov/cares.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your Gulfshore Insurance Client Advisor who can direct you to the appropriate resources.