By Joseph E. Seagle, Esq.

👋 Happy Friday! Today is National Frozen Yogurt Day, and tomorrow is National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. I get the sense that it’s tough to sell frozen desserts in the middle of winter.

❗Situation Awareness: The FinCEN Residential Real Estate Reporting Rule will apply to any non-bank financed residential real estate conveyance occurring on March 1 or later (for now), so you will start getting lots of questions from your title and closing agents about your entities and trusts, starting this month. See this week’s top story for details.

Florida’s title companies, real estate lawyers, and closing professionals are watching a quiet but consequential lawsuit that could reshape how real estate transactions are reported nationwide — and how much data private actors must hand over to the federal government.

At the center: Fidelity National Financial v. U.S. Treasury, a challenge to FinCEN’s new Residential Real Estate Reporting Rule under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).

Why this matters: The rule would, for the first time, impose nationwide reporting requirements on non-bank-financed residential real estate transfers, including many cash deals and hard-money or private-lender mortgage deals involving LLCs and trusts — a common structure that Florida real estate investors and flippers use to purchase and hold residential real estate. It will also apply to seller-financing, subject-to, and intra-family transfers of residential real estate where the new owner will be an entity or a trust and no bank financing is used to purchase the property.

FinCEN finalized the rule in August 2024 to combat money laundering through anonymous property purchases. Historically, FinCEN relied on Geographic Targeting Orders for anti-money laundering (AML) efforts, limited to certain metros. This rule goes much further.

Under the regulation, title companies, lawyers, and settlement agents would be required to collect and report detailed information on buyers, beneficial owners, and transaction terms for nearly all non-bank residential mortgage purchases nationwide.

FinCEN estimates it could add up to an average of two hours of work to every closing where it is required.

Fidelity argues that’s a bridge too far.

Fidelity’s core claim is that FinCEN exceeded its statutory authority under the Bank Secrecy Act. The BSA allows reporting tied to suspicious or unlawful activity, Fidelity says — not blanket surveillance of lawful transactions.

The lawsuit also raises constitutional challenges, arguing the rule:

The government counters that Congress intentionally gave FinCEN broad authority to adapt anti-money-laundering rules as financial crime evolves — including in real estate.

Recently, the Magistrate Judge recommended that the District Court Judge should enter summary judgment in favor of the United States and against Fidelity.

Regardless of who wins at summary judgment, it’s all but certain that this would not be the end of the case as either side would appeal the decision.

There’s also a parallel case winding its way through the federal court in the Eastern District of Texas, and it’s also at the summary judgment stage. If the holdings there conflict with those in Florida, the district split could lead to an appellate court split that may ultimately end up before the Supreme Court.

Florida consistently ranks among the nation’s most active real estate markets for:

That makes Florida disproportionately exposed to the rule’s impact. Title agencies, real estate attorneys, and settlement services could face new compliance systems, data-collection workflows, and liability exposure, even if the rule survives with modifications.

What’s next: The case is pending in federal court, with summary judgment arguments already heard. FinCEN has delayed enforcement until March 1, 2026, signaling regulatory uncertainty much as it has done with Beneficial Ownership Interest reporting and the Investment Adviser Rule.

Bottom line: Whether Fidelity wins or loses, this case marks a turning point. Real estate is no longer a regulatory blind spot — and Florida professionals should prepare for a future where closing a deal may look a lot more like filing a financial crime report.

What to watch: Court rulings (linked above) on agency authority, possible rule narrowing, and whether Congress steps in to clarify or repeal the BSA’s reach into real estate, entity ownership, and financial adviser reporting requirements.

A proposed one-year federal cap limiting credit card interest rates to 10% is gaining political traction — and sparking sharp debate across banking, travel, retail, and small business circles. Supporters say it would give consumers immediate relief. Critics warn it could quietly dismantle credit access, rewards programs, and spending power that prop up the broader economy.

The proposal, backed publicly by the President, would temporarily override market-based pricing in a system where average credit card APRs now exceed 20%. Industry analysts, including The Points Guy founder Brian Kelly, argue that the consequences would extend far beyond cardholders.

For consumers carrying balances, a 10% cap would be a rare pause button. Interest costs would drop immediately, giving households breathing room amid stubbornly high living expenses. For small business owners who rely on personal cards to smooth cash flow — a common practice among Florida entrepreneurs — the savings could be meaningful, at least temporarily.

Politically, the appeal is obvious: credit card rates are visible, painful, and widely disliked.

Banks argue the math doesn’t work. A 10% APR often fails to cover default risk, fraud, servicing, and rewards. Kelly estimates that as many as 80% of Americans could see credit limits slashed or accounts closed if lenders pull back rather than lend at a loss.

That contraction could ripple fast: lower credit scores due to higher utilization, tighter access to mortgages and business loans, and the erosion of rewards ecosystems that subsidize travel, cash-back, and airline partnerships. Florida’s tourism economy, heavily intertwined with airline rewards and card spending, would feel that impact disproportionately.

If traditional cards retreat, alternatives rush in. Buy-now-pay-later providers and fintech installment plans could expand rapidly, shifting consumer debt into less-regulated corners of the market. Retailers may benefit. Consumers may not.

A one-year cap sounds temporary, but financial systems reprice risk fast. Even a short experiment could permanently change credit availability, rewards economics, and consumer behavior. For entrepreneurs and professional practices, the real risk isn’t higher interest — it’s less credit altogether.

Legislative details matter. Exemptions, duration, and enforcement will determine whether this is a brief political gesture or a structural reset of consumer credit. Either way, the proposal signals a growing willingness in Washington to intervene directly in credit pricing — a trend worth watching closely.

Watch for reports on new legislation on this issue, as that is what will be needed to be effective. The prior administration tried to cap late fees and other “junk” fees charged to consumers on credit cards, flights, and elsewhere, but the courts struck them down as executive overreach without congressional imprimatur. While the current administration is fond of executive orders, it apparently understands that those won’t be sufficient to make a change of this magnitude.

Estate sales aren’t just happening when parents or grandparents are gone, they’re also used when moving out of the house to leave the country, move in with children, or go to an assisted living facility. This week’s guest on the Trust This podcast is Marlies Bredel, the founder of Orlando Estate Sale Ladies. We discuss the logistics of estate sales and what can derail the process.

Listen in or watch on your favorite streaming platform.

Retirement is less about where you stop working and more about where your money, property, and family plans work best for you. State laws quietly shape taxes, asset protection, and long-term control — often more than investment returns do.

Why it matters: More retirees are relocating with intention, not just sunshine. States like Florida, Texas, and Tennessee dominate inbound retirement migration, but Florida remains uniquely strong because it combines tax advantages with unusually robust asset-protection laws.

The Florida advantage:

Compared to high-tax or creditor-friendly states, Florida offers retirees a rare triple benefit:

Where other states fall short:

Many popular retirement states still carry hidden risks:

Key takeaways:

Bottom line: Retiring in Florida isn’t just about beaches and weather. It’s about legally keeping more of what you’ve earned, protecting your home and savings, and simplifying estate administration for the people you love. Geography, in retirement, is a financial decision.

Go deeper at the Aspire Legal Solutions website.

Download our “Retiring to Florida - Doing it right” checklist

Succession isn’t about replacing you. It’s about protecting the vision when you’re gone.

Founders often overvalue loyalty and undervalue clarity. The next visionary doesn’t need to be a clone — but they must be a steward.

Strong leaders don’t confuse motion with progress.

You’re looking for someone who:

If they can’t translate their vision into traction, they’re not ready.

A true successor respects the original vision, but isn’t trapped by it.

They should:

This is healthy tension, not rebellion.

The next visionary must scale people and processes, not become the bottleneck.

Watch for:

If everything still flows through them, the business stalls.

Before retiring, gradually shift:

If the business gains clarity — not confusion — you’ve likely chosen well.

Your legacy isn’t just the business you built. It’s the one that thrives without you.

Succession done right protects value, culture, and momentum. Done wrong, it quietly erodes all three.

Choose a visionary who can see beyond you — and still honor what you built.

We hope you found this helpful — any feedback is appreciated and can be shared by hitting reply or using the feedback feature below.

Be on the lookout for our next issue! 👋