MOST debt problems don’t go away and solve themselves. They are there when you go to bed at night, and they’re still there when you get up in the morning. They can cause a lot of ulcers, sleepless nights, stress and even physical sickness. As a bankruptcy attorney for the last 22 years, I have…
IN 2001, Sara Alfaro became a firefighter with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD). Throughout her employment, she consistently performed with a rating of “above standard” or better. She has worked at several of the busiest fire stations, where she was the only woman out of a group of 5-10 firefighters during her shift. In…
This is second of three articles about China technology companies. Bilibili (BILI) • Bilibili Inc. is a China-based company principally engaged in internet and other related businesses. • It’s the clear leader in online entertainment for the younger generation. • Mobile games are still the largest revenue contributor at ~50% of total revenue in 1Q20….
Different clients have different financial and asset situations, which make them start thinking about getting rid of accumulated debt. Nobody starts with borrowing money with the intention of defaulting and not being able to pay back. Certainly, in my over 30 years of practice in bankruptcy law, I have seen potential clients, not many actually,…
THIS has got to be the BEST NEWS for homeowners who are filing for bankruptcy to get out of debt! Given the huge job losses and high unemployment rate that have left many unable to pay their debts, this may be the biggest change in the law that can help many people protect and keep…
“Each meal period must be “not less than 30 minutes,” and no employee shall work “more than five hours per day” or “more than 10 hours per day” without being provided with a meal period.” When time is scarce, those minutes count KENNEDY Donohue worked as a nurse recruiter at the San Diego offices of…
THE transition from Trump to Biden presents a tremendous opportunity to invest in China stocks. You may be familiar with Alibaba, Baidu, JD, and Ten Cent. Let me walk you through these China techs. I used to have few China stocks and even reduced my holdings when Trump started a trade war but since then…
GONE are the days when debtors — who owe lots of credit cards but have home equities that surpass the homestead exemption limits depending on age and the number of relatives living in the house — have to use Chapter 13 instead of Chapter 7 to get rid of debilitating credit card debt. Let’s analyze…
Jennifer Christian worked at Umpqua Bank as a Universal Associate. In late 2013, a male customer asked her to open a checking account. While this initial interaction was unremarkable, the customer soon began visiting the bank to drop off “small notes” for her, stating that Ms. Christian was “the most beautiful girl he’[d] seen” and…
THIS is the fourth of four articles on clean energy. Invesco Solar (TAN): • Invesco Solar ETF offers exposure to global technology and utilities stocks that can benefit from demand for solar as an alternative energy. • Investors benefit from the diversification and liquidity to U.S., European and Chinese companies in one product. • The…
HAVE your credit card debts become so large that you can’t even afford the minimum payments? Or perhaps you’re already behind and your accounts have been turned over to collections? What do you do to get out of this financial mess? If you are in this situation, maybe you’ve wondered about what the legal repercussions…
DOES this sound right? It’s almost incredible, but it’s true. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1885 into law and it is the current law on homestead exemptions effective in 2021! This is monumental because the old law provided the following homestead exemptions: If single, $75,000. If below 65 with another family member in…
Did Amazon pocket its drivers’ tips? IN 2015, Amazon launched Amazon Flex, where persons can sign up as drivers to deliver products to Amazon customers. Amazon promoted that drivers could earn up to $18-$25 per hour, and could “make more” by making deliveries that are eligible for tips. Amazon promised both customers and tip-eligible drivers…
THIS is the third of four articles on clean energy. NextEra Energy (NEE): • NextEra Energy is the world’s largest utility company. • The company is the world’s largest generator of wind and solar renewable power. • It offers the best of both worlds: a secure dividend and industry-leading renewable energy growth. • It enjoys service-territory…
YOU never know what life brings. That’s why you need divine protection from the adversities that life brings us. I told you time and again to pray the rosary and Psalm 91 for divine protection. We all need divine protection. We all know that we are all on this earth temporarily, just for a short…
Q: I got a judgment for back wages from the California Labor Commissioner. But my employer filed bankruptcy and closed the business. I heard that the owners will put up another business somewhere else. Is there anything I can do to collect my back wages? A: The question above is not an uncommon one that…
THE word “bankruptcy” is packed with all sorts of negative emotional triggers. It sounds bad — even dirty. It’s embarrassing. (What if people find out?!) People paint ugly pictures of what their lives will look like post-bankruptcy. But it’s not true. Bankruptcy is an opportunity to close one chapter of your life and open a…
TWO very important events are happening today. The first is the start of former President Trump’s defense by his lawyers. It will be a short defense, they promise. How do you defend the indefensible? After seeing and hearing the case for impeachment by the prosecution in the last two days and events that happened for…
THIS is the second of four articles on clean energy. Enphase Energy (ENPH): • Enphase was the best-performing renewable energy stock of 2019 as it gained 400%. • It designs, develops, manufactures, and sells solar home energy systems. • Each panel is equipped with a microinverters that work best if there is partial shade on the…
IF you’re in debt and are considering bankruptcy as an option for you to get needed relief, perhaps just hearing the word “bankruptcy” makes you extremely nervous. Maybe the word conjures up images in your mind of losing everything you have and not having a financial future. Relax. It’s not what you think. Regardless of…
Yunghui Chen worked as internal auditor for Western Digital Corporation, one of the world’s largest hard disk manufacturers in the world, based in San Jose, California. It employs over 5,000 people in the United States, with revenues in the billions of dollars per year. Ms. Chen started as a Senior Internal Auditor in 2005 and…
THE common belief is that a Chapter 7 for a company, or LLC, or any fictitious legal entity works the same way and ends the same way as a Chapter 7 filed by an individual person. Well, let’s just say that after four years of not knowing the difference between lies, facts and truth, we’ve…
THE Biden presidency will boost energy energy stocks (solar, wind, fuel cell) especially if it extends the solar investment tax credit for residential and commercial property installations. ETF stands for Exchange Traded Funds that are similar to Mutual Funds but trade like ordinary stocks. This is the first of four articles on clean energy. ALPS…
Q: During the Stay-at-Home order in California, my employer has sent me home on a “work furlough” without pay because I am not an essential worker. It has been more than a month and I still have not been asked to go back to work. Is a work furlough a termination? What are my rights?…
WHAT is timing? In life, as we all know, there’s such a thing called timing. Like the timing is right. Or, the timing is wrong. If the timing is right, then good consequences flow from the decision made. If the timing is wrong, then bad consequences flow from the decision made. Let’s say you just…
Housing slowed down during the early part of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the combination of ultra-low interest rates and desire for more space to ride out the virus storm has brought about a surprisingly strong rebound in the market. New home sales exceeded 1 million units, up more than 40% the year before. The National…
IF you are a homeowner struggling with mortgage payments during this pandemic, you are not alone. A mortgage forbearance can provide temporary relief by allowing you to make either reduced payments or no payments at all, for a specific period of time. Usually, it is not automatic, and you will need to call your lender…
Housing demand is outpacing supply. Unsold inventory is down to only three months of supply. California wildfires reduced lumber and helped push up housing prices by 11%. The beneficiaries: homebuilders. Here are my top housing stocks with specific ratings and buy recommendations. 1. Beazer Homes BZH Rating: • Good: Price/Sales ratio low, industry high rank…
Francoise Brougher was employed as Chief Operating Officer of Pinterest, Inc., a multi-billion dollar image sharing service. Prior to working at Pinterest, Ms. Brougher worked for Google and Square. During her two-year tenure, she helped guide Pinterest into becoming a publicly traded company, grew its customer base and accelerated its growth. However, Ms. Brougher realized…
LET’S assume that you have incurred too much debt. What do I mean by too much debt? By this, I mean that you are now a slave to creditors because your debt level is beyond what your income can handle comfortably such that there is every month you have no savings. Let’s discuss the pros…
