Should you sign that independent contractor agreement?
Q: TWO years ago, I signed up with an agency to work as a nursing assistant assigned to patients in private homes. Recently, the agency asked me to sign a…
Category: Consumer Columnists
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Life cycle of an audit
(Part 1 of 3) WHILE audit penetration has, decreased, the quality of audits has improved. Auditors undergo specialization training. They conduct economic reality audits that involve looking at issues beyond…
The Philippine Housing Plan Is an Epic Failure
In a CNN report written by Paolo Taruc on September 21, 2015, the Philippines emerged as one of Southeast Asia’s fastest growing economies with an average gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate…
Senior scammed out of $100K by Internet boyfriend, needs Chapter 7 relief
Client filed for Chapter 7 without lawyer in 2008 did not get discharge CLIENT is 65 and a widow. Wanting some male attention, I guess, she posted her picture on the…
Barter for labor: Can employees be paid ‘in-kind’?
COREPOWER Yoga (CPY) owns a chain of yoga studios throughout the country, including at least thirty-one studio locations in California, and offering yoga classes throughout the day. CPY operated…
Bankruptcy: When bad things happen to good people
IF you’ve accumulated a lot of debt and something has happened in your life that’s made it difficult to pay your bills, you are not alone. After almost 18 years…
Death of a taxpayer (part 1)
Two major requirements under the Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015: 1. The estate executor or others required to file an estate tax return Form…
Using Chapter 13 to stop foreclosure
Senior needs Chapter 13 to stop sale of $1.0M house by judgment lien of $30K “ Don’t wait until the last minute. Credit card debt must be wiped out now…
How your personal injuries affect your rights at work
Q: I WAS severely injured in a recent car accident while returning to work on an errand. I had to undergo multiple surgeries. I missed several weeks of work and…
How the IRS stores your income tax returns for future audits
THIS is the second of three articles on how the IRS selects tax returns for audit. Our first article discussed how tax returns are received, verified, and reviewed. This article…
Feeling lost: Do you need direction with your financial life?
MAYBE you’ve experienced this before: You’re driving down the road one cold, chilly day and before you know it, you find yourself surrounded by a thick white wall of dense…
Divorce issues & tax tips
1. Non-recognition rules of property settlement between spouses. There is no gain or loss recognized on a transfer of property incident to a divorce under IRC section 1041. Sample 1…
Seniors facing end of interest only mortgage payments need Chapter 13 to stop foreclosure
Senior needs Chapter 13 to stop sale of $1.0M house by judgment lien of $30K CLIENT is 61. Her husband is 60. In my book, they are young seniors. They…
Protecting employees from sexual harassment at work
SEXUAL misconduct in the workplace is more common than most people think. In many instances, victims do not complain for fear of retaliation, of being disbelieved, or for sheer embarrassment….
How IRS verifies your income tax returns for audit
DID you ever wonder how the IRS selects tax returns to be audited? Here’s a three-part series on how tax returns are received, stored, and chosen for audit: • How…
Protecting immigrant employees’ rights in today’s politics
THE current political environment has disturbed many immigrants. The administration has touted that immigration laws will strictly be enforced, with tough talk on rounding up immigrants for deportation. This has…
Trump tax plan for 2017 & beyond
REPUBLICAN president-elect Donald Trump unveiled a new framework for his revised tax plan. Basically, his plan simplifies the tax code – reduce tax rates, simplify provisions, and reform business taxation….
How bankruptcy relief can end debt stress & anxiety
ONE thing certain about debt problems is that most of them don’t just go away by themselves. They’re there when you go to bed at night and they’re still there…
Bankruptcy options for senior citizens
ARE your “golden years” golden? Not so for more and more Americans age 65 and older. The rate of personal bankruptcy filings among those ages 65 or older soared by…
Senior needs Chapter 13 relief for $24K credit cards
Formerly rich seniors need Chapter 7 relief “ We have strength for all things in Christ who empowers us – He infuses us with inner strength and we are self…
Are men entitled to take leave for their new baby?
Q: I HAVE been working five years for a company (with over 200 employees) in Los Angeles. My wife just gave birth to our first child. Being a new father,…
2016 federal tax changes
1. TAX Day is April 18, 2017: While we are accustomed to a filing tax deadline of April 15, this day falls on a Saturday so the deadline is moved…
$25 million payout in Trump University class action
Is non-admission of guilt the same as innocence? SONNY Low is a 71-year old San Diego resident, who took the free introductory Trump University seminar. Trump University persuaded Low to pay…
New California laws 2017
“ Workers in ‘substantially similar’ jobs but of different races or ethnicity will need to be paid equal wages.” (Part 2 of 2) TEXTING While Driving: Texting is already forbidden,…
Why most people feel powerless over debt problems
IF you are experiencing debt problems, you may find it difficult to talk to other people about it to the point that you are not getting the help that you…
Chapter 7 to discharge credit cards, loans
CLIENT is 64, a young senior. I say young because I consider seniors in their sixties as still active and robust. Except for more white hair, they still feel like…
Gender equality: A winning fight for a women’s basketball coach
Mary Burns worked as the women’s basketball coach at San Diego State University (SDSU) for 16 years, and was considered the “winningest coach in SDSU women’s basketball history.” However, during…
Debt forgiveness without bankruptcy?
You’ve probably seen a lot of these ads: “Settle your debts for pennies on the dollar!”, “Reduce your debts legally without filing bankruptcy!” “Stop bill collectors now and pay them…
Proving your citizenship
A little known provision of a new law could result in a denial of health care benefits to an estimated 50 million Medicaid (California’s Medi-Cal) enrollees. This includes hundreds of…
“On-call” during breaks? You may be entitled to additional wages
ABM Security Services, Inc. employed about 15,000 current and former security guards at residential, retail, office, and industrial sites throughout California. In 2005, Jennifer Augustus and two other security guards,…