Should you employ your children this summer?
IF you run your own business, consider employing your children this summer vacation. Employing your children gives you a triple benefit: 1. It teaches your children the virtue of work…
Category: Consumer Columnists
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Empowering an employee to serve as Private Attorney General
Q. I WANT to file a wage claim against my employer for unpaid overtime hours and missed breaks. Some of my fellow employees, who also have unpaid overtime and missed…
Is money stress making your life miserable?
ARE your finances stressing you out? For a lot of people, financial concerns can be their number one cause of stress. We are living in difficult financial times and a…
Seniors see no benefit in keeping credit card debts
One seeks to discharge $20K and another $30K WE all go through different stages in life. When you are in your twenties, your whole life is ahead of you. You…
10 tax benefits for parents with children
WE do get tax benefits from our little rasca… lovable adorable children: • Dependency exemption: A child can be claimed as a dependent starting from the year they are born….
Employer cannot forfeit wages that employees already earned
BETWEEN 2005 and 2013, Sheri Garibaldi worked as a part-time teller for Bank of America (BOA), in its branches in Belmont and Foster, California. Garibaldi was classified as a “20…
How you respond to debt problems will determine outcome
IF you’re like most people, making money and thinking about money takes up a significant amount of your time. In the world that we live in, money is an important…
Homeowner 10 months behind on mortgage files for Chapter 13
Retired military files Chapter 7 for $40K credit cards; Client uses Chapter 13 for HOA default Client No. 1 CLIENT is 52 years old with a son in college. She…
4 ways to reach millennials
Do you constantly scratch your head thinking, “Wow I really do not understand young people these days.” Do you look at kids and wonder why they can’t go anywhere without…
Homeowner 10 months behind on mortgage files for Chapter 13
Client No. 1 CLIENT is 52 years old with a son in college. She is an R-Nurse with annual gross income of $80K. She comes to see me with a…
Men may also suffer gender/sex discrimination at work
WE often hear about women being denied a job, a promotion, or higher pay because the employer preferred to give the job, promotion or more money to a man. In…
Fired at work for doing the right thing – when is retaliation illegal?
CHRIS Cerbone was hired as a head football coach and physical education teacher at a private high school in the summer of 2012. According to news outlets, sometime in December…
Filing bankruptcy: Chapter 7 or 13?
IF you’ve made the decision to file bankruptcy in order to get a fresh financial start, here are some things to consider in choosing between Chapter 7 or Chapter 13….
Should you go to IRS appeals?
IF you lose an audit to the IRS, you have two choices: pay or appeal. If you are happy with the results (or don’t want to extend the agony of…
Fight aging with a smile!
A RECENT study conducted in Berlin and referenced by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry highlights an interesting observation: People tend to underestimate someone’s age when he or she is…
Two single moms seek Chapter 7 discharge of medical bills & credit cards
Client seeks Chapter 7 discharge of $250K credit card debts after waiting six years Client No. 1 THIS is my single mom’s week. Client is 48. She is a registered…
Private assistive personnel or home health aid are entitled to overtime
Q: I AM a registered nurse in the Philippines but I have not yet obtained a license in California. However, I am working as a ‘private nurse’ to a bed-ridden…
10 ways to avoid an audit
1. DO not estimate income from interest, dividend, independent contractor or LLC. Banks, stock brokerage companies and LLCs send exact amounts to IRS via form 1099s and K-1s. Estimates generate…
Bankruptcy: You can’t let your past decide your future
AS a Bankruptcy Attorney, I have counseled thousands of individuals with all types of debt problems. I often encourage people by telling them that it is not too late to…
A healthier mouth = A healthier heart?
OUR bodies are ecosystems where a change in one area affects other areas. This connection is becoming clearer as scientists continue examining the links between oral health and cardiovascular health. Recent…
Clients convert Chapter 13 to Chapter 7
Senior with reverse mortgage seeks Chapter 7 discharge of $37k credit cards; client reopens Chapter 7 to cover unlisted debt “ Client says he likes his life now as simple…
Should you postpone filing your tax returns?
SURELY as April 15 comes along, some of you will procrastinate in filing tax returns. It can be habit forming as I see the same taxpayers come after April 15…
Firing of employee after 12-week medical leave may be disability discrimination
OUR client, Teresa,* has always lived with a serious lung condition since childhood. Although Teresa knew that her condition limited her activities, she did her best to live a productive…
Stuck in debt with no way out?
WHEN debts spiral out of control, bankruptcy can become an invaluable financial recovery tool in stemming the tide and getting you back on the right track. Without the “fresh start”…
Mom with two teenagers wants Chapter 7 discharge of $20K credit cards
Senior revisits Chapter 7 after 20 years; disabled client seeks to discharge federal student loans of $70K without BK Client No. 1 YOUNG mother of two teenagers, both daughters, presents…
10 tips on penalties for late filing/paying your taxes
1. THE failure-to-file penalty is generally more than the failure-to-pay penalty. If you cannot pay all the taxes you owe, file to prevent that more costly failure-to-file penalty. 2. The…
Employer held liable for employee’s sexual misconduct outside the workplace
S.W. was 15 years old when Luis Morales offered her a job at US Metro Group, Inc., where Morales worked. S.W., who was best friends with Morales’ daughter, accepted Morales’…
Filing bankruptcy when necessary may be the fresh start that you need
IF you are in debt and are seriously considering bankruptcy as an option, I am sure a lot of thoughts are going through your mind. I just want to get…
What to do when you burn your mouth with pizza and other food
SOMETIMES you just can’t resist – it’s so cheesy and saucy— right out of the oven! You dive in and take your first bite…uh oh! Too soon! You’ve got “pizza burn!” Pizza isn’t the only…
Disabled client files Chapter 13 for secured high interest loans
Young client files chapter 7 to discharge $30k credit cards Client no. 1 CLIENT was disabled when he was 55, which was 7 years ago. He receives $1,600 of disability…