Murphy’s Global Law: A brighter side of life
LET’S enjoy some of Murphy’s Laws as we recover from tax season stress. Law of the alibi If you tell the boss you were late for work because of a…
Category: Consumer Columnists
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Seniors must guard against financial elder abuse
ELDER abuse is the neglect, exploitation or “painful or harmful” mistreatment of anyone who is 65 years or older or any disabled dependent adult aged 18 to 64. It may…
Should you still do a short sale when home prices might be going up?
THAT is an excellent question, ever since the mortgage meltdown occurred and I started getting calls from distressed homeowners. I have always insisted for homeowners to see beyond 2-3 years…
Why your smile prefers water over soft drinks
HERE are some interesting stats about soft drinks: • The average soft drink serving size has tripled since the 1950s. • The average person drinks about 45 gallons of soda…
Pain-free, decay-free?
You’d schedule a dental appointment if you have a chronic toothache, probably suspecting a cavity. However, do toothache-free mouths signal cavity-free teeth? Not necessarily, and here’s why. Decayed teeth may…
Would this be the last year to short sale your house?
I BELIEVE that 2013 is going to be the “year of the short sale.” And THAT is a good thing! As I have always mentioned in the past, lenders will…
Disability protections are extended to pregnant employees
CAN the employer legally fire a pregnant employee, who, after using up all her leave under California’s Pregnancy Disability Leave Law (the pregnancy law), is still unable to return to…
Let’s review a few rules on federal, state, and local taxes
1. CALIFORNIA State Income Taxes in box 24 of your W2 are deductible. So are quarterly estimates paid by self-employed and subcontractor taxpayers. TIP: Time the payment of your estimates…
New loan modification program coming in July 2013
DUE to obvious delays and failed attempted to help struggling homeowners, the two leading agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac who owns or guarantee more than half of all US…
Easter: The day Jesus resurrected from the dead to prove that He is the Son of God
LAST Sunday was Easter Sunday celebrated by Christians all over the world as the greatest event in human history. This is the day when Jesus Christ, who died three days…
Is bankruptcy the right choice for you?
Are you currently overwhelmed with debt problems that you can no longer handle on your own? Thinking about filing for bankruptcy but are afraid to make a decision? Do you…
Foreclosure numbers down drastically due to higher home prices
IF YOU are looking for bargains on foreclosed houses, you are not alone and are probably having a harder time finding them. When the housing market crashed in 2007, a…
Can the IRS disregard compromise settlement because of bankruptcy?
THE situation we envision in this discussion is where you have an offer in compromise which has been accepted by the IRS then you file for bankruptcy relief. Do you…
Employee terminated for refusing to violate the law, awarded $4.5 million by jury
DENISE Steffens was a building manager for Regus Group, PLC, a company that rents out staffed office spaces. After Ms. Steffens raised concerns about possible employment violations by the company,…
Average itemized deductions
FOR those of you who itemize, the table below should be of special interest. For those of you who play the odds (you know what I mean), this table should…
Bankruptcy is not always your fault
FACING serious debt problems can be depressing to a lot of people. It may seem like the end of the world. You may feel angry, depressed, guilty- or a combination…
Additional remedies for injured employees (Going beyond the Workers Compensation claim)
“ After filing a work comp claim, the employee experiences an adverse employment action, such as demotion, decrease in pay, decrease of work hours, loss of benefits, assignment to unfavorable tasks,…
Medical expenses revisited
MOST of us take medical expenses for granted because we have to spend more than 7 ½ % for 2012 (10% for 2013 if you are under 65) of our…
Is your Short Sale agent doing a good job for you?
SHORT selling your home is such an important and stressful step in your life and it’s the springboard into your future so you wont have anymore sleepless nights. It is…
Creditor’s refusal to foreclose is not violation of discharge
DEBTOR walks away from his residence because it is under water with no equity whatsoever then files for Chapter 7 relief. The house is worth $300,000 but the mortgage owed…
Are you living on the financial edge every month?
I KNOW that the current economy has caused a lot of financial problems for a lot of people. Most families are struggling financially every month and are living paycheck to…
When is an employment termination illegal?
Q: I WORKED in a company for more than 10 years. A new supervisor was recently transferred to my department. This person and I do not get along. Last week,…
How much are the banks penalized for failing to help homeowners stay in their homes?
THERE has been a lot of fines and penalties that the banks have assessed from all these claims of foreclosure abuses, including bungled loan modifications and wrongful evictions of borrowers…
Do you, or does someone you love, have diabetes?
NEARLY everyone knows someone who is directly or indirectly affected by diabetes. Not only can diabetes be difficult to manage, but it can also increase a person’s risk for other…
Chapter 13: How to pay debts on limited income
CHAPTER 13 is the section of the US Bankruptcy Code that allows individuals in the United States to reorganize their finances. If you are having difficulty paying your debts (credit…
Jury awards over $21 million to employee discriminated for disability
Q: CAN an employee be legally fired for job abandonment due to absence caused by an illness? Should the employer provide the employee with reasonable accommodations? A: California’s Fair Employment…
10 tips in deducting charitable contributions
1. YOU may deduct donations to qualified organizations. Qualified organizations include corporations or foundations organized in the US for religious, charitable, educational, scientific, literary, or prevention of cruelty to children…
Short sale lenders paying off your liens and giving cash back as much as $5,000 or more
WHAT I will discuss on the second portion of this article will be about HAFA (Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternative) which will typically offer a qualified seller $ 3,000 at closing…
Discharging income taxes in bankruptcy: Part 2
LAST week, we established the fact that back due income taxes can be discharged in bankruptcy, despite the popular belief that this was not possible. We said that there are…
Chapter 13 can be last hope for families facing foreclosure
FILING Chapter 13 bankruptcy is often a last resort for people in foreclosure when no other options exist. A lot of homeowners usually put off making this decision for a…