Category: Consumer Columnists

IF YOU owe a huge amount of taxes and are experiencing financial difficulties, don’t despair as there are remedies under the law which will help you avoid paying the whole…

THE tenth and most important rule is that “there can only be one boss.”  Lance explained that this rule is related to succession. The role of the family and owners…

By this time most of you must have filed your 2011 tax returns already, as the filing deadline on April 17 had long passed. But if you are among those…

WITH the immense powers that the government wields over individuals, the founding fathers included in the United States Constitution the Bill of Rights to limit the exercise of governmental powers….

Even if your family business is a model of harmony, it’s a good idea to think about how you’ll deal with conflicts before they arise. “There comes a time when…

DOING business with family and friends can be very rewarding. It can also be very complicated and difficult.  Anyway, doing business with loved ones has never been a neutral topic.  …

YOUR personal home care plays an important role in maintaining healthy smile. Your personal home care starts by eating balanced meals, reducing the number of snacks you eat, and correctly using the…

THE Sixth Commandment is “pay must be based on contribution to the business”. Lance Gokongwei said that in order for the family member to live and think independently, the family…

If you think that by brushing and flossing your teeth every day, you’re fulfilling your daily dental obligations, you’re halfway right. The other half involves using the correct techniques, and…

THERE’S an old saying that may be wiser today than ever: “East is east, and west is west; and never the twain shall meet.” This holds true in the case…

“TO set aside one’s prejudices, one’s present needs, and one’s own self interest in making a decision as a director for a company is an intellectual exercise that takes constant…

T WAS a typical appointment on a busy tax season last April. A representative for a Hispanic male in his mid-60s visited my office for a living trust preparation. So…

The lyrics to the old song, Dem Bones don’t connect the hipbone directly to your mouth, but a surgeon might, by canceling hip surgery if the patient is suffering from…

No in-laws! THIS is the first of 10 unwritten commandments which John Gokongwei, founder of the Gokongwei group of companies, followed in running the family business “the Gokongwei way.” (I…

TAXPAYERS who have filed income tax returns using Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business, usually get surprised when they receive a notice from the Los Angeles City requiring them…

Society is becoming more individually oriented.  More and more single occupancy homes are being sold.  People are marrying less and later in life.  They are also divorcing more.  Single parent…

ON A typical Tuesday during this tax season, I’ve had three new tax clients (who were previously with other preparers) – all of them have just recently been audited on…

While the image of a puffy-cheeked ball player might first come to mind when mentioning chewing (“spit”) tobacco, the reality is that smokeless tobacco is also a daily habit to…