Worried about debt? Think of Jonah and the whale
THE Bible has a strange story about a man being swallowed up by a whale. This man is Jonah. God, my God, the God of Moses and Israel, who sent…
Category: Business
Covering the week’s most noteworthy business news impacting the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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Can you be deported for filing false tax returns?
IN A landmark case, the Supreme Court has held that a conviction for willfully filing a false tax return is a deportable offense under our immigration laws. It reached the…
Should employees be paid for night time hours spent at the work site?
Q: AS an onsite security guard, I am required to stay on the premises for 24 hours. My on-duty hours are from 6am to 6pm. I am off-duty and considered…
Get out of debt now before the new year starts
The decision to file bankruptcy is not an easy one but sometimes it’s the decision that could change your life for the better. When you are seriously in debt and…
Reducing canker sore pain and duration
The exact cause of canker sores is unknown. What we do know is that canker sores can be extremely bothersome! By better understanding some of the possible causes—and some treatment…
Your debt problems will fall like the walls of Jericho
THE Israelites have just ended their 40 years of wandering about in the Sinai Desert after God delivered them from 400 years of bondage in Egypt. God, my God, the…
10 recordkeeping tips for your tax files
1. IRS wants you to keep good records to document your income and support your expenses. It does not require you to keep records in any specific manner, but there…
Are multi-tasking managers or supervisors entitled to additional pay?
Q: I WORK as an assistant manager for a retail store. I am a salaried employee and exempt from overtime. Upper management requires me to multi-task and do the work…
End financial stress with bankruptcy protection
Are you struggling with debt problems? Are you doing your best to pay but simply can’t? Have you thought of filing bankruptcy but are afraid that this might not be…
Don’t be weighed down by debt problems: Plug yourself to ultimate power
IT IS hard to imagine why you should not worry about your debt problems, right? Probably everyone reading this article thinks that the right thing to do if you have…
More pro-employee laws signed this year
MORE employment laws were recently passed by California’s lawmakers. These include: New minimum wage laws to take effect in 2014 The new law raises the $8 an hour minimum wage…
Bankruptcy: Should I file now or later?
MAKING the decision to file bankruptcy can be a painstaking process that most people put off until they realize that they have no other way out of debt. Unfortunately, however,…
Ages 65+: Your healthy smile timeline
Today, modern dentistry helps people keep their smiles for life DURING generations past, lost teeth were considered an inevitable consequence of aging. Now we know how to better care for…
Tired of worrying about debt? Rest in green pastures with Jesus
WE worry about so many things that are not on the right track in our lives. We worry about our children and their future. We worry about our retirement. Are…
Real estate title choices
WHEN buying and selling real estate, there is always that inevitable question: how do you hold title? Remember that your choice can have dramatic impact on estate taxes, liability protection,…
Employer threats of deportation now illegal
THE struggle to help immigrant workers enforce their basic labor rights recently gained a major boost in California with the passage of new employment laws. Two laws are intended to…
Do you need to file bankruptcy again?
Eight years ago, Congress passed new federal laws that made it tougher to file personal bankruptcy. This happened at a time when thousands of families were living in financial distress…
Worried about debt, think of Daniel in the lions’ den
MANY debtors feel that their debt problems have placed them in a lions’ den because they feel that their debts will swallow them up alive. Every month every creditor must…
Murphy’s Law: The brighter side of life
OUR column usually focuses on serious (and sometimes boring) subjects of tax and finance. Let’s depart from that dull setting and explore the lighter world of Murphy’s Law: 1. If…
‘Caregivers and nannies’ in private households now entitled to overtime pay
ON Sept. 26, 2013, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a bill that entitles personal attendants, which include caregivers and nannies working in private households, to overtime pay if they…
Are you worried about your credit card debt?
With the proliferation of credit cards in our society, it’s not difficult for credit card debts to get out of hand. Once you’re caught in the credit card debt trap,…
Feed your smile the vitamins and minerals it craves
NO doubt you’ve heard that vitamins and minerals are good for your overall health. But did you know that many of those same vitamins and minerals are very important to…
Too much DEBT? Think of Daniel Chapter 3
DEBT problems can become a recurring nightmare for debtors who think they can handle debt problems by themselves. I have told you many times before that if you have debt…
10 Tips for late filers
1. File Electronically – Consider filing electronically instead of using paper tax forms. If you file electronically and choose direct deposit, you will receive your refund faster. 2. Check social…
Protecting the privacy of disabled employees
(Employer’s Verbal Disclosure of Employee’s Medical Condition May Be Illegal) MELISSA Ignat worked for Yum! Brands, the corporate parent of several fast-food franchises, such as Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and…
Why hiring a debt settlement company may not be a good idea
Almost every week, my office gets phone calls from people in debt who have been taken advantage of by so-called “debt settlement companies”. These are the companies who advertise on…
4th Case Report of PA Jae Park (Public Adjuster); Wind and rain damage to home in Pomona, California.
4th Case Report of PA Jae Park A doctor couple (whom I’ll refer to as Mr. P) in their thirties, who immigrated from South Asia, lived in a two-story single-family…
Burdened by debt? The king of kings will give you rest
TOO much debt becomes an enormous emotional problem for the debtor. I am reminded of my client 20 years ago who killed himself by shooting himself in the chest. By…
10 tips on dependents and exemptions
1. YOU may claim exemptions for yourself, your spouse and your dependents. 2. Dependents must have a Social Security number (TIN is not good enough). 3. Exemption amount is $3,800…
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,…