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, sometimes people wait to long. When they finally do make the decision to file, they soon realize that they would actually have been better off…

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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 our smiles as they age. With modern advances, you can have a comfortable, healthy smile for life! Must-do’s, ages 65+: For the most part, losing…

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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, heirs, family situations and other factors. Let’s explore choices to help you determine which title is best for your next property. Joint tenancy -Any number…

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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 help workers assert their rights by prohibiting retaliation, including threats of deportation. Another law makes it a crime for employers or their attorneys to use…

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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 and were facing an uncertain future. Out of fear that they could no longer get the debt relief that they needed, hundreds of thousands of…

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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 have their minimum bites from debtors’ household income. Creditors are compared to lions that eat debtors alive. This situation is not hard to imagine. Just…

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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 something can go wrong, it will. At the worst possible time. 2. Friends come and go, but enemies accumulate. 3. Brain cells come and brain…

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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, it’s quite a struggle to get out. Here’s why. The average household in America today owes about $16,000 in credit cards, according to a recent…

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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 the health of your smile? Read on! Does your diet include an ample supply of these important vitamins and minerals? • Calcium protects your teeth…

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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 problems you must rely on the one true God, my God, the God of Moses and Israel, who sent His only and Beloved Son, Jesus…

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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 security numbers – Make sure that SS numbers are correct for you, your spouse, and children. If you e-file, names used for your returns must…

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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 KFC. Yum employed Melissa between 2005 and 2008 in the Yum Real Estate Title Department, in Irvine. Melissa suffered from bipolar disorder, for which she…

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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 for 2012 for each exemption. 4. Exemptions reduce your taxable income and your income tax. 5. It could also produce credits such as child care…

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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, our human resources director informed me that the company was letting me go and gave me my last paycheck. I don’t have any disciplinary record…

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Why do people file bankruptcy?

You have probably heard a lot of ‘negative things’ about bankruptcy- how it may be the worst mistake you could ever make, that you will never be able to get credit again, that you will lose everything you have, etc. The list goes on and on. But don’t be misled. Most of what you’ve heard…

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Improve your oral health by improving your posture

INTUITIVELY, you probably know that better posture is good for your back, neck, etc. But what you may not know is that better posture is good for your oral health too! It’s true. Proper posture promotes a healthy smile and can help prevent potential problems with your jaw and teeth. Poor posture can place harmful pressure on…

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Worried about debt? Depend on Jesus

PEOPLE with debts problems are worried sick about their debts. Almost daily, clients tell me that they cannot sleep and very worried about their debts. They have long faces and look troubled.  Sometimes, I tell them that God, my God, the God of Moses and Israel, who sent His only and beloved Son, Jesus Christ,…

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Protecting the rights of undocumented workers

OSFEL Andrade, an immigrant from Mexico, worked in the shipping department of Terra Universal, a laboratory equipment manufacturer in Fullerton, California when immigration agents conducted a worksite raid on June 29, 2010. During the raid, ICE agents arrested 43 workers and placed them in deportation proceedings. Andrade was not arrested that day, but instead of…

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10 tips on child / dependent care

IF you paid someone to care for your child, spouse, or dependent, you may be able to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit on your federal income tax return. Here are 10 tips on claiming a credit for child and dependent care expenses. -The expense for child and dependent care must be provided for…

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Are deductions on your wages legal?

 Q: I WORK at a service-oriented business here in California as an hourly employee. We are required to wear a uniform. We can only get the uniform from our employer and the employer deducts from our pay the cost of these uniforms. Is this deduction legal? How do I know that the deductions from my…

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Good morning, sunshine! How’s your breath?

NO NEED TO BE EMBARRASSED! We all experience morning breath?from time to time. Typically, our morning brushing routines get rid of it. But people wonder where morning breath comes from—and people wonder what to do if it continues throughout the day. Morning breath is primarily caused by dry mouth While general bad breath can have…

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