Complaining of employer’s illegal conduct is protected activity
DR. Jan Weber worked for 5 years as a psychiatrist for the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, a public hospital in Santa Clara County. He was assigned at the hospital’s…
Category: Business
Covering the week’s most noteworthy business news impacting the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
Read More
9 dos during IRS audits
YES, I know, audits are serious stuff. But they do funny stuff to people like you when you are under audit, under stress. I have seen clients pretend to be…
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
THE Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is a federal law that was enacted in 1978 by the United States Congress to protect consumers from abusive debt collectors. Note, however,…
Governor Newsom changes up business reopening guidelines for California
Hair salons and barbershops allowed to reopen indoors starting Monday California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Friday, August 28 that California would be modifying how the state determines which counties…
PH tourism stakeholders get a lifeline, look forward to recovery
Tourism is one of the world’s largest industries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and every other country has seen the varying degrees of decimation to its tourism sector. Whether…
Is Amazon liable for defective products sold on its site?
Protecting consumers against sellers ANGELA Bolger bought a replacement laptop computer battery on Amazon.com, which was being sold by “E-Life,” a fictitious name used on Amazon by Lenoge Technology (HK)…
Filing bankruptcy when faced with the unexpected
MANY people find themselves in the position of facing overwhelming debt, with constant calls from creditors and no obvious way out. For some, job loss sent them into a downward…
Repo deficiency causes senior to seek Chapter 7 relief
THE first client is 75. Her husband passed four years ago and left her with $30,000 of credit card debt. She has been making minimum payments on their credit cards…
10 records to support your request for IRS penalty forgiveness
YOU have one shot in asking the IRS to abate (forgive) penalties that have been assessed for late filing, late payment, or audit adjustments. Make this opportunity count. Submit a…
Six hundred women registered for August webinar on what it takes to get a corporate board seat in California
Next Webinar on Sept. 29 Explores Adding Diversity to Corporate Boards SACRAMENTO – If there was any question about the interest women have in learning how to land a seat on traditionally…
Filipino data analysts win NASA space apps challenge
An app for pc developed by a group of Filipinos that measures the impact of the coronavirus is the winner of NASA’s Space Apps COVID-19 Challenge. Data analysts Nick Tobia,…
Family Business Governance — Important Then And Now
The Need for Family Governance Then The Philippine business landscape is unquestionably dominated by family-owned businesses. Despite the humble connotation that average men try to pin on it, the truth…
LA County rent relief program to launch on August 17 for income-eligible renters
$100 million to go towards rent assistance as pandemic continues THE latest Los Angeles County Rent Relief program created to help county renters who have been heavily impacted by the…
Uber and Lyft may leave California if ordered to classify drivers as employees
California judge denies motions to delay injunction A California judge on Thursday, August 13 denied motions by Uber and Lyft to extend a deadline to appeal a preliminary injunction that…
Can employees be fired for political posts on social media?
Your right to expression in the workplace Q: I SAW your article about employee protections for political activities like attending rallies. What about posting political messages on Facebook or other…
Experts say bankruptcy filings will increase soon. How to prepare yourself, just in case
THE COVID-19 pandemic has changed everyone’s life in only a matter of months. As the virus continues to batter the economy, a lot of people are finding bankruptcy as their…
What are the common questions about bankruptcy? Here are some answers
IS there a constitutional right to file for bankruptcy? Yes, there is. The United States Constitution adopted 250 years ago provides for the creation of bankruptcy courts and the power…
10 more tips to request IRS penalty forgiveness
IT’S bad enough to receive a tax bill from the IRS. It gets worse when penalties and interest are added. Malo. 1. If the penalty is minimal, do it yourself….
Rates Drop Again
By: Martin Santiago THE resilience of the housing market continues as mortgage rates hit another all-time low, giving potential buyers more purchasing power and strengthening demand. We expect rates to…
Jollibee to close 255 stores after suffering over $200 million loss in first half of 2020
PHILIPPINE fast food giant Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) is the latest brand to feel the impact of the coronavirus pandemic after it suffered financial losses due to enforced lockdowns in…
Nine short tips on penalties for late tax filing & paying
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 anyway to prevent the more costly failure-to-file penalty. 2….
Can the employer fire you for joining protests?
Your work and your right to political expression Q: I CARE about today’s issues of social justice – from racial inequality to voting rights suppression to fighting for decent wages….
When filing bankruptcy becomes necessary
IF you’re in debt and are considering bankruptcy as an option for you to get needed relief, perhaps just hearing the word “bankruptcy” makes you extremely nervous. Maybe the word…
Client needs bankruptcy to get rid of accumulated debt from failed business
THE client is 53. He is married and owns a house. He used to have a business, which was a DBA sole proprietorship. “DBA” means “doing business as.” Sole proprietorship…
Ramon S. Ang: Today’s Ideal Filipino Leader
Nowadays, the Philippines, much like every other country in the world, is facing a very challenging and difficult time. Filipinos’ day-to-day lives have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in…
Wrongful termination: When employer keeps changing reasons for employee’s firing
PATRICIA Samson worked as a portfolio manager for Wells Fargo Bank. On October 28, 2014, Patricia informed her supervisors that she would take a medical leave of absence to recover…
Seven tips in writing IRS for forgiveness of penalties
AS our tax laws become more complex, we find it more difficult to comply. The COVID-19 pandemic makes compliance even more challenging. As we fail to comply in filing or…
Landlord with $400K judgment vs commercial tenant proceeds against guarantor
WHAT are friends for? Friends, of course, like to help each other. But to what extent and what favors can you ask from a friend? The client’s friend wanted to…
The sparkling rise of Sanzo: How a Fil-Am millennial is disrupting the beverage industry
A Filipino American has been silently but efficiently disrupting the heavily evolving and saturated market of carbonated beverages, and in this specific case: sparkling water. Meet Sandro Roco, the 31-year-old…
Bureau of Treasury invites Fil-Ams to invest in PH
The Philippines’ Bureau of The Treasury issued an invitation to overseas Filipinos to invest in Retail Treasury Bonds (RTB) in a Zoom presentation last Thursday, July 23. The presentation was…