Start thinking of bankruptcy now as a possible option later
THE coronavirus has put a lot of strain on people’s ability to pay their debts. With a lot of employees getting laid off in massive numbers, they are staying at…
Category: Business
Covering the week’s most noteworthy business news impacting the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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Senators Marcos, Lacson urge PH to lure US businesses
TWO Philippine senators recently suggested that economic managers should direct American businesses leaving China to consider the country for their relocation plans. According to Senator Imee Marcos, recent news that…
PH airlines extend flight suspensions to May 31
The Philippines’ major airlines have all announced that their flights are canceled for the rest of May, in compliance with the government’s new quarantine guidelines. Budget airlines AirAsia Philippines and…
How to tell if demand for taxes is from the IRS or from scammers
THE IRS will never: • Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. The IRS does not…
Termination after medical leave may be disability discrimination
“California law prohibits discrimination based on disability or medical condition. The employer has a duty to provide reasonable accommodation to disabled employees to enable them to work despite their disability.”…
Pay commercial rent payment or file Chapter 7 for a fresh start with no debt?
“Now is the time for kindness and our humanity to shine forth, to help each other not get sick, by wearing face masks, gloves and self isolating and helping our…
PH House committee OKs bill granting ABS-CBN provisional franchise until end of October
A PHILIPPINE House of Representatives committee on Wednesday, May 13 approved a bill granting the media giant ABS-CBN a provisional franchise until the end of October. The House of Representatives…
LA County’s stay-at-home order likely to be extended for another 3 months
AS Los Angeles County’s “safer at home” order is slated to expire this week, officials are now recommending that it be extended for another three months in a continued effort to…
Warning: Never hire a debt settlement company
A LOT of people who are burdened with credit card debt often don’t know where to turn for help. They see all the ads on TV, internet, etc. by so-called…
Who won’t get stimulus checks?
THE following groups won’t get stimulus payments: • Children who are 17 or 18 years old (those claimed as dependents by another). • Many college students between the ages of…
Unable to pay commercial lease due to coronavirus
THE clients are a husband and wife in their sixties. They operate a retail business that provides a service. There is no corporation or LLC. In other words, clients are…
Firing employees for taking leave to care for a family member may be illegal
STANLEY Vincent worked as a Patrol Officer for the California Highway Patrol for seven years. The Daily Journal reports that Vincent was fired from his job when he took three…
Business owners must never, never give up!
AS the world economy grounds to a complete halt, a looming recession is at our doorstep and deaths and infections continue to surge everywhere, it is time for business owners…
Is it a buyer’s market again?
by: Martin Santiago A BUYER’S market refers to a situation in which supply exceeds demand. Driven by pandemic fears, shutdowns and job losses, U.S. home prices are expected to dip between 2…
8 Pinoys make Gold House 2020 list of 100 most impactful APIs
In its yearly roundup of the 100 most impactful Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs), the nonprofit organization Gold House named eight Filipinos and Filipino Americans who have made significant contributions…
Philippine gov’t orders ABS-CBN shutdown
THE Philippines’ largest broadcast network stopped its operations on Tuesday, May 5 to comply with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC)’s cease and desist order due to the expiration of its…
International flights into PH suspended until May 8
All international flights to and from the Philippines will remain suspended until May 8, following the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. However,…
Seniors don’t have to file tax returns to get stimulus check
YOU probably wonder if you will receive stimulus checks. Me too. Here’s a simplified piece on the Economic Impact Payments for seniors. Please read Q&A Questions and Answers on prior…
Recovering all wages due in a furlough, layoff or termination at work
Q: Because of the Stay-at-Home order in California, my employer has sent me home on a “work furlough” without pay. It has been more than a month and I still…
Client relieved she chose Chapter 7 instead of consolidation of $60K credit cards
THE client is 50 and has two grandchildren living with her who are teenagers still in high school. She is married but separated. She is not divorced from her husband….
PAL to fly repatriation flights to Manila from LA, NY
PHILIPPINE Airlines will continue offering flights for Filipinos who need to be repatriated from the United States amid the coronavirus pandemic. The national carrier is scheduled to operate special flights…
Historic Filipina-owned Bay Area restaurant reopens for business
LOCATED along Bayshore Boulevard in Brisbane, California is a restaurant with a 162-year history that includes surviving the 1906 earthquake, the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak and the Great Depression in…
Protecting employee whistleblowers in these COVID-19 times
LAST week, CNN reported that 10 nurses from Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California were placed on administrative leave for demanding N95 masks while treating COVID-19 patients….
Should you file bankruptcy now?
WHEN the virus makes your income disappear overnight, it can be very frightening to realize that you can’t go very long without it because your bills don’t stop just because…
Exempt property vs. property not part of the bankruptcy estate
FILING a bankruptcy case creates a “bankruptcy estate.” The estate becomes the legal owner of all of the debtor’s property while the bankruptcy is going on. What does the estate…
Q&A: Coronavirus pandemic simplified update (Part 2 of 2)
WHAT should I do to receive the stimulus check? None. You don’t need to do anything. The IRS will calculate and automatically send your economic impact payment. How will the…
PNB waives remittance charges
THE Philippines’ fifth largest lender, Philippine National Bank (PSE: PNB), is waiving the remittance fees for various channels through May 8, 2020. The waiver applies to money transfers that will…
McDonald’s celebrates health care workers and first responders with free ‘thank you meals’
Frontline heroes can enjoy free meals at participating U.S. McDonald’s restaurants IN appreciation for the healthcare workers, police officers, firefighters and paramedics who are committed to our health and safety,…
Mortgage payment during COVID-19
THE federal CARES Act provides two benefits if you have a financial hardship caused directly or indirectly by the coronavirus and your loan is owned or guaranteed by a federal…
Guide to federal extension filings
THIS article is lovingly dedicated to our fellow taxpayers who like to wait and wait and wait until the very last minute, then get excited on the very last day…