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…
Category: Business
Covering the week’s most noteworthy business news impacting the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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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…
Delaying mortgage payments? What you need to know
FIVE of the country’s largest banks announced recently that they have agreed to temporarily suspend mortgage payments for homeowners affected by the virus. California has indeed suffered an unexpected economic…
The hate virus: Protecting Asian Americans from discrimination due to COVID-19
AS of this writing, the new coronavirus (COVID-19) has infected over two million people globally, and more than 145,000 have died. The outbreak has understandably created worldwide anxiety since the first…
Should you use your retirement account for mortgage and expenses?
UNEMPLOYMENT claims nationwide have significantly spiked due to the lockdown which has resulted in the shutdown of the U.S. economy. Millions of people have lost their jobs because small businesses…
Newsom details plan to lift statewide COVID-19 restrictions
California to work in conjunction with other states to reopen the West Coast CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin Newsom this week unveiled a framework for reopening the state’s economy and society. Though…
Jollibee brings joy home with the launch of nationwide delivery via DoorDash
As the world navigates through a turbulent time, popular fast-food chain Jollibee wants to bring some joy to customers who are staying safe at home. With the brand’s dining rooms…
Filipino supermarket chain Island Pacific launches ‘stay home, stay safe’ campaign
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Island Pacific has made the health and safety of its customers, employees, and community its top priority. Island Pacific Supermarket has launched its “Stay Home, Stay…
LA County launches new small business recovery loan program
In response to small businesses affected by COVID-19, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has created the Small Business Recovery Loan Program, administered by the Los Angeles County Development…
Hospitality, entrepreneurial spirit and pan de sal: How small Fil-Am businesses are nourishing front-liners of the coronavirus pandemic
This current moment has been described as many things: a chance for self-reflection, a practice of selflessness, a collective meditative mental health reset. And, it is most certainly all those…
About the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Part 2 of 2)
PRESIDENT Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act on March 18 to provide paid leave for workers and tax credits for small and midsize businesses to recover the cost…
LA County’s stay-at-home order, business closures extended until May 15
Virus cases reach over 8K, with 500 Asians testing positive LOS ANGELES County officials on Friday, April 10 announced that the stay-at-home order will be extended until at least May…