Protecting the ‘employee’ status of gig workers during COVID-19
INSTACART is one of the largest grocery delivery services in the United States. Instacart allows its customers to shop their local grocery using a mobile app or the website. The…
Category: Business
Covering the week’s most noteworthy business news impacting the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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How new bankruptcy telephonic hearings work
BOTH Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 trustees are now implementing the new procedure required by the U.S. Trustee for social distancing to avoid spreading the virus. The lockdown and social…
15 Filipino tycoons among the world’s billionaires
FIFTEEN Filipino tycoons landed on Forbes’ 31st annual ranking of the world’s billionaires, with former Senator and real estate tycoon Manuel Villar leading the pack. Forbes said this year’s roster…
Real estate during COVID-19
WE are back to work. The Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) updated its list of essential services during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis and expressly included…
5 Filipinos land on Forbes Asia’s ‘30 Under 30’ list
FIVE Filipinos made it onto Forbes’s “30 Under 30 Asia” list for “challenging conventional wisdom and rewriting the rules for the next generation.” The 2020 roster, released on Thursday, April 2,…
About the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Part 1 of 2)
PRESIDENT Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act on March 18 to bring much needed relief to employees and small to midsize businesses. Small and midsize employers can begin…
Recovering insurance payments for coronavirus losses
THESE are challenging times for California small businesses. Restaurants, retail stores, and other services sustained (and continue to sustain) coronavirus-related losses. Their damages resulted from severe business interruption, event cancellation,…
Filing bankruptcy when you can’t pay your bills
A LOT of people in debt often already know what they need to do once they realize that bankruptcy is their only way out. But they usually delay the decision…
Bankruptcy trustees move toward telephonic appearances by debtors
THE U.S. Trustee has recently instructed bankruptcy trustees to conduct debtor hearings telephonically to comply with social distancing guidelines to fight the coronavirus. The Chapter 13 trustee in Riverside, California…
Five takeaways from $2.2 trillion relief plan
Trump signs off on sweeping spending bill to provide taxpayers with financial relief, businesses with a special lending program On the same day that the House approved the plan, President…
California Gov. Newsom announces 90-day mortgage payment relief
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday, March 26 announced that financial institutions will provide major financial relief for millions of Californians suffering financially as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak….
Tax deadline extended to July 15 amid coronavirus pandemic
IRS extends the Federal income tax deadline from April 15, 2020 to July 15, 2020. This new due date applies to both filings and payments due April 15, 2020. This…
Employees’ rights and the coronavirus (Part 3)
Q: I read about severe cases of COVID-19 infections requiring several weeks of recovery. Can the employer fire me while being on leave due to this illness? Do I have…
$2 trillion stimulus on the way to you
I MUST admit that the $2 trillion stimulus package to counter the virus-induced slowdown is noteworthy. In the next three weeks, 93% of Americans will be receiving $1,200 each, according…
99 Ranch Market makes public announcement
99 RANCH Market, via a public announcement signed by CEO Alice Chen, recently shared a public announcement on how the company and its stores are addressing shoppers’ needs during the…
Is bankruptcy the answer to your debt problems?
A LOT of people who are contemplating bankruptcy as a solution to their debt problems often wonder if it can be avoided at all. They fear that they might be…
As COVID-19 escalates, officials warn public of fake test kits, scam remedies
Panic-buying, school closures and, of course, contracting the novel coronavirus itself are not the only things to watch out for as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on in the United States….
IRS postpones tax-filing deadline to July 15
Taxpayers in the United States will have three additional months to file their federal taxes, the U.S. treasury secretary announced on Friday, March 20. Tax Day will now be moved…
Employees’ rights and the coronavirus (Part 2)
Q: I work for a company that provides 40 hours of paid sick leave. This is about five days of work. If I ever need to take leave due to…
US trustee directs all 341A hearings thru April 10 be postponed due to virus
THESE are trying times indeed. We have been advised to self-isolate in the meantime that we are waging a war against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Sure, social distancing makes a…
Small Fil-Am businesses in New York struggle amidst lockdown
FILIPINO restaurants in New York are feeling the pinch as the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic forced them to drastically cut their operations, doing away with dine-in and focusing…
SF Mayor announces moratorium on commercial evictions
SAN FRANCISCO Mayor London N. Breed on Tuesday, March 17 announced a moratorium on commercial evictions for small and medium-sized businesses related to financial impacts caused by COVID-19. The moratorium…
Casinos, ‘nonessential’ businesses close across Nevada for 30 days
NEVADA Governor Steve Sisolak has announced the closure of ‘nonessential’ businesses, including casinos, throughout the state for at least 30 days to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19),…
LA Mayor Garcetti announces economic relief package for small businesses impacted by coronavirus
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Wednesday, March 18 announced an $11 million economic relief package for small businesses impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). “Small businesses are the backbone…
CA Gov. Newsom issues executive order to stop evictions, foreclosures
CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Monday night, March 16 halting evictions and foreclosures as the coronavirus pandemic threatens the livelihoods of the state’s renters and homeowners. The…
LA County treasurer and tax collector not accepting in-person property tax payments
THE Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector will not be accepting in-person payments or providing in-person tax or business license services until further notice, following the closure of all…
How Fil-Am businesses in LA County are navigating impact of virus outbreak
EVENT cancellations, work from home, no dining in restaurants, doors shuttering — these are a few ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic that businesses across the country are facing. Here in…
IRS releases new simple tax form for seniors
HERE is a welcome new for seniors like me. Probably you too. We hate filling out tax forms with small words crammed into small boxes. Fear not, support is on…
Employees’ rights and the coronavirus (Part 1)
Q: I am a working parent with a school-age child, who has been sent home due to fears of infection from the coronavirus. My work entails interacting with people throughout…
Very senior client cornered by $34K in credit cards
“ My senior client cannot do Chapter 7 because he has a lot of non-exempt equity in his house. He can only do Chapter 13 to handle those credit cards.”…