What’s new: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Part 5)
HOW you will benefit from standard deduction versus itemized deduction. To maximize your deduction, you take the larger of standard deduction or total amount of itemized deductions by bunching itemized…
Category: Business
Covering the week’s most noteworthy business news impacting the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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Seniors consider Chapter 13 relief for $80K credit cards
“Once the trustee and his lawyers start to administer the bankruptcy estate assets, they will make a lot of money.” THE clients are married to each other and they are both seniors….
Business Innovation Congress Manila 2018 calls to take advantage of technology to meet evolving consumer needs
Pasay City, November 25, 2018—Following its success in China, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Thailand, the Business Innovation Congress opened its first congress in the Philippines at Conrad Manila with the theme:…
Thanksgiving: What a bankruptcy attorney has to be thankful for
IT’S the day before Thanksgiving and I’m here in my office still working on cases. The freeways are crazy today and everyone’s trying to get somewhere to be home with…
Our favorite gadget at the 2018 CES – My special Aflac Duck
NEW technology gadgets were on display at the latest CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas – wall TVs, Virtual Reality and smart phones, but the most fun to watch…
Should employers provide seats for their employees?
“California law generally requires employers to provide suitable seats to employees when the nature of the work reasonably permits the use of seats. Calfornia courts have clarified that the phrase…
Seniors consider Chapter 13 relief for $80K credit cards
“Once the trustee and his lawyers start to administer the bankruptcy estate assets, they will make a lot of money. I understand that the moneymaking bankruptcies are offset by the money-losing bankruptcies;…
Palace: Details of PH and China deals to be released
Amid critics calling for transparency, Malacañang has promised it will issue the details concerning the deals signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s official two-day visit to the Philippines earlier this…
China, PH sign 29 deals
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, November 20, signed 29 agreements signifying a “milestone in the history of exchange” between the two countries. “Thanks to…
Delinquent tax debt could mean revocation of your passport
IN February 2018, the IRS started certification of individuals with delinquent tax debt to the State Department. How will the IRS certification impact you? • Upon receipt of certification. The…
Answering the common questions about bankruptcy
1. 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…
50 more establishments in violation of easement policy in El Nido
The municipal government of El Nido on Thursday, November 15, announced that a total of 50 more tourism establishments are now facing closure for violating the three-meter coastal easement policy…
Our favorite gadgets at the 2018 CES in Las Vegas
CES (Consumer Electronics Show) gives us a glimpse of the next mega trend in consumer technology. Each January, tech giants from around the world gather to show off their latest…
Mocking an employee’s physical condition may be disability harassment
“To prevail on a harassment claim, the employee must show that the conduct created a hostile work environment. A hostile work environment is one in which harassment occurs that is severe, frequent,…
Answering the common questions about bankruptcy
1. 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…
I haven’t paid my second mortgage in years: What can I do now?
IF you are one of the millions of homeowners who survived the mortgage crisis in 2008, you have something to be grateful for. In 2008 alone, close to 900,000 homeowners…
Resident, nonresident alien status tax wise (Part 5)
IN part 1: we defined 1) who are resident aliens, nonresident aliens or both, 2) who are exempt individuals, and 3) closer connection exception. In part 2: we defined 1)…
To people who are facing debt problems for the first time
MOST people who are struggling with debt problems for the first time are often confused and don’t know what to do. They’ve never been in this situation before. They have…
CES Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas
CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is the largest trade fair for consumer electronics. It’s presented by Consumer Technology Association (CTA) annually in Las Vegas. It has been our tech bell weather…
Employees working in and out of California: Are they protected by CA law?
A GROUP of flight attendants from Virgin America, Inc. sued the company for unpaid wages and missed breaks. The employees alleged that Virgin did not pay them for the following:…
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…
The Lei Company: Community building and cultural preservation through entrepreneurship
A LEI or a flower garland is more than something you wear around your neck, as it is a message of welcome, congratulations, love, sympathy and many more. Used…
Remedies for employees who blow the whistle on employer misconduct
SUSANNA Smith worked as a superintendent, and Cleve Pell worked as an operations officer for the Montebello Unified School District (MUSD). In the course of doing their jobs, Smith and…
Widow needs Chapter 13 to handle $40K credit cards
“It’s becoming clear that the choice she has to make is to be able to make the mortgage payment or the credit card payment.” THE client is 53…
Stock market benchmark indices
If you plan to trade stocks, it helps to get an understanding of basic terms that are mentioned frequently on TV, radio, and social media. There are three Major indices:…
Are you feeling hopelessly stuck in debt?
A lot of people who consult with me about their debt problems are going through the worst time of their lives. Unlike other problems in life that sometimes just go…
California tax rates and exemptions for 2018 tax returns
AMOUNTS for tax returns in 2018 are compared with amounts in 2017. Exemption credits: a. $118 from $114 – Single, Married filing separately, Head of Household. b. $236 from $228…
Employers push for P20 wage hike instead of P344
THE Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) on Wednesday, October 24, found a total of P20 increase in daily minimum wage to be the “acceptable” amount for workers to recover…
Are these good times to invest in the stock market?
YES, definitely! These are the best of times to invest in the stock market. If you are not trading stocks now, you are missing the longest bull run in history….
Sick employee entitled to ‘reasonable accommodation’ even after lengthy absence
TRISTAN Do worked as a mechanical engineer at Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems Company for eight years without any issues. However, that changed when he started reporting to a new…