Are you paid lower wages because of your gender?
Q: I AM a single mom and I have worked for this company for several years. Recently, while talking with another newly hired male co-worker whose responsibilities are similar to…
Category: Business
Covering the week’s most noteworthy business news impacting the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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10 tips for tax deadline jitters
IF you have not filed your income tax returns by the end of March, chances are you do not expect a refund, your tax records are a mess, or you…
Don’t let your debt problems drain your family’s savings
I HEAR this all the time. People who are in debt are barely making it by living paycheck to paycheck so how can they even think about saving for the…
Your regularly scheduled visits are about more than clean teeth
HAVE you ever wondered why it’s so important to see us every six months? From oral health maintenance to serious disease prevention, there are a lot of reasons to keep your semi-annual visits…
10 car care tips to save gas
Don’t top off. Don’t bother topping off when filling your car’s gas tank. Any additional gas is just going to slop around or seep out. Why waste your money paying…
First-ever NYX Cosmetics retail store opens in Southern California
SANTA ANITA—Makeup lovers rejoice: NYX Cosmetics opened its first-ever flagship retail store at the Westfield Santa Anita on Friday, Oct. 2. The vibrantly designed and high-tech store features over 2,000…
Who should seek bankruptcy relief
SOMETIMES debtors cannot decide whether they should seek debt relief through Chapter 7 wipe out of all dischargeable debts or personal reorganization through Chapter 13, or business reorganization though Chapter…
How far should disabled employees be accommodated at work?
Granting medical leave may not be enough LAURALYN Swanson is a highly accomplished elementary school teacher with over 30 years’ experience teaching kindergarten through sixth grade. She has a master’s…
IRS expands audits to prior year and subsequent years
THE Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA, an agency that oversees the IRS) instructed the IRS to expand audits to prior and subsequent years. This means that if IRS…
To people who are considering bankruptcy but are unsure
IF you are struggling with debt problems and are starting to feel hopeless about your situation because you are not getting anywhere in spite of your efforts, at what point…
Client seeks Chapter 20 relief to avoid lien
Senior protects house from $100K judgment lien with Chapter 7 Chapter 20 NEVER heard of Chapter 20? That’s because in the Central District of California, most courts don’t allow Chapter…
Is driving part of your job? You may be entitled to back wages!
Q: AS a mobile technician, I travel to patients to obtain laboratory specimens. I drive the company vehicle, which I garage at my home, to do my job. I cannot…
12 tips to keep a current installment agreement with the IRS
1. MAIL your payments to be received on time. The monthly due date is the date of receipt at the IRS Service Center, not the date of mailing. 2. Use…
Procrastination can be your greatest enemy when facing debt problems
ARE you facing insurmountable debt problems? Are creditors threatening you with lawsuits, judgments or a wage garnishment? Are you afraid of losing what little you have and wonder how you…
When the engine warning light is lit, get it checked immediately
OF the nearly four dozen concerns that can cause a car’s Check Engine light to illuminate, none is so small it can reasonably be ignored. There are more than 40…
Chapter 11 business re-organization
Signs of a company headed toward failure and important ways to fix the problems SOMETIMES companies get into financial trouble. They have leadership issues, they have failures by suppliers, and they…
Are you correctly reimbursed by your employer for business expenses?
Q: I TRAVEL several times a month as part of my job duties using my own car. I also make several business-related calls on my personal cell phone. My work…
IRS announces ‘fresh start’ initiative for payment plans
(Part 2 of 2) THE Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced a major expansion of its “Fresh Start” initiative to help struggling taxpayers by providing: • Offer in Compromise (OIC) –…
The ‘secret’ fear that comes with being in debt
I KNOW we’ve never met. But there’s a common fear everyone shares when they’re in drowning in debt. As a debt relief attorney, I hear it from people who consult…
Business with $2.1M judgment against it seeks Chapter 11 relief
Senior with $24K debt seeks Chapter 7 relief; Senior protects house with Chapter 13 Chapter 11 CLIENT presents himself as an importer & nationwide distributor of electronic items with gross annual…
Can employer legally fire employee for exceeding pregnancy leave?
Q: I work for a large company and recently took a leave of absence due to pregnancy disability. My pregnancy was high-risk and I used up all of my 4…
Guaranteed installment agreement with the IRS
TOO good to be true? Perhaps, but read on. The IRS cannot deny your application if you satisfy all of the following requirements: 1. The tax is not more than…
Bankruptcy: Should you file now or later?
INDIVIDUALS who have accumulated excessive debt are often left to ponder whether they should file bankruptcy in order to get out of debt. Sometimes, these people feel that somehow, they’ve…
The power of direct marketing
Have you ever received an email, a flier on your car, shopping catalogues in the mail, a promotional letter from your cable provider, or have seen television commercials, banner ads,…
Signs of a company headed toward failure and important ways to fix the problems
SOMETIMES companies get into financial trouble. They have leadership issues, they have failures by suppliers, and they have cash flow problems. Companies have a lot of problems, often every day….
More protections for ‘temps’ and subcontracted employees
Q: I WORK at UX Corp, a big national processing plant. However, I am employed by ABC Agency, a subcontractor of UX Corp. ABC Agency pays my wages. We often…
Are your debt problems causing you anxiety?
BEING in debt can be one of the most stressful situations you will ever face in life. It happens to everyone although you may feel like you’re the only person…
Audit update: Schedule C income from business or profession
IRS audits have been dominated by examination of Schedule C for taxpayers who conduct their businesses as sole proprietors (instead of corporation or LLC). This includes professionals, technicians, and independent…
Senior with little income but large home equity seeks Chapter 13 relief
“There are special laws that allow middle class families to avoid paying thousands of dollars out of their pocket monthly for nursing home care, assisted living care and home care….
When immigrant workers are injured at work
National origin is not a bar to recovery Immigrants are a growing part of the labor force in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2014,…