AS an Elder Law attorney specializing in estate planning and Medi-Cal for Long-Term Care, I receive phone calls from adult children all over the country who have an aging parent here in California. Quite often, our conversation goes something like this: “My father (or mother) is in a nursing home in California, has a home…
SHOULD you attend your IRS audit? Yes, I mean, you—your own audit. Well, you don’t have to. This is always a strategic question that should be discussed at the early planning stage of an audit. Of course, you do not want to go. As your power of attorney, I do not want you to go…
ARE you currently struggling with high mortgage payments? Did you get your loan modified in the past but now have a new hardship based on changed circumstances? If so, this is an important article that you MUST read. If you’re one of the many people who got approved for loan modification many years ago under…
REMEMBER “C5 at Taga”? For the benefit of those with short memories, in January 2010, with the presidential campaign in full swing and Sen. Manny Villar leading in the surveys on presidential aspirants, the Senate debated a report recommending the censure of Villar “for improper and unethical conduct.” Villar, who owns one of the biggest…
EACH year, we celebrate Memorial Day to honor those who gave their lives serving in our armed forces. The holiday is particularly close to my heart because I’m a veteran and also because it comes at the end of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. My parents immigrated to the United States when I was 3…
There is a funny thing about golf. It is more than strong shots or strong hands, beautiful knee action, smooth and self assured putting attributes or strokes. A tough player hides it well by acting nonchalant, whistling and laughing in the middle of tournaments. But in his mind, he is always calculating the next shot, never…
ALMOST every Filipino has seen the movie Titanic, the story of Jack and Rose who sailed that doomed ship, which hit an iceberg and sank. During consultations, I sometimes compare the person’s immigration situation to sailing on the Titanic. What do I mean by that? If a person wants to buy a ticket on the…
With the election of Rodrigo Duterte, The Punisher and Dirty Harry of Davao, as the next president of the Philippines, are the Filipinos headed towards a healthier, safer, and corruption-free nation? This is most certainly a tall order, which realistically could take decades to accomplish, but The Punisher promised he would achieve this much sooner…”in…
A NEW study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that Asian adults – particularly Chinese adults – are physically and psychologically healthier than other US adults. Overall, Chinese adults reported better health in five measures included in the report: likelihood for fair or poor health, chronic conditions, psychological distress, work…
STARTING 2015, filer of Form 8938 who satisfies the reporting obligation by completing Part IV Excepted Specified Foreign Financial Assets, must complete the newly added checkbox on item D on Form 5471 (discussed in this column), Form 3520,3520-A, 8621, or 8865 (not discussed in this column). What is a controlled foreign corporation (CFC)? • more…
This race to the White House is not like any other, especially when you look at the front-runners of each party. In past elections, voters generally have fallen in love with their candidates of choice, giving each a boost in favorability ratings. The winning candidate usually has the highest favorability rating — the one that…
WHILE most of the country is joining the bandwagon of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, the Church is keeping its stand and keeping a close eye on the incoming leadership. Earlier in April before he won the votes, Duterte has already shrugged off a possible support from the Church. He even warned Catholics to not vote for…
JACLYN Jose made history after winning the Best Actress award at the 69th Cannes Film Festival on Sunday, May 22. She is the first Filipino to bring home the acting honor for the Philippines at Cannes. The 52-year-old veteran actress was hailed for performance in the film “Ma’ Rosa,” directed by Brillante Mendoza, who marks…
LAS VEGAS: On a hot, dry day in May, the whole city was breathing and heaving like a tired beast. On the strip that controlled all the luxurious hotels, cursing motorists are melting down encased in a steeled impotence, trapped in a horrendous gridlock. But come hell or high water, people flock here to untie…
A FILIPINO man from Los Angeles wanted for the murder of his pregnant girlfriend last month has been named to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. Philip Patrick Policarpio, 39, was charged with first-degree murder on April 22 in Los Angeles. Authorities have issued local, state and federal warrants for his arrest, and are…
Don’t you just love it when summer is approaching? I love how the suns sets so late and how it makes you feel like you have more daytime hours; not to mention, plenty of things you can still do ‘til the sun goes down at about 7-8pm. And since you have so much “solar-powered” energy,…
“WHY do we hear all this stuff about the Trinity?” The question burst from a man in the audience of a talk of mine. “Why can’t we just be good to each other and go to church? I answered, “Because.” “Because the Triune God is not some kind of brainy speculation by scholars. It is…
– Seniors seek relief from $80K and $28K credit cards CLIENT is 52, still young by any standard. He has got it all together. He has no credit card debt or bank debt. He doesn’t own a house but owns a mobile home that he lives in with a fair market value of $45K. He’s…
THROUGHOUT the years that I have practiced family law in the State of California, I have heard many ideas from clients as to how they think child support is calculated in the State of California. Unfortunately, some of their ideas are misinformed or not complete. Some feel that they are stuck with a low…
Q: MY job title is “manager.” I work at least 10 hours per day, 6 to 7 days per week. While I supervise a few employees, I mostly do the same tasks they do. I cannot hire or fire anyone. My employer insists that since I am salaried and paid double the hourly minimum wage,…
Background WHEN is your return free from IRS audit? From your point of view, statute of limitations prevents the IRS from collecting a deficiency in tax or beginning a civil or criminal case. Statute of limitations provides a date of finality after which the IRS or the taxpayer can take no further actions. We can…
ARE your debt problems keeping you up at night and causing a lot of stress in your life? Have you thought of filing bankruptcy but can’t decide whether it’s the smart thing to do? When no other means of debt relief are available, filing for bankruptcy may be the only way to get out of…
Some exciting news for foodies who live and work in Glendale. Caruso Affiliated, the privately held real estate company behind The Americana at Brand and the Grove, announced on Thursday, May 12 that in addition to burger chain Shake Shack, four eateries will be making their way to downtown Glendale this fall. Last December, it…
TIME is of the essence for Filipino World War II veterans who are now living in the United States but are still counting years to finally have their children and grandchildren with approved petition to join him here and enjoy the remaining years of their life together as a family. With the Obama Administration parole…
A long, long time ago, Kris Aquino and I sat together by the steps of the Guest House, the official residence of then President Cory Aquino. We goofed around at the foyer of Hacienda Luisita and during various presidential sorties around the archipelago — a trusted listener in casual conversation about school, love and crushes,…
AS California’s June 7 primary approaches, 20 organizations plan on calling 20,000 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) registered voters in Los Angeles and Orange Counties in a campaign called “Your Vote Matters.” “Primaries have lower turnout than general elections in November, which amplifies the power of those who do cast a vote this June,”…
The current trend of reuniting disbanded or gone-on-its-own-way old-time singing groups and bands, in a despicable evaluation, could offer a nostalgic flashback while simultaneously proving their (still) acceptable capability to perform and entertain…that their inherent magic of collectively making music had neither been carelessly lost nor intentionally abandoned. Resurfacing under the blinding spotlights and performing…
THE nominees for the 39th Gawad Urian have been announced and John Lloyd Cruz heads the list under the Best Actor category with two nominations. The actor is nominated for lead roles in his films “A Second Chance” and “Honor Thy Father.” “A Second Chance” is the sequel to the 2007 film, “One More Chance.”…
EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date…
INJURIES always seem to happen when we least expect them. Picture yourself at an outdoor gathering, having fun, when suddenly a crying child runs up to you, knocked-out tooth in hand. Would you know what to do? Dental first aid saves teeth Knocking out or fracturing a tooth is especially distressing—just thinking about it can…
