Do I need a power of attorney?
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…
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Should you be present at your own IRS audit?
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…
Warning: Homeowners struggling with mortgage payments now have limited time to apply for government loan modification
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…
Foxes guarding the hen house
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…
Remembering AAPI veterans this Memorial Day
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…
The great game of golf: From tee to green
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…
Titanic problems
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…
Duterte and the Philippines’ health
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…
Report finds Asians in US are healthier than other groups
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…
New IRS reporting requirement to US persons
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…
With the unfavorable ratings of front-runners Clinton and Trump, should Sanders drop out of the race?
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…
Jaclyn Jose becomes the first Filipino to win Best Actress at Cannes
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…
When love turns around
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…
Filipino on FBI’s Most Wanted list
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,…
Contouring is out, strobing is in: The latest makeup trend for your summer look
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…
The actions of the Trinity in the world
“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…
Client seeks relief from $700K commercial lease
– 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…
Calculating child support
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…
‘Salaried’ employees may still have a right to overtime pay (California overtime law is still superior to new federal overtime law)
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…
Basics of statute of limitations
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…
Does filing bankruptcy make sense for your situation?
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…
Five popular eateries coming to downtown Glendale
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,…
Parole program allows kids and grandkids of Filipino vets to come to the US sooner
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…
The perils of Kristeta: The back story
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…
Campaign seeks to get AAPIs to vote in June 7 primary
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…
Music & Magic: back to the forefront to make magical music together again
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…
List for Urian nominees revealed, John Lloyd Cruz gets 2 Best Actor nods
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…
The June 2016 priority dates
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…
Be prepared for dental emergencies
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…