Exclusion of gain from sale of home
“ Be careful when having your residence deeded to a living trust. Upon death, if the A/B trust splits into a trust (Survivor’s Trust A) and an irrevocable trust (Bypass…
Read More
The year in review: New employment laws in 2014
THE year 2014 has been an interesting time for employment law with the legislature and the courts defining additional protections to employees. The following are some of the laws that…
You can face your debt problems with dignity
IF you are experiencing debt problems, you may find it difficult to talk to other people about it to the point that you are not getting the help that you…
Will a new Republican Congress block Obama’s Executive Action?
After Pres. Obama announced Executive Action (EA) on November 20, 2014, many people asked whether a new Republican Congress can or will attempt to block those measures, especially Deferred Action…
Automatic temporary restraining orders that are in effect upon commencement of divorce
It is typical, if not natural, for Parties to a divorce case to start hiding assets and income from each other as soon as divorce is anticipated. Spouse’s are thinking…
Is Binay the most corrupt or the most efficient?
THE past few months have seen news headlines in the Philippines, rerun in FilAm media across the US, screaming about the corruption and unexplained wealth of Vice-President Jejomar Binay. Binay,…
Happy New Year!
The history behind the tradition BAGONG TAON for us Filipinos in America will always remind of of the deafening paputok of superlolo, machine guns, lucis, bawang, and the burning of…
Moving forward
BEFORE we bid 2014 adieu, we are reminded to look back and reflect on all the important events that have happened in the past 12 months. Will Filipinos learn from…
Here comes another year
THE old year is put to bed. One’s business is finished. We commemorate the year past while invoking the illumination of the year’s days of authentic indulgence, simplicities, celebration and…
OneWest Bank to offer Filipinos financial assistance
The National Asian American Coalition (NAAC) has teamed up with OneWest Bank to offer financial education services to Filipinos. On Tuesday, Dec. 23, representatives from OneWest Bank visited Island Pacific…
Thousands of undocumented immigrants apply for driver’s licenses in Calif.
LOS ANGELES – Undocumented immigrants in California can now obtain driver’s licenses under Assembly Bill 60, also known as the Safe and Responsible Drivers’ Act, which went into effect on…
Plastic manufacturers push to kill California ban on grocery bag
AN effort to end California’s exclusive state ban on single-use plastic grocery bags advanced this week after manufacturers spent millions on a campaign to gather signatures for a proposed ballot…
Number of police gun deaths increase nationwide
California is leading state IN 2014, 126 law enforcement officers were killed nationwide in the line of duty—a 24 percent jump since 2013, according to an annual report from the…
New strict gun laws for California
WITH the New Year comes new laws, and in 2015 tougher gun laws will change the kinds of guns that can be purchased in California. In July 2014, Governor Jerry…
US jobless claims rise, labor markets setting
The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits rose more than expected during the last week, but the trend remained consistent with sustained strength in the labor market….
GM announces three recalls on New Year
General Motors on Thursday, Jan. 1, announced three new recalls affecting more than 92,000 SUVs and pickup trucks. The recall includes certain 2011 to 2012 models and some 2007 to…
Smartphones are reshaping human brains, study finds
Smartphones have been accused of adversely affecting the brain, but researchers have found that fingertip interaction with touchscreens also results in increased brain activity. A new study published in the…
Oil industry headed for worst price plunge in years
On Dec. 31, the last trading day of the year, the selloff in oil markets continued even as US data showed a greater-than-expected decline in inventory. Oil is headed for…
United, Orbitz sue 22-year-old for cheap airfare website
United Airlines and and online travel company Orbitz are suing a 22-year-old who founded a website that helps travelers book cheaper flights. Aktarer Zaman from New York City founded Skiplagged.com,…
Apple faces lawsuit for allegedly misrepresenting device storage capacity
Two iPhone users have launched a lawsuit against Apple, claiming the company misrepresents storage on certain devices after users upgrade to the iOS 8 operating system. Miami residents Paul Orshan…
Connecting with your customer face-to-face
The holiday season is upon us and is my favorite time of the year! Not only do I get chance to catch up and have a feast with my family…
US marks end of 13-year war in Afghanistan
IN a ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 28, in Kabul, the United States and NATO formally ended the 13-year war in Afghanistan. “Thanks to the extraordinary sacrifices of our men and…
Executive actions on immigration could affect agriculture industry
IN California, a leading producer of fruits, vegetables and nuts, many farmers are already fearing a major labor shortage that could be caused by President Obama’s executive actions on immigration…
OneWest Bank to offer Filipinos financial assistance
The National Asian American Coalition (NAAC) has teamed up with OneWest Bank to offer financial education services to Filipinos. On Tuesday, Dec. 23, representatives from OneWest Bank visited Island Pacific…
Our family Christmas party tradition
MY husband and I almost always host a family reunion Christmas party at our home, especially this year when my Mother is celebrating her first Christmas in America after my…
Nearly 1.2M cards affected in Staples security hack
About 1.16 million customer payment cards were affected in an October security breach at Staples, compromising cardholder names, card numbers, expiration dates and verification codes. The office retailer stated in…
USPS looks to e-commerce to boost mailing business
With eight years of fiscal losses in the books, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is turning to e-commerce to boost its money numbers. “Really it started almost at the…
About 1,400 Walmart stores affected by minimum wage hikes in 2015
National minimum wage hikes set to take place in 2015 will affect the base salaries of workers at 1,434 Walmart locations in the United States, according to an internal memo…
FCC to adopt net neutrality rules in early 2015
THE Federal Communications Commission will adopt net neutrality rules in early 2015, possibly as soon as February, though observers have not predicted what those rules will look like. The FCC…
LA Christmas Day fire rips through motel
ON Christmas evening, six people, including two who were severely burned, were hospitalized after a sudden fire ripped through a three-story residential motel in the Westlake area of Los Angeles,…