When to start receiving Social Security benefits
ANY individual who has worked and contributed to the FICA/Social Security System for 10 years (40 quarters) can start receiving Social Security Retirement benefits at age 67. You may elect…
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Real estate showing strength, but overall pessimism with top analyst
“ The only reason why the Real Estate Market is better is because banks have kept interest rates low but he claims that those rates are bound to move up and…
Readers’ feedback: Pacquiao’s knock-out loss to Marquez
TWO successive losses for our Pambansang Kamao have knocked down the morale of many kababayans around the world, who have looked up to Manny Pacquiao as the modern-day hero of Filipinos. His recent knock-out…
Is Social Security part of disposable income in Chapter 13?
IMAGINE that you are a Chapter 13 debtor. You owe $100,000 of credit card debt. You receive a pension of $1,000, $1,500 from a part time job, and $1,500 from…
Because of you!
“ As we celebrate Gaudate Sunday this Third Week of Advent, let’s heed to the call of St. Paul in his Letter to the Philippians to “rejoice in the Lord”, to…
The immigration bond
Question: My husband is in detention and deportation proceedings. Can he get out? Answer: For noncitizens and their families, nothing is more important than the noncitizen’s release from jail. These…
Lifetime ban for filing 'frivolous' asylum claim
Recently, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the deportation/removal of a person who had filed a “frivolous” asylum claim, in which the person had stated that he was persecuted…
The Braganza trademark of creative excellence
Film demands a fundamentally different kind of performance with several nuances, while theater requires exaggerated body movements and expansive gestures to effectively convey emotion. Choreographer-singer-stage performer Miguel Braganza II can…
The Braganza trademark of creative excellence
Film demands a fundamentally different kind of performance with several nuances, while theater requires exaggerated body movements and expansive gestures to effectively convey emotion. Choreographer-singer-stage performer Miguel Braganza II can…
Amazing food medicine
In this issue, we shall devote our column to exalting the “medicinal values or therapeutic effects” of regular, ordinary food that people all over the world eat as a part…
And so it goes
The country is in a state of shock. Thousands are still reeling from a typhoon that ravaged the provinces of Visayas and Mindanao claiming a great number of lives while…
Retention of priority dates for ‘aged-out’ children
THE USCIS is processing adjustment of status applications filed by “aged-out” Beneficiaries of preference petitions relying on the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) as interpreted by the US Courts of…
The intelligent Pinoy voters
THIS is one of the few instances where I am agreeing with Miriam Defensor-Santiago. In a recent speech at Far Eastern University, she declared, “Let me summarize the problem with…
Pacquiao and the intersection of religion, politics and metaphysics
IF THERE is anyone who still has doubts about the powerful influence of our Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao, particularly among Filipinos in every corner of the world, then the fourth…
Rise above
NO one would blame Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao if he suddenly decides to call it a career and walk away from the ring for good after being knocked out…
The Affidavit of Support: Do I need it?
Question: I have already worked in the United States for some time. Does my sponsor still need to submit the affidavit of support? Answer: Under INA §212(a)(4)(C), an alien who…
I don't need $1,000,000 for the Green Card?
QUESTION: I heard that there is a type of visa whereby I don’t need to invest $1,000,000 to get the Green Card, but rather can use my business knowledge and…
DACA Program secure as Obama wins re-election
THE Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program was introduced in June 2012 and was implemented August 15, 2012. Within just one month of the program’s start date, the USCIS…
Can you get a Green Card even if you're over 21 years old?
Question: My auntie petitioned my mother when I was 3 years old. However, the visa process is so slow that it took 22 years for the visa number to become…
What's happening with Immigration Reform?
Question: Is there any movement on new Immigration Bills since President Obama was re-elected? Answer: The House voted on a STEM bill – standing for science, technology, engineering and mathematics…
How bankruptcy protects your home if loan modification is denied
IMAGINE how frustrating this could be. You anxiously waited for months and months for your lender’s response after submitting your loan modification request. After countless hours of frustration on the…
Traveling technicians obtain over $8M settlement for unpaid work time
TRAVELING technicians obtain over $8 million settlement for unpaid work time Lojack Corporation manufactures vehicle-tracking systems. Its technicians install and repair alarm and tracking systems for its clients. These installations…
Pinay Pride of Hawaii
ONE of Hawaii’s most distinguished business leaders is a Filipina. Joni B. Redick-Yundt has received awards and honors, not only from respected organizations, but from the highest strata of the…
WW II Veteran Alfredo T. Diaz (1916-2012): The Fall of the Last Man Standing
Revered World War II veteran Alfredo T. Diaz, who was highly regarded as a living hero from among the survivors of that war, peacefully breathed his last and finally succumbed…
Social Security (SS) benefits: Are you covered?
YOU have worked for about 10 years and have paid to the Social Security (SS) administration through FICA deductions from your paycheck. Do you ever wonder if you are indeed…
The royal infanticipation and Fil-Am baby blues
“PRINCESS KATE is pregnant, and why do we care?,” TIME Magazine asked, following the brouhaha over the news that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their firstborn child. This baby…
I want out! Dissolution or legal separation?
WHEN the marital relationship sours to the point where one or both spouses believe that the marriage cannot be salvaged, three remedies are available to terminate or alter the marital…
Can debtor compel bank to foreclosure?
WHY would a debtor want to compel bank to foreclose on his house? Recently, the LA times ran a story about a man who filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in…