The arrow: in memory of.

This may look ordinary,

but it took us almost 5 hours – high heels and hunger games- to get this arrow of success right.

As a newbie back then, all I could do was follow and wait (and complain in silence why we have to go through such ordeal para lang sa arrow).
But even with everyone’s apparent look of exhaustion, not one would retreat and give up. Not even the veterans.  Those whose years of service in the company are half or more than my age.

Why?

Our Branch Manager was at the venue as early as 6am. I got there past 10.  (Don’t ask why)
But not for a second did she show or make us feel that we are getting nowhere with this chase for the right angle of the arrow even if it’s taking us forever.
I thought her favorite drink is Sting.
If you’re looking for a real life Superwoman,  that’s her.
First to arrive, last to leave.
Reklamo ka pa? Haha

Led by a great and an exemplary example, it is no wonder why this branch has repeatedly beat records year after year.

Unbeknown to me when I joined in, No.1 branch of the No. 1 Life Insurance company pala ang napasukan ko.
Hindi ‘yan showbiz, friends.
I’m speaking of the truth and nothing but the troots. 😛

What brought me to this reminscing?

Next week we’re doing another pictorial for the 2015 issue of Shine! as Sunlife Philippines’ No. 1 branch in 2014.

Indeed,  life is brighter under the sun.

E-mail me at Tin.Biz.Fa@Gmail.com

You don’t need rocket science to invest.

Hello, Philippines!
Hello, world!

From readytoberich.com

Almost 4 years ago, when I went to the office of COL Financial (then Citisec Online) to open a direct account in the stock market, the risks and what-ifs that I usually hear from people didn’t take much space in my list of concerns because I was really sold into the idea of saving is not investing, and one need not be a rocket scientist to be an investor.

To a 22 year old yuppie, that was very encouraging.

And it took a me while to understand why it seems so hard for people, especially those my age, to think and do the same.

I realized albeit a little late that we all don’t get exposed to the right medium, not educated fair enough with the basics by people with pure intentions, and our culture, in all fairness, veers from taking risks, embracing volatility and keeps a safe distance from the uncertain.
There’s no bachelor’s degree for being an excellent salesman.
For a number of reasons that we can blame this apparent ignorance towards financial literacy, we can agree to disagree that the lack of courage plays a big role.

When I bought my first ever “shares” I congratulated myself and ate Chips Ahoy. Of course.
It’s not too big an amount (I went for the minimum. hahaha) but the feeling was very elating.
When I told some of my friends about this venture most of them were very skeptical and the discouragment were along the following lines:

It’s dangerous.
It’s very risky.
You’ll lose your money.

Good thing I have read about those common misconceptions beforehand and  hearing them in person was more of “oh, yeah?” than “OMG! I’m dead!” for me.

Why?
Due diligence.

How?
Read, ask and read some more.

I was too big a fan of the stock market that for a little while I thought that it is the only way to go. That it is the only venue where I can maximize my savings’ potential and by extent help me achieve my dreams.
Any other option heard of or I’m  presented with didn’t entice me.

However, while one investment instrument maybe a whole lot better than the other, know that there’s more to investing than going for which is “better” and safer.
It’s like self-employment does others good but not the same can be said about the rest who aspire to be one.

There is knowing your risk appetite and the importance of meeting your timeline to consider.

Regardless of what works for you, I am encouraging you, especially all the young working professionals here and abroad, to not let the opportunity pass. Time is the top most ingredient in all these. And we have it. It’s on our side. That alone deserves a Chips Ahoy feast.

Meanwhile, to those who plan to join or are already investing in the PSE (Philippine Stock Exchange), here’s an article by financial blogger Fitz Villafuerte of Ready To Be Rich on what to expect this 2015.

For full text, click here.

For inquiries on how to get started, you may reply here or message the e-mail address below.

E-mail me at Tin.Biz.Fa@Gmail.com

2015! Write it down.

Hi everyone,

I’m putting my already-done-but-yet-to-be-claimed Starbucks 2015 Planner for grabs. 🙂
And because I haven’t claimed it yet, that means you get to put your preferred name on it.

It’s a labor of love getting all 18 stickers needed, simply because I don’t drink coffee.
It so happened that for most of this year’s last quarter, work has mostly been accomplished (and not) one Starbucks table at a time. Hence…

Photo from Starbucks.com.ph

One would need 9 stickers of Starbucks Featured Christmas Beverages and another 9 stickers of Starbucks Core Beverages to complete the 18-sticker collection.
Bottled drinks- water and fruit juice- are excluded.
On the average, the planner would amount to a conservative estimate of around P2,700.00.

If you’re just about to collect the stickers, half-way done or looking for a faster and more economic way of getting the said planner, “my planner” is for you.

Bid starts at P689.00.

I wish the lucky taker a memorable, productive and meaningful 2015. May you have more plans and goals to write and accomplish.

Merry Christmas! ♥

Email: tin2ecc@gmail.com, twitter UID: Tintacols or reply to this blog.

E-mail me at Tin.Biz.Fa@Gmail.com

You, now and tomorrow.

Here’s an excerpt from a post of Humans of New York on Facebook that I’d like to expound on.

People always say “be true to yourself”. But that’s misleading because there are two selves. There’s your short term self and there’s your long term self.
And if you’ll only be true to your short term self, your long term self slowly decays.

I have a friend who early in my career as a Financial Planner made it clear that saving, investing more so, is a very restricting path to take. It doesn’t make one seize the moment.

Which I respected, albeit painstakingly.

10 months later that friend became my client. Not to my invitation, but through her own will to get her finances in order.

She traveled somewhere, both for work and pleasure, and came home with a beautiful tan and a message I didn’t expect to receive. Especially from someone who’s from quiet an enviable vacation.

She said:

“Tin, let’s meet. I want to talk to you about how I can save and invest.”

Apparently, her recent escapade made her think of what lies ahead after all the wanderlusting. She knows the travels enrich her personally and spiritually, but the practical side of life poked her somewhat.

When we met, I told her that traveling is good. I, myself, look forward to it every time.  Even domestic flights excite me. Honestly, the very thought of a plane ride thrills me like a litte girl this time of year, dreaming of what Santa has to put in her Christmas sock. I mean, rewarding yourself after a month or year of hardwork is a must, however way you wanna do it.

But as I always say,

Planning is a very exciting part in making a dream come true.
Living the dream is even more exciting and sweet.
Enabling yourself to live more dreams tops it all.

How do we make more dreams happen?
We can’t seriously root for a fairy godmother or a genie to rescue our wandering minds, right?
We have to do what it takes.
We have got to prepare.
After all, faith without action is lame.
That’s biblical, fyi.

It’s a hard disposition to,dare I say, impose, but I hope we all get to a certain level of resistance on the things that we don’t really need, where we can give our ID (pleasure personality) the turndown it badly needs often times. Savor the feeling of being able to say “I can but I won’t”.

I’m not perfect in this, mind you.
As I write, I am also going through some major financial decisions I made in the past where the most I can do now is scratch my head and tell myself with conviction that I can get through this. I can. I will. I must.
You know the drill.
But I share this nevertheless for everyone to know that it’s not easy to not give in. Nobody likes discipline. But everyone loves the result of it.
And so we have to do it, not for others to like us eventually but for our own good, our own sanity, and to the many other things that will better our lives and the lives of everyone else we care about.

E-mail me at Tin.Biz.Fa@Gmail.com

The last shall be first: Asia’s growth prospects for 2015

This investment entry goes to all my kababayans (countrymen) and to all interested foreign investors who are looking for a promising investment channel that will maximize returns to the fullest in the next year or so.
Looking ahead? Click the link and read through the article.

http://country.eiu.com/article.aspx?articleid=582174442&Country=Philippines&topic=Economy&subtopic=Forecast

Forecasts, though not 100% accurate all the time, prove to be a reliable guide as to where the arrow is headed. ↓↑

And as projections for the not so far away future are now starting to bud one by one, there’s one thing that all these tell us: Prepare.

Get started ASAP.
Not when the speculations are already happening.
Yes, you may still get a good share of profit but that’s not maximing enough the full potential of your money.
NOW is always the best answer to anyone who is reluctant to invest. Not when the market is soaring neither during a downturn.
Think of the opportunities you will, dare I sa, lose because you’ve been waiting for the stock prices to go down but they did not.

Possibilities coupled by due diligence makes life more exciting.

Read on. Ask. Read some more. And take action.

To be is to do. –

T.R

E-mail me at Tin.Biz.Fa@Gmail.com

My 11th to the 10 Travel Commandments by Erica Paredes.

http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/travel/52564-ten-commandments-next-travels?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=referral

Great article, very insightful, and in my case, quiet enviable. Most of the writer’s destination references are in Europe – my yet to do and must happen Bucket List entry.

Anyway, one of my favorite people’s mantras would be
“Money is never a problem“.
Which I agree on.
But might I just add the 11th travel commandment that is:
Travel when able.

I don’t mean to spoil your dreams of hitting the vagabond sack but, yes, travel when able.

Budgeting may come easy for some, it may not even be a problem at all,  but if you’re like me who needs at least 3-6 months in advance to plan my check and balance sheet, the practicality of the whole trip is always in my list of priorities, if not at the top of my considerations.
This must-do planning came,albeit late, after so many plane tickets that I booked but unfortunately didn’t get to use.

Why?

Budget issues.

After deliberating the situation, I always reach this dead end:
Yes, I’ve traveled. What next?

I’ve placed myself in a stressful post-travel situation some 2-3 years ago.
I went on as planned but came back not the way anyone would’ve wanted it. Broke.
I’m over and done with it but I’m telling you that if you can avoid it, please do.
That’s why when my father died and all I wanted was to leave, fly somewhere, I realized that I don’t have that kind of luxury.
Frustrating but that’s the truth.
In hindsight, the decision did me well.
I get to keep my savings and in so doing had me face the reality of my father’s passing head on.
I’m doing okay, I think. 🙂

Going back, there are a number of planning strategies to fit your itinerary- time and budget wise- without compromising what happens after your wanderlusting.
You just have to plan ahead and think long term.

Make sure your bills and other priorities are covered before you put a huge chunk of your income or savings for traveling.

After all, balance is key.

Bring your credit card with you if you have one but don’t include it in your source of funds. Have it for emergency cases. The word emergency itself is enough a reminder that a credit card is not meant to be used loosely.
It is very tempting but rise above the enticing thought of spending and paying later. Believe me when I say you’re not going to relish the headache of debt.
Been there. Done that.

I am not imposing but if you can help it, more so if you’re traveling on a tight budget, put shopping at the bottom of your to-do list.
Maybe buy a few local products but keep a good distance from spending more than your budget permits.

And though it is good for the soul to embark on a solo journey, traveling on a budget works best with a companion. But that’s another story.

I guess what I’m trying to say is
don’t rush it.
Don’t be deceived by what you see on your Facebook News Feed.
Don’t be pressured by your friends who have gone places.
As you might wonder how come they get to do these travels when your salaries don’t differ that far from each other’s. 
Rather than envy or be pressured, ask them how they get to do these things. Solicit for suggestions. It always pays to ask. In the end,
you’ll know it when it’s time to do it.
Not rushed. Not half-baked.

Planning is a very exciting part in making a dream come true.
Living the dream is even more exciting and sweet.
Enabling yourself to live more dreams tops it all.

Buckle up.   ♥

E-mail me at Tin.Biz.Fa@Gmail.com

Whenever I’m a “delivery girl”…

I feel the happiest.

It’s always a pleasure to deliver a policy contract.
If nothing else, I believe that moments like this deserves a toast or a cone of one’s favorite ice cream.

Happy and well informed client = Happy me. 🙂

Takeaway for today:

The things you keep to yourself die with you to the grave. If you have the “power” to educate people, do it.
Just as if you have the power to make people smile, do it. Pronto.
For all you know, it’s what someone needs the most.
The same with Financial Literacy. Speaking for myself, I never knew it was possible to invest, not just save, until Bo Sanchez. From his profound conviction that everyone deserves to retire a millionaire, even house helpers, to his book that introduces people with no investment knowledge on how to make their money grow, I believe that he paved the way towards Financial Literacy for me. 
And what better way to spread the good word than with the people I care most about.
I will forever be grateful.
After all, a sound financial advice comes best from someone who cares for your own welfare more than the business that will come out of it.

And we don’t stop.

We invest our time and money on one thing but we eventually should touch on one more to improve what we already know.

Had I not opened myself to the importance of Life Insurance, I wouldn’t be doing what I do now.
Yes, I’m a client first before I became an Insurance advocate.

Financial Education is no easy task.  But I guess it’s believing in what you do that makes the feat worthwhile.

Steve Jobs, one of my favorite people to ever walk on this planet, in his speech in Stanford said it best:

Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.

And so it is my prayer that we all find what we love and have that strong emotional push – that thump in our chest, the adrenaline rush, the giddy excitement- to do what we believe is a work of love.
Tears, disappointments, sleepless nights and all.

Cheers. 🙂

E-mail me at Tin.Biz.Fa@Gmail.com

Buena mano.

Calling the attention of interested and potential investors who are looking for an investment instrument that is able to yield returns better than banks can offer, secured than trading and managed by a reputable and long standing company with a pool of excellent, globally accredited fund managers.

Now is your chance to grab a hold of an investment offer that is designed to MAXIMIZE RETURNS to the fullest.

Say hello to SUN LIFE’s newest and highest-yielding PESO DYNAMIC FUND.

Screen grabbed from Sunlife.com.ph

It is a single pay plan that can be closely compared to banks’ time deposit or trust fund in terms of maturity and concept but is FAR TOO ahead in terms of money managing approach.

How does it work?

With its 5-year locked in feature, our new DYNAMIC FUND is positioned to MAXIMIZE RETURNS to the fullest. Our first issue last July 31, offered for a limited two-month period only under our Asset Management Company, yielded a return of 5.165 % as of Oct 31 ( 3-month return) or an annualized rate of return of around 20.66 %. AGGRESSIVE during favorable market conditions with 90% of assets placed in equities and shifting to DEFENSIVE mode at the indication of a market downturn with up to 100% of assets placed in fixed income securities, this fund can be offered for investments for as low as Php P250k only, bundled with a 125 % free insurance.

Offer period will be closed once target fund size of Php (__) billion is reached.

– V. S., Sunlife Sequoia NBO

If you have savings parked in your passbook accounts,  locked in your safety or wrapped in a sacred plastic bag that you do not intend to use anytime soon – with neither of the above mentioned equipped to reward you a profit share that is enough to buy you 3 sumptuous meals, now is your chance to change the direction your savings is heading.

What’s the catch?

As with any investment venture, everything comes with a risk. Risks even.
Though it is not possible to prevent a market nose dive, it is possible, however, to minimize the frightening effects of it.
How?

Do your due diligence.

1.)Choose the right company where you will entrust your hard earned money.
2.) Do not rely on your one-man-investing skills especially on matters that require consistent and keen analysis.
3.) Overcome your fear of volatility.
Investors embrace it.
Traders fear it and fail at it.
4.) Open your mind to the long existing fact that INFLATION steals what little you gain from your 1-2%
(or less) bank interest rates.
5.) An Investment channel is different from your emergency fund. Do not interchange both.

Ask. Always.

For more information,
e-mail Tin.Biz.Fa@gmail.com or visit sunlife.com.ph