Prepare for Yearly Expenses – Don’t be Caught Out!

“It is thrifty to prepare for today for the wants of tomorrow” -Aesop, Writer of Fables

Yearly expenses. They look absolutely huge when we receive the invoice in the mail and if we don’t have the money to pay them, it can be downright scary.

Too many people do not plan for those big yearly expenses.

You know, things like:

• Car registration
• Car insurance
• Association rates
• Insurances
• Christmas presents

And often, people will reach for the credit card  and the nasty, high interest rates they are slugged with when they use the card.

If you have suffered the wailing and gnashing of teeth in the past that has come with not being prepared for these yearly expenses, it’s time to get organized. You don’t need to resort to emptying your savings account to pay the bill, relying on credit or living on baked beans and instant noodles for a month. You just need to be prepared and start putting away money in advance to cover the cost of the annual expenses.

Here are our tips to help you avoid getting stung by a big yearly bill you were not prepared for:

• Make a list of all of your yearly expenses: These are things like those we listed above car registration, insurances, rates and Christmas presents. List each of them out and estimate how much each will be. It is better to overestimate than underestimate. Use your last bill as an indicator and add some more to anticipate the cost of your next bill.
• 
  
• Put away every pay for your yearly expenses: Every time you get paid, put away for your yearly expenses. We recommend you have a useful savings account an account you use simply to cover essential costs. If your annual bills add up to say, P100,000 and you get paid monthly, aim to put into your useful savings account P8,500 each month.

When it comes to insurance, rates and registration costs, you do not have much control over what they will be, however, with things like Christmas presents, you do have control over how much you will spend.

You do not have to go over-board with your spending and we certainly do not encourage it. Be realistic when it comes to budgeting for Christmas gifts. Remember, it is the thought that counts. Make a list of how many people you need to buy for, and set a limit as to how much you will spend for each person. Ensure you do not go over that maximum, and put away each pay for these costs.

Stick to the recommendations we have above, and you won’t ever be stung by annual bills you weren’t prepared for, ever again! It’s so much easier to pay a few hundred dollars each month into a useful savings account, than it is to be hit with a big bill amounting to thousands all in one hit!

The key to staying on top of your annual expenses is organisation. You just need to be organised! It’s well worth the effort and you won’t have to resort to credit or living on baked beans and instant noodles for months!

Helpful Tips for You: 

• Make a list of all of your yearly expenses
• Put away every pay for your yearly expenses
• Understand you do not have much control over costs such as insurance, rates, registration, etc
• You do have control over the cost of Christmas presents, so budget modestly and stick to it

Shared by Coach Amos

0923-1520501

Like: http://www.facebook.com/coach.amos

Follow: http://twitter.com/coach_amos 

Visit: http://coach-amos.blogspot.com

Blog by John de Ridder, 0419-427-419, john@focusyourmoney.com.au, Canberra, Australia

How To Properly Define Your Passions & Purpose

Over the years, I’ve worked with many companies and found the ones with lucid and succinctly described visions are more likely to succeed than those with unclear or highly complex visions. Yet as individuals, we often don’t take the time to clearly articulate our ownpassions or purpose. To help you define yours, I’ve created a simple test that I call The Funnel Test.

The following is an excerpt from  Your Network Is Your Net Worth: Unlock the Hidden Power of Connections for Wealth, Success, and Happiness in the Digital Age by Porter Gale, former VP of Marketing for Virgin America.

Define Your Passions & Purpose With The Funnel Test

Step 1: Define your three greatest passions or a succinct set of words that clearly define your core interests

You can put a high priority on any type of passion, from family to fitness or education to the environment. For example, I watched my mother build a network based on her passions of volunteering, family, and fitness when, after having lived her entire life in Minnesota, she moved to California to be closer to her family. Within sixty days of arriving, my mother joined a master’s swim team, found a group of women who played tennis at the park, and became an alternate in a golf foursome. If you can find activities, work, or relationships that combine two or more of your core passions, you are likely to hit the jackpot and be more effective in and excited about your actions and activities.

Next, grab a pen and make three columns, one for each passion. Make a commitment to improve, particularly where your involvement is limited. Let’s say that if you’re passionate about photography, make a commitment to go to photography exhibits several times a year and find online communities about the topic. For example, two of my goals are to take an improvisation class as a way to nurture my interest in storytelling and to go on weekly hikes with friends to support my passion for health.

Step 2: Define your desired tone

How you want to present yourself to the world? What is your authentic voice? Are you quiet and reserved? Witty? Bold? Irreverent? To use the example of my mom again, I’d define her tone as reserved. She’s understated and is more likely to listen first and talk second.

Now fill the space below your passion circles with a selected word for your tone. Like a funnel, where the contents flows from top to bottom, envision all of your actions being influenced by your tone. Remember, simple is good.

Step 3: Define your core purpose in twenty words or less

What do you want to accomplish in life? And work? Write what is in your gut, and look at the passion words in your Funnel Test. Your goal is to write a phrase of fewer than twenty words that describes your purpose. My recommendation is to keep this as simple as possible. Some brands and companies do this, and it also happens to be a valuable exercise for self-reflection for any individual.

Fred Reid, the founding chief executive officer of Virgin America, shared with me how the airline’s purpose, “To create an airline people love”, was born: “I had written it on a paper and had thrown it into the trash. I initially thought it was too simplistic, but that is what we wanted to do. Can you imagine? Have an airline people loved?” After some deliberation, Reid and the founding team kept coming back to the simple phrase and decided it was the perfect mantra for the start-up that faced a complicated uphill battle prior to liftoff in 2007.

Sometimes we have to make sacrifices or take baby steps in the short-term to help us get to where we want to be. However, if you don’t even know where you want to go, it will be even harder to get there. Once you’ve defined your passions and developed a focused purpose, your networking efforts will be more effective and authentic.  Use this test as a filter to help you guide your activities and meetings.

Stay optimistic, stay productive, and be the best you can be. Stay focused on your purpose, but know there is potential learning in every action.

Shared by Coach Amos

0923-1520501

Like: http://www.facebook.com/coach.amos
Follow: http://twitter.com/coach_amos 
Visit: http://coach-amos.blogspot.com

Shared from  http://www.marvingermo.com 
For Information and Educational purposes only
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED 

About The Author: Porter Gale

Porter Gale is the author of Your Network Is Your Net Worth: Unlock the Hidden Power of Connections for Wealth, Success, and Happiness in the Digital Age. With over 20 years of experience working in branding, social media, and advertising, Porter’s new book will show you how to build the right network for living a rich life.

WHY SHOULD YOU PREPARE FOR RETIREMENT?

Retirement is not a matter of age but rather a matter of choice.  Retirement is not you reaching 60 but rather you have savings and investments that you can stop working at whatever age you are in.  My heart is to help you learn more about it so that you can prepare for it and make savings and investments aligned with your financial goals.  I want to see more and more Filipinos live their lives with them not chasing after money.

This is the 3rd part on our series on Retirement and I have asked fellow RFP Ge Cantor to share on Why should you prepare for Retirement?.  You may check Part 1: 10 tips to a happy and comfortable retirement and Part 2: What is Retirement to you?  by clicking the links above.

“When a man retires, his wife gets twice the husband but only half the income.” (Chi Chi Rodriguez, Puerto Rican professional golfer)

Time flies.  I just visited St. Luke’s Quezon City for a check-up.  While at the Cashier, the lady asked me if I already have a record in their hospital.  I was tempted to say, “yes” I was born here 39 years ago!  The good thing about visiting hospitals is you get to appreciate the cycle of life.  You see parents happily carrying their new-born babies.  On the other hand, you also see children accompanying their elderly parents.  Time really flies.  While you may be in your 20s, 30s or 40s, in a blink of an eye, retirement knocks on your door.   So why not start preparing for it now while you are still able and have time?

Albert Einstein.  The great genius considered compound interest as the eighth wonder of the world.  The money you save not only earns interest, but the interest earns interest, like your children having grandchildren.  According to the book, “The Procrastination Equation,” such is its power that if you put aside $5,000 each year between the ages of 20 and 30, you would retire richer than if you started putting that five grand aside every year from the age of 30 on.  When you procrastinate in saving money for retirement, you lose all those compound interest and potential investment dividends or earnings.

Toilet cleaner.  Manang was a 72-year old Filipino lady, who worked in a hospital in Hawaii where my Mom was confined last year.  Despite her advanced age, Manang was still cleaning the patients’ private rooms and toilets.  I recall asking her why she still working.  She just said that she cannot afford to retire yet as she has no savings and she is still supporting her children’s children back home.  One of the reasons why you will want to start saving for retirement is because you don’t want to keep on working till your last breath.  Those who are unprepared for retirement have no choice.  Is this really something you want to do?

Aging.  Mark Twain (American author and humourist) said that “Age is an issue of mind over matter.  If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”  In reality, aging costs money.  As people age, they tend to have higher risk of developing disabilities and contracting diseases. Saving for retirement can help you prepare financially for long-term health care and, in some cases, for life and death situations.

Nth birthday.  According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, Filipinos’ life expectancy for both sexes was 70 years in 2009:  67 for males and 73 for females.  Thanks to medical advances and healthier lifestyles, Filipinos may live longer. Obviously, living longer means you should save more and save earlier for retirement.

Diminishing return.  Generally, a person starts out making very little money when he/she starts working, and then gets to make more and more as he/she gains more experience and skills.  The trend to making more and more money does not typically continue especially when a person retires at some point.  That is why you should prepare for retirement, as you cannot generate income for yourself forever.

Aquino’s SONA.  In his latest State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Aquino stressed the need to increase Social Security System (SSS) monthly contributions, citing a 2011 study that warned that 28 years from now, the pension fund for private sector workers would be depleted.  This news gives you more reason why you should save for retirement as you cannot completely rely on the government to finance your retirement years.

KKK.  In “sales” lingo, KKK stands for kapamilya, kapatid, kapuso, etc.  This relates to a salesperson’s “natural market” of prospects. In some cases, KKK also relates to people you can rely on upon retirement.  In a typical Filipino family, parents feel entitled to their children’s support after providing for the latter’s education.  One of the important reasons why you should prepare for retirement is for your children.  As parents or future parents, would you really wish to put the financial burden of your retirement or eldercare onto your kids?

Actualization.  “What a man can be, he must be.”  According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, self-actualization refers to what a person’s full potential is and the realization of the potential. Typically, retirement is the best time to follow, pursue, or discover, your passion.  Time to do something that matters.  Time to help others and make a difference.  Marc Freedman (CEO and founder of Encore.org) perfectly sums it up when he said that “You save not to have freedom from work, but to have freedom to do the work you want to do.”

Royal blood.  Unless you are Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge or The Queen is your “lola”, then you should accept your fate that you need to provide for your own retirement expenses.

I’m Retired, Now What? As Jonathan Clement (British author and scriptwriter) puts it:  “Retirement is like a long vacation in Las Vegas. The goal is to enjoy it the fullest, but not so fully that you run out of money.”

Now to summarize why should you prepare for retirement?  “T.A.T.A.N.D.A. K.A. R.I.N.!”.  So should you start saving today’s money for the future, or are you still keeping up with the Joneses and spending tomorrow’s money today?

———————————————————

If you’d like to learn more how to invest in the stock market and also learn how to prepare for retirement I’d like to invite you to our upcoming events:

For inquiries, registration, and payments email: clientrelations@marvingermo.com

Shared by Coach Amos

0923-1520501

Like: http://www.facebook.com/coach.amos
Follow: http://twitter.com/coach_amos 
Visit: http://coach-amos.blogspot.com

Shared from  http://www.marvingermo.com 
For Information and Educational purposes only
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED

What is Retirement to You?

I’m finally back!  It’s glad to be back at writing once again after almost 10 days of trips in and out of Manila.  I just miss this aspect of what I do as it just allows me to share things and reach more people than my talks or 1:1 meetings go.  To kick things off again, we’ll continue with our retirement series where we talk about different things about retirement.  I placed an online poll over twitter and facebook as to what age would each person would want to reply.  Based on the 1451 responses almost 50% wanted to retire by their 40′s.  What amazed me was each person had his or her own take on retirement and want it meant to them along with the ages that they all wanted to retire.  There is no right or wrong age when is the best time to retire but one thing I know for sure is the earlier you prepare for it the better!  The earlier you start, the earlier you can have your money work hard for you.  If you are starting a bit later in your retirement planning don’t fret cause I believe it’s never too late to start.  Whatever you have missed out before I believe God can turn things around for good!  All is well and I believe greater things are ahead for you and your finances.

To keep up with the theme, I have requested a good friend and RFP, Edmund Lao to share his insights on what retirement is.  Enjoy!

 

What is Retirement?

Retirement, by definition of Wikipedia, is the point where a person stops employment completely.

Normally, employees retire from work at the mandatory retirement age of 60 to 65 years of age. Retirees have mixed feeling when that day comes. Some view it as freedom from corporate slavery and there are others who view it as the beginning of idleness or uselessness.

The fact is that, whether we like it or not, that day is certain to come. What our condition will be depends on what we do to prepare for it. As a Chinese saying goes: ”The best time to prepare for a calamity is when there is none”.

Personally, retirement, for me, is the day that I get my ticket to have the freedom do the things that I loved . That means that I do not have to trade my time for money anymore.  Retirement does not have anything to do with age as it is my financial condition that will determine my decision to end my corporate life.  The only reason that other retirees feel tha pain of retiring is because it is already too late that they realized the terror of having no money to support their golden years. There is truth to the second habit of effective people by Stephen Covey: “ Begin with the end in mind”.  That is the major reason why a lot of people fail financially. They forgot that in a man’s life there are only 3 stages, which are:

1. Man at work,
2. Man and money at work, and
3. Mmoney at work.

By recklessly spending the money he made on stage 1, he will not be able to reach stage 2 and  instead of having LOI, not the former First Lady, but Living On Interest, he is sure to retire broke.

Retirement has to be fun. It is the time one can spend his time with his children and grandchildren and be an asset instead of liability. In the past, I have written about the Two Kinds of Old Age  where there are two scenarions of a retired old man, and another related one is  The Tired, The Retired and The Re-tired. In both articles, the common denominator is money.

Most of the time, when people are retired by their company and they are unprepared, they feel anger or hatred. I remembered a quote which goes like this: “Love your job, not the company, because you may never know when  the company will stop loving you”. Apparently, it is not the obligation of the company to take care of  our finances. The company’s obligation is to pay us directly proportinal to the services we have rendered. It is therefore our obligation to ourselves to plan for our retirement.

For me, based on experience, retirement planning begins on the first day one get employed. It is his opportunity to build up his funds that he can use to pay for his future.

Below are practical guidelines on how to secure one’s retirement:

-Spend less than you earn  now and save more.

-Get better net, after-tax returns on your investments.

-Work longer to earn more.

The key step in retirement planning is to determine what matters most to you and your spouse . Spend a moment now, reflect on your lifestyle in retirement, and think about how it will change from the lifestyle you enjoy today.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Lastly I’d like to thank everyone who filled up our two sessions of Stock Smarts Singapore!  Thank you all for showing up!  It was an honor to have all of you guys there!  For those who haven’t invested yet I hope that the sessions served as an eye opener for you to invest in our awesome stock market and for those that are already investing I do hope that our technical analysis workshop helped make sense of how to time your buying and selling!

I also had a fun time in the Singapore Exchange along with CNBC’s News room!

For those that emailed and asked, we will continue our stock smarts singapore modules this November!  Details to be out soon!

———————————————————————————————————————

If you’d like to know more about retirement and how you can prepare for it, here’s one event that’s for you: August 17^th Retire 2013 : A No NonSense Retirement Planning Workshop

If you’d like to learn more how to invest in the stock market and also learn how to prepare for retirement I’d like to invite you to our upcoming events:

For inquiries, registration, and payments email: clientrelations@marvingermo.com

Shared by Coach Amos

0923-1520501

Like: http://www.facebook.com/coach.amos
Follow: http://twitter.com/coach_amos 
Visit: http://coach-amos.blogspot.com

Shared from  http://www.marvingermo.com
For Information and Educational purposes only
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED

10 Tips to a comfortble and happy retirement

Life does not stop when you retire!  Retirement is just the beginning of even bigger and better things for your life!  The sooner you realize that the more passionate you will become to start saving and preparing for retirement!  And I believe this with all my heart that the earlier you begin preparing for it the better it will be for you down the road and the lesser amount of money you have to set aside for it as you have time working on your behalf!

Over the next few weeks Registered Financial Planners would be talking about “RETIREMENT” with the hope of inspiring and encouraging everyone that this is something that should be given importance not when we are 60 years old but now!  Now that we have the means to save and make our money work hard for us!  It’s an honor to have a good friend and fellow RFP Jesi Bondoc to share his 10 tips to a comfortable and happy retirement!

Enjoy!

In doing financial plans, I always begin with the question of “what are your goals in life”?  And most of the time, having a comfortable retirement comes in the top five lists of people’s life goals.  The idea of one day you no longer need to punch a timecard is what most of us dream for.  Retirement can mean having to spend more time with your family, having to travel across the globe or having a small farm to tend to.  The ways on how we want to spend our golden years may vary but one thing is constant when it comes to retirement, early preparation is the key to a comfortable and happy retirement.

Retirement planning is an extensive and ongoing process that needs long term commitment.  It involves among others building your retirement nest egg, making it grow and preserving it to sustain you through your retirement years.  Retirement planning may seem to be a tall order to accomplish but doing nothing to prepare for this important life event can cause tremendous strain not only in your finances but in all aspects of life in the future.

Let these 10 simple tips be your guide in achieving a comfortable and happy retirement:

1.  Envision your retirement life.   Try to paint a picture of how you would like to spend your retirement years.  Define and make life plans.   Write down all the things that you want to do and be specific as much as possible.

2.  Determine your desired retirement age.    Deciding on when to finally bid goodbye to employment is a crucial part of retirement planning.  It will give you an idea on when to start building your nest egg for retirement.  Most financial planners follow the 20/20 rule.  If you plan to retire at age 60 and hoping to live 20 more years after retirement, you should start saving and building your fund at 40 years old.  Take note though that the idea is to save as much as you can for your retirement fund, so starting earlier than 40 years old obviously has its advantages.               

3.  Do the math.  You may hate crunching numbers and doing some math but in the arena of retirement planning, knowing your numbers can prove to be worthwhile once you reach your golden years.  The truth is, there is no definite magic number that we could draw to sufficiently address your retirement need.  This number depends on variable factors such as your current income, desired kind of lifestyle and even unforeseen events like illnesses and medical expenses in the future.  The good news however is we can make a logical estimate of how much you really need for your retirement.  A rule of thumb that is usually being followed is that 80% of your current income is adequate enough to cover for your retirement income and support your standard of living.  Just keep in mind the effects of inflation in the purchasing power of your money in the future.  It is wise to always factor in at least the average inflation rate of 5% when computing for your total retirement fund need.  At this stage, it will be of great relief if you seek the help of a Registered Financial Planner to help you in computing for your retirement fund need.  You can visit their website at www.rfp.ph for a list of Registered Financial Planners in the Philippines.

4.  Save now and save more.     Now that you have determined the amount of retirement fund that you’ll need, the next step is to build the fund.  Start allocating a portion of your income to retirement savings.  Do it regularly and consistently.  Do not touch this saving until you reach your retirement.

5.  Save for emergencies.     It is equally important that you have a contingency fund along with your retirement savings for the reason that emergencies can happen anytime.  These unforeseen events can put a huge dent in your cash flow and without a contingency fund you might be forced to withdraw from your retirement fund. 

6.  Fast track your nest egg through investments.     In this stage you have to be careful in shopping for the right investment instrument that can best help you address your desired retirement fund.  Remember each asset classes and investment vehicles have their own characteristics and purposes.  It is my view that in building your nest egg for retirement, it is highly important that you adopt a less conservative approach in investment.  Educate and expose yourself to investment instruments that are moderate to aggressive in nature like stocks, mutual funds and UITFs.  These instruments bear more exposure to market volatility compared to your traditional banking products like savings and time deposits but have great potentials to give you higher yields in the long run and ultimately help build your retirement fund.

7.  Assess your resources.     You were able to identify the size of the fund that you need for your retirement as well as the investment instrument to use in building the fund, now it is time for you to check on where to source the fund in building your nest egg.   The most common source is your employment income but there are other sources that you can consider like your social security contribution, bonuses, commission income, existing savings or even inheritance if you have received one.

8.  Do not rely on “B.I.R” or “Bureau of Inay/Itay Revenue”.   Relying on pension from your children should not be a part of your retirement strategy.  While it gives tremendous sense of joy and pride to receive one from your children, do not obligate them to do so.   Create your own financial pipeline for retirement and your in-laws will love you more.

9.   Get yourself in shape.    Remember the goal? Living a comfortable and HAPPY retirement?  How can you happily enjoy your retirement years if you are always sick?  Eat well, watch your health and exercise. Both your financial and physical health will determine the quality of life you will be living during your golden years.

10.  Review your retirement plan periodically.    It is imperative that you review your retirement plan on a regular basis.  Make necessary adjustments and re-alignments accordingly.  Remember that retirement planning is a long term process and it is highly possible that life changing events may happen during the planning stages.  Do not hesitate to tweak your plan to match your current situation.

 Note that retirement planning is a lifelong process that needs your utmost discipline and commitment to effectively implement it. Remember as well that retirement does not mean being idle and having less use and importance to society. Once you reach your retirement years, continue to cultivate and educate yourself with things that interest you. Pursue your passion, come up with a hobby and spend more time with your family and friends.

—————————————————————————————— 

If you’d like to learn more how to invest in the stock market and also learn how to prepare for retirement I’d like to invite you to our upcoming events: For inquiries, registration, and payments email: clientrelations@marvingermo.com

Shared by Coach Amos

0923-1520501

Like: http://www.facebook.com/coach.amos
Follow: http://twitter.com/coach_amos 
Visit: http://coach-amos.blogspot.com

Shared from  http://www.marvingermo.com/ 
For Information and Educational purposes only
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED

How to Avoid Investment Scams

Not only millions of pesos lost, but lives are destroyed because of investment scams. Children have to stop school, retirement put on hold, peace of mind lost, and some commit suicide. These are the consequences that victims of investment scams have to face. Filipinos seem to forget the mistakes of the past and fall for the same trap of a “high return in a short span of time” investment. It may be too good to be true, but a promise of a brighter future is an offer they cannot refuse. We cannot undo what has happened. The only thing we can do is to learn from our mistakes and the mistakes of others. We always remind everyone to never invest in something that you do not understand. Discover the questions you need to ASK to know if an investment being offered to you is legitimate or not.

4 Questions You Need to Ask

1. What is the background of the company? Do your research. Know who runs the company and how they operate. Utilize the internet to check if someone has already been fooled by the company or its operators. If the scheme seems similar to a previous scam, do not second guess. STAY AWAY. 

2. How much do I invest and how much will I get? If it promises a huge return over a short period of time, THINK TWICE. It’s either a scam or something illegal. If it is too good to be true – you are probably right. 

3. When will I get it? If an investment promises to make you rich in days or a few months, be DOUBTFUL.Unless you win the lottery, there is no investment that can guarantee to make you rich instantly. Beware of the word GUARANTEE. 

4. How will I earn? Lastly, you should know how they will use your hard earned money. If you do not understand the business and they cannot explain it clearly, AVOID them completely. Always use good judgement when deciding about the things that will affect your future. Do not let testimonials from your family, friends or any influential person convince you to invest. 

YOU make the decision! 

QUESTION: Can you share other ways to avoid investment scams? 

Do you want to know if an investment being offered to you is legitimate or not? 

Don’t be fooled by scammers. 

You are welcome to join our FREE Financial Analysis Program

Shared by Coach Amos

0923-1520501

Like: http://www.facebook.com/coach.amos
Follow: http://twitter.com/coach_amos 
Visit: http://coach-amos.blogspot.com

Shared from Pesos and Sense
For Information and Educational purposes only
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED