Month: March 2017

Having a car insurance in the Philippines, while it helps minimize damage costs in the event of an accident, can be a pain to renew every year or so. The influx of vehicles coming in the country and with many people able to buy a car nowadays, it looks like insurance companies won’t lower their policy costs anytime soon.

But you, the responsible car owner, can avoid having to pay so much for premiums and heavy renewal costs. Here are some tips to cut insurance costs for you and your family.

1. Take a defensive driving course—Taking a defensive driving course can help you prevent an accident and incur higher premiums in your next insurance renewal. With a defensive driving course, you are able to save your own life and the lives of others, as well as your time, energy, and money on the road.

2. Look for better insurance policies—if you’re not happy with your current car insurance, you can always shop around for policies with better or more significant coverage for your cars. You can do this every few years, just so you get your money’s worth from a lower rate compared to your current car insurance. However, it’s always best to select based on research of other people’s experience with an insurance company.

3. Choose a car wisely—If you can afford a luxury vehicle, you should be able to afford the insurance price tag that comes along with it. In the same light, choose A car that’s fit for your needs, budget, and lifestyle.

4. Drop unnecessary coverage—When you’re looking for a better insurance policy, you might want to check what they’re offering. Are you paying for what you only need, or are you paying so much for coverage you might not need at all? For example, if you live in an in an area that doesn’t flood and familiar with zones that do flood during the rainy season, do you really need “acts of God” coverage? Think well.

These tips can help you choose and maximize your car insurance and minimize spending while you’re on the road.

A smart way to keep your finances in check is to choose the right bank for your savings account. While all banks have great benefits for their clients, it is up to you to see which bank can give you the best service for your needs. Those are up to you, but this list can help you zero in on the perfect bank for your needs.

Goal for Your Savings Account: What exactly do you want to achieve when you open a savings account? Your goal will affect your choices for your savings account.

Think very well. Are you saving up for a car, for further studies, or for a vacation of a lifetime? Will this be one of your many active savings accounts? When you find out what you want for your savings account, you might have an easier time focusing on a bank that can help you maximize your money.

Type of Savings Account: Generally, there are two kinds of savings accounts: an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) account and a Passbook savings account. An ATM account allows you to withdraw money with a card through an ATM. A passbook savings account, on the other hand, comes with a booklet that records your bank transactions.

The ATM savings account has more flexibility than a passbook account, but the latter is better for those who prefer traditional banking than having an ATM card with them. ATM accounts are best if you’re just starting out in your financial journey and you don’t have enough money for a high maintaining balance, because to maintain a passbook account, you need to have a maintaining balance of P10,000.

Initial Deposit: To open a savings account, you need to give your initial deposit. Again, it depends from bank to bank, and from savings account to savings account. Some banks require you to give an initial deposit of P100 in order to open a basic savings account. When you’re more financially stable, you can open a bigger savings account with an additional deposit of P500.

Interest Rates: In the Philippines, banks have interest rates for savings account holders. Interest rates do vary from bank to bank; some banks give higher interest rates than others. As most experienced investors would say, the higher the interest rate, the better.

Even if your money is safe in your account, the interest rate enables your money to grow. Depending on your bank and savings account type, you’re required to have a certain amount to earn interest. It’s best to call up the bank or banks you prefer to know how much your savings invest every year, and how much the interest rates are.

Maintaining Balance: There are reasons why some savings accounts have maintaining balance, while others don’t. Some account types have minimal maintaining balance, around P500, and it’s good for people who regularly withdraw money. If you don’t maintain your balance within 30 days, your savings account may close and you cannot withdraw the remaining money in that account.

Access to Bank: There are many banks today that have 24/7 ATM services all across Metro Manila and major cities across the country, so it shouldn’t be so hard for you to check your balance through an ATM. Many commercial banks now offer mobile and internet banking, so if you’re in Hong Kong and you want to know if your client has given your commission for a piece of work you’ve done for them, you can check any time of the day.

Passbook account holders cannot use an ATM, unless they also have an ATM card, but they can check their account through the internet as well.

ATM Transaction Fees: As much as possible, transact with your bank. When you use another ATM for your card (ex. You have one ATM card that you’re using through another bank’s ATM), you could get a minimum charge for using that machine. Some ATMs charge cards from the same bank service charge, while some don’t. It also depends on the type of ATM savings account you have, and what kind of transaction you do.

Customer Service: Some banks excel in serving their clients both online and in the branch. You’ll notice that they use social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to talk to you and tend to your needs. If you’re looking for fast lines and compassionate tellers, make sure you try out two to three banks before finally choosing one you want to trust your savings with.

To be financially healthy means you have to make the right choices so that you won’t add any more expenses. Your banking experience should be easy and fruitful. When you choose the right bank for your savings account, you’ll have more peace of mind.

A personal loan is money borrowed from an individual or a financial organization. People who apply for loans usually use them to pay for trips abroad, move from one place to another, or apply for a short course.

When you apply for a personal loan, you need to stop thinking that it’s difficult to get one. If you’re still unsure, you can read up on articles on the internet that can guide you throughout the loan acquisition process. Sites like Investopedia, The Balance, and Wall Street Journal can help you at different stages of your financial life. These sites also provide the basics on getting a personal loan, which are general and applicable in any location.

After reading different articles, and you’ve finally decided to get a personal loan, you now have to prepare several forms. Lending organizations need these documents and forms to verify your identity and your financial standing.

Most banks have an age requirement and minimum annual salary. At most, you must be 21 years of age and not older than 65 at the time of enrolling. Your minimum annual basic salary should be PhP180,000, or a basic monthly salary of PhP15,000.

In whatever way you get your loan, you will need the following documents:

• Government-issued photo-bearing ID (Passport, Driver’s License, SSS, PRC, etc.)
• Original pay slip and/or Latest Income Tax Return with BIR or Bank stamp (BIR Form 2316)

If you’re self-employed, you may still get a personal loan. All you have to do is submit 2 government IDs.

Other banks or money-lending institutions will want more documents to verify your identity and your financial stability. These may include:

• Your birth certificate
• Utility bills—phone, water, or electric bills that state your name and address
• Credit card and loan statements from your current loan accounts

You’ll also need to fill up a personal loan application form and submit that along with the rest of your requirements.

These requirements are important for you to get a loan. Collaboration is key. Talk to your HR Department to get your ITR Form and copies of your pay slip.

If you’re self-employed, you can call up BIR and ask for your latest ITR. Acquire the needed IDs and update your personal profile if needed. Talk to the lending organization what other documents you need to submit to further organize all your requirements.

It’s important that you organize your requirements to avoid wasting time and energy to get a personal loan. Create a good relationship with your preferred lending organization so that it could be possible for you to have a faster time in getting your loan.

Make sure you are tenured in your job, or that your self-employment has stable commissions. Finally, whether or not you’re making loans in the future, make several copies of the requirements you’ve collected to ensure you don’t have to go through another process of getting them again.

The road to financial freedom can be difficult to follow through, but once you have a system of budgeting your income, you’ll achieve prosperity that will last even beyond this year. All you have to do is prepare categories for saving and spending your money.

Creating a system is often the solution when you have a hard time organizing your finances. And it doesn’t have to be complicated at all. Think of it as having several jars that serve different purposes, but instead you can have a cash box, a few savings accounts, a checking account, and one jar or two for emergency cash. However you want to do it, your goal for each “fund” should be to manage them carefully so that you don’t need to live from paycheck to paycheck.

How do you manage your finances? Here are a few suggestions.

 Everyday money fund: This covers your daily expenses and monthly utilities. Think of rent, groceries, utilities, travel allowance, and other necessary expenses to get you through the day. Ideally, around 40-55% of what you earn should go here.

 Golden Goose fund: Never spend anything in your “Golden Goose.” This is for your investments and passive income. Never spend what you put, just the investments. Here, put in 10-15% of what you earn.

 Long-term fund: This fund is reserved for big-ticket purchases, like your dream home. If you have children or expecting, you’d definitely want to bring them to the best schools out there. This is where your long-term savings come in. Your long-term goals should go beyond five years, and within that time frame, you cannot spend any money you put in here. Put in 10-15% of what you earn.

 Recreational fund: Rewarding yourself is key to being consistent with this practice. You most likely have a hobby like collecting shoes or action figures. Maybe as a family, you eat in a fine-dining restaurant once a month or even go on mini vacations. Whatever you want to do every month, you can use what you saved here and enjoy the bite-sized fruits of your labor. Put in 15% of what you earn.

 Emergency fund: Whether you like it or not, having emergency cash will come in handy when you or someone in your family has rainy days. Whatever the situation is, you will need to set aside some funds just in case. The rule of thumb here is that it needs to sustain your day-to-day expenses for approximately 6 months. Put in at least 10% of what you earn. Once this fund is fulfilled, feel free to add on the extra 10% where you wish it’s most needed next.

Financial preparation boils down to knowing where to put your money and how you spend it. With this these practices, you’ll never be broke again!

Does it sound strange that you need to get two insurance products for your vehicle? Aren’t they all the same? Think about it. The government is mandated provides its own public insurance policies—Social Security System (SSS) for private employees and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for government employees.

For some citizens, they still enroll in insurance products given by private companies. With two insurance policies, their lives and health are secure.

It’s the same for your vehicle. While you can apply for a comprehensive car insurance, you are required to apply for the Compulsory Third Party Liability insurance, or CTPL. Many experienced car owners are familiar with the CTPL, but for the new car buyer, what can you expect with this mandatory insurance policy?

Compulsory Third Party Liability (CTPL) is also known as compulsory motor vehicle liability insurance. It protects the owner of the vehicle from financial obligations to anyone who is injured or killed by the insured vehicle. Owners of cars and motorcycles are required to get this coverage before they register their vehicle to the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

Before you get a CTPL, you need to know the fundamentals of this insurance. This includes a couple of misconceptions.

One misconception is that the CTPL covers the driver of the insured vehicle. The CTPL only covers third parties, and that does not include the driver. Third parties mean anyone aside from a passenger who is not a member of the insured’s family or employee.

A CTPL is different from a comprehensive car insurance, and some owners think that this can substitute what a car insurance offers. A comprehensive car insurance offers more coverage than a CTPL, and covers the following: loss and/or damage of vehicle, excess bodily injury, property damage, no-fault indemnity cover, and auto passenger personal accident.

With this said, you can get a CTPL insurance from any licensed nonlife insurance provider. CTPL insurance rates from different providers do not differ so much from one another.

The CTPL insurance isn’t that expensive, compared to the problems you might face on the road. If you plan to get a one-year coverage, you’ll need to pay PhP560.00 for private cars and PhP250.00 for motorcycles. If you opt for a three-year coverage, private cars can pay PhP1,610.00 and motorcycles PhP720.00.

The CTPL only covers injury or death of a third party. It does not cover the damages of the insured vehicle and the driver, or any damages to the property of the third party.

With the CTPL, the insurance company agrees to pay for a third party’s hospitalization, bodily injury, or death in a vehicle-related accident. They, however, do not pay for loss or damage of property.

Even with the CTPL policy, you still have to be a responsible motorist. Keep calm and make sure to read the fine print. In the event of an accident, call the police for an investigation, or settle matters with the parties affected. Make sure you have photos taken during the accident (but you don’t need to post it on social media).

Remember: Driving on the road without CTPL is considered unlawful in the country, so you are required to get one when you get a new car.

In the end, the CTPL complements your existing comprehensive car insurance that it protects other people inculcating massive expenses over a car accident. It pays to spend a little more to protect yourself, your vehicle, and other people. With two car insurance policies in your glove compartment, you should always remember to be more responsible on the road.

Many small to medium businesses are growing in the Philippines. Perhaps you will join the ranks one day as one of the country’s innovative businessmen. If you’re thinking about building a business, you will wonder where you’ll get the money.

There are two ways. One is through loans, and one is through investment. When you loan money from an individual or an organization, you’ll usually pay them with interest after a period of time. Even if you are borrowing from a family member, it’s always best practice to still pay interest when borrowing money. When you get money through an investor, you’ll usually need to give up a certain amount of equity of your business in order to get the funding you need.

Depending on your business, you’ll have to choose wisely on how you’ll get money to start. If you do choose to get a business loan, you can choose from different sources like banks or credit unions. They will have their own set of requirements, but in general, the following documents should be sufficient to submit to acquire your business loan.

1. DTI permit for single proprietorship and SEC registration for corporation type of business
2. Completely filled up application form
3. Government IDs
4. Business Permit
5. Photocopy of Income Tax Return
6. Photocopy of Audited Financial Statement
7. Bank Statements

All of these are needed for big sums of money, but if you only need smaller amounts, there’s another solution.
You can also avail of a business loan from Cebuana Lhuillier. You’ll only need to give photocopies of your:

• Business Permit
• Proof of Income
• Proof of Billing

Interest rates are as low as 2%. While this is only available to the Laguna and Southern Manila area, you can be sure that one day your business will get off the ground with Cebuana Lhuillier as your business partner.

When you learn how to manage your finances, you’ll see that your money will flow in easily.

Are you having a hard time with budgeting your expenses? Here are 7 ways to improve your financial health.

1. Recognize needs vs. wants – Sometimes luxuries can become needs, but we all know that it’s just our mind’s trickery. For example, it’s tempting to buy a gadget with all the latest features at a premium price.

But in reality, do you really need a complicated but luxurious phone? Or are you okay with just the right specs? If you want to invest well on something, know the difference between a need and a want. From there you can tell if you do need to buy it or not.

2. Start saving – It’s never too late to save, and the best time to start saving is today. It’s not wise to rely on credit cards to pay everything for you.

Saving your money is a sign that you are on the road to financial independence, and that you have specific goals like buying a car, saving for your future family, or saving up for further studies. It’s important to create and stick to a budget so that you can see where your spending habits are taking you.

3. Maintain an emergency fund – You can create a separate savings account for your emergency fund. This is money that you’ve saved for an urgent matter, like a car accident or a medical bill. Usually though, you won’t be in an emergency. This can work to your advantage.

et your emergency fund grow by continuously contributing part of your income into your account. In an actual emergency situation, you’ll have enough money to pay what you need to pay.

4. Live within your means – It’s not enough that you save. You should be mindful of your spending habits. Do you use a credit card often? Do you spend more than you save? Living within your means simply means you’re spending less than the money you bring in.

If you’re living in an apartment you cannot afford with your salary, you can move out and choose to live in a more affordable place so that you can save more. If you’re buying too much groceries, learn how to plan your meals so that you don’t have a surplus of food that will just expire.

5. Track your spending – there are so many apps available on the Internet that you can use to track your expenses. Download those on your smartphone and be able to take note of bills, receipts, and other things you spend on the whole month.

One good app available for both iOS and Android is Mint—it helps users create budgets with many expense categories with easy control and a smooth interface. Other great apps are Wally, Level Money, Fudget, and Pocket Guard.

6. Invest in the right (micro)insurance group – with microinsurance, you take care of yourself and your investments even more. Having an insurance would protect you financially from untoward expenses like accidents and calamities. Microinsurance benefits low-income families and provides them with simply understood contracts unlike regular insurance policies.

Microinsurance policies covers life and savings, death and burial insurance, as well as even property insurance. This will help your family recover from calamities like earthquakes and floods and bill shock from hospital stays and other medical expenses.

7. Become more financially-literate – it’s a good idea to read more about how to save and invest. Read up on entrepreneur websites and blogs, as well as read up on financial stories to take lessons. You can read up on financial literacy blogs from investment experts and analysts, such as: Frugalwoods, Millennial Money Man, and Afford Anything.

You’ll learn how to afford your lifestyle by eliminating expenses that don’t matter. These blogs help you gain financial freedom, even if it’s to start your business or move up the corporate ladder efficiently.

When you create healthy practices for your personal finances, you’ll be able to save properly and spend on more important things in your life. Just follow these tips and you will have more money for your future.

An individual usually applies for a loan to pay for a vacation, or to pay for house remodeling. Whatever the reason, personal loans don’t come cheap, and they may have high interest rates. If you’re interested in applying for a personal loan, it’s best to look for several options.

Here is a quick guide on where you can go to for a personal loan.

1. Banks – Traditionally, individuals apply for a loan through banks. You will need to fill out and submit a loan acquisition form along with other requirements. Interest rates in banks are conservatively low, but the process for applying could be sometimes long and tedious.

2. Credit Union – these are financial coops that provide financial services to its members. You have to be a member to apply for the loan.

3. Peer-to-Peer Lending – also known as “Social Lending,” P2P lending allows people to borrow or lend money without a financial institution as middleman.

4. Microloan – A loan containing a small amount, lent with low interests, to both individuals and new businesses.

5. Co-signer loan – a person who agrees to pay someone else’s debt if the person cannot pay for the loan.

6. Licensed Money Lenders – an individual or a group of people who lend small personal loans with high interest rates. They usually come out as a last resort for borrowers with bad credit history.

These organizations and individuals can help you attain your personal loan, but choose wisely. Sometimes, interest rates can be too high in one group, or the number of years for you to pay might be too short. When you’re ready to get a personal loan, you’re making significant life improvements and you’ll also continue to save up for something better.