Year: 2017

Being a mom is tough. You’d have to take care of your kids, balance work and family, still have time to do the house chores in the weekend, take your toddlers out for a walk in your days off, etc. It’s definitely a handful and a tiring ordeal, but moms wouldn’t admit to that since they love what they’re doing. In such case, these tasks and obligations wouldn’t even begin until the baby has come out from their womb. Moms need to prepare for this, so they take a few months leave from work, just to condition themselves for child birth. This is what you would call a maternity leave. In relation to this, some moms would actually apply for and use their personal loan during this period. You may ask, how would a personal loan be of any help to them? Simply put, here are the ways:

1. During the months/weeks leading up to child birth.

The maternity fees aren’t limited to the day of the child birth itself. These fees would come in as early as few months or weeks before the said day, as moms would definitely need to go for checkups in order to check on the baby inside the womb. Basic things such as determining the gender of the baby and the expected level of safety when giving birth are to be answered as early as possible, as part of the whole preparation period.

2. During the day of child birth.

Alas, the maternity fees would just keep on coming. In such case, the approved personal loan would be of great help to pay off the hospital expenses, as even the act of giving birth would generate a huge bill, given the current economic situation.

3. Follow up checkups after child birth.

This isn’t really necessary, at least not for a certain amount of time after child birth. However, if the doctor would instruct for an early checkup period, then you may have to put aside budget for the doctor’s fee. Again, this would be a type of expense, made easier to pay off with the help of a personal loan.

4. Baby products

Maternity fees are not limited to hospital bills and checkup receipts. You may want to consider setting aside a few amount for toddler toys, baby dresses, chew toys, etc. Of course, don’t spoil your little angel too much; just get those which are definitely needed for your baby’s growth and well-being.

5. Add-on savings, with maternity leave pay.

If there are a few extras left from your personal loan, you may add that later on to your maternity leave pay, so that you may set aside a few amounts for other unforeseen expenses and maternity fees.

After reading through our tips, you would definitely want to choose a loaning service that would best be applicable to your needs, without all of the hassles. Look no further than Cebuana Lhuillier’s Happy Loan, a multi-purpose loan amounting to Php 5,000 to Php 15,000 offered to any individual who is employed, self-employed, student, or a remittance beneficiary. Our network of more than 2,200 branches and online presence give customers unlimited access and utter convenience in applying for a loan. Our five-point application to disbursement process ensures services are delivered on time.

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It is always a good thing to prepare for unforeseen circumstances. Expect the unexpected, they say, and you should definitely do that, especially as we live in a country commonly visited by storms and typhoons, which is only fitting that you should have a few amounts ready for the inevitable. In such case, you may want to set aside more than the usual amount, perhaps because you predict that the upcoming storms are larger than those which already came before. Or you predict that it may cause more damage, cause more people to be injured, and may even result in a diminished supply of food and water. The scary possibilities are endless at this point. You wouldn’t have to worry though, as we prepared 5 ways that would enable you to grow your emergency fund:

1. Determine how much fund you’ll need.

Set a specific goal. How much are you willing to save for a full-pledged emergency fund? Yes, it’s only natural for your goal to be based off income and expenses; however, always remember that a general rule of thumb is to save enough to cover four to seven months’ worth of expenses. You never long how long you’ll need to stretch on during the typhoon or hurricane, and having a lack of funds would make it difficult to survive during those trying times.

2. Keep your fund in a well-secured place.

It should be easily accessible, but not so easily accessible that you’ll be tempted to make withdrawals for everyday spending. Online banks are good locations for your emergency savings account because you can’t just walk into the bank and withdraw your cash. Consider keeping emergency funds in a combination of locations, including an online savings account, money market account and short-term CDs.

3. Treat it like a bill.

Since you’re paying monthly for water and electricity, why not consider your savings as a monthly routine as well. Establish and implement a monthly goal and make it part of your budget. Set up an automatic monthly transfer, just as you would with the electric bill or cable TV subscription, to ensure the money is saved each month.

4. Use it ONLY for emergencies.

We cannot emphasize enough the importance of self-control. Yes, it’s tempting to buy that new cellphone or flat screen TV, but think about it, even for a second, these things would be deemed useless once the power runs out due to an electric post getting thrown down by a hurricane, leaving you in a scramble to survive. Supplies and sanitary products would be more valuable at this point, and you wouldn’t want to be left in the dark with a low bat expensive phone and powerless flat.

5.Make it very realistic and natural.

Set your expectations at a realistic level. Don’t be afraid to start with a small amount of savings each month, but try to increase it whenever possible. Open a savings account and start building your emergency fund. Save whatever you can and you’ll be surprised at how much you had already saved in a month’s time.

When it comes to emergencies, you can never be too sure, so you must always be prepared. Property damage is a heavy burden to carry, but much heavier is it to carry injuries and its related expenses. As an employee, you would also be absent from work due to the injuries, hence your need to recover while missing many paid days of work. Worry no more, as here at Cebuana Lhuillier, we offer the EmployeeCARE, a Group Personal Accident Insurance specially designed for employees. It covers Accidental Death, Disablement & Dismemberment (ADD&D), Accidental Medical Cash Aid, Burial Benefit (Accident/Sickness), Unprovoked Murder & Assault (UMA), Motorcycling and Personal Liability. So what are you waiting for? Visit your nearest Cebuana Lhuillier branch now to inquire – we assure a fast, easy and secure transaction.

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There are many ways to protect your business, whether you’re a small-time startup or a big time enterprise. The ever-changing economic growth brings countless possibilities and effects towards businesses nowadays that even owners and analysts are lost within the confusing numbers of profit and gain, in short, they are not able to predict whether their ventures would be going in the right path or otherwise, bringing in more risks than ever. With this in mind, it is only appropriate that you avail microinsurance for your own livelihood, in order to add that extra layer of protection to your investments. You may ask then, how can microinsurance help my SME venture in the long run? No worries, here are a few examples.

1. Microinsurance is a lot more affordable than any other types of insurance.

In spite of the fact that this would still depend on your skill to shop for a better deal and coverage, microinsurance is known to have lower cost than most insurances. This may be due to it being mainly offered to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises or Small and Medium-sized Businesses whose personnel numbers fall below certain limits.

2. Microinsurance provides alternatives for small-time and struggling businesses.

With the help of microinsurance, the poor can use their stocks and not the high valued collateral or land titles that they normally need to acquire money for their business. Gone are the days in which they’d have to sell their own land in order to gain capital for their ventures, or make up for its loss of profit.

3. Flexible use of money and investments.

Health is wealth, as they say, and the smaller the business is, the harder one should work in order to maintain and grow their income. However, if one were to fall ill due to fatigue and other factors, microinsurance would ensure that they can be provided with money for health, meaning the money meant for investment will not be channeled out for treatment and medication.

4. Venture into agricultural business.

Agriculture may be considered a risky business. However, other developing countries had developed what they call the weather index, a microinsurance variation purposely meant for farmers. With this variation, farmers can borrow money for either directly investing into their farms or any other initiative and settle the loan when their produce makes profits.

5. Microinsurance tackles property damages.

If your business involves a pretty little stall or an impressive four-corner spot, then chances are you may want to have it protected from uncontrollable forces of nature such as storms. Luckily, microinsurance includes property damages to their coverage, meaning that whatever destruction your business spot undergoes, you wouldn’t have to worry much about the repair expenses, as it is definitely part of the coverage.

6. Business microinsurance involves protection from burglary.

We commonly hear of news regarding crooks and thieves raiding small time businesses in order to get an easy score. Yes, it is a horrifying perspective into the safety of business men and their ventures, but one should not be too scared, for business microinsurance includes coverage against burglary and theft.

7. Some business microinsurance includes AMR (Accident Medical Reimbursement) coverage.

Commonly referred to as ‘AMR’, the Accident Medical Reimbursement is a way of ensuring that the financial impact of an accident is limited and the injured person can recover safe in the knowledge that his medical expenses are being taken care of. In such case, you would never have to worry about accidents happening during business hours, as this is included in your microinsurance coverage.

8. Microinsurance also covers accidental death.

Knock on wood, but if such were to occur within your business, microinsurance would ease up the expenses (especially as you’re running an SME) as this is definitely part of the premium/coverage. This is one part of the deal which no business owner would ever want to experience, whatsoever, but at least, it orients everyone about the possible risks expected in the job (depending on the type of business).

9. Dismemberment/ Permanent Disablement

As with accidental death, this is another type of situation that no business owner or employee would ever want to experience. In spite of that, this microinsurance feature must be set into place, to ensure that your employees would never have to fear about the insurmountable expense that goes with a high-risk job and probable cause of accident.

10. Business microinsurance features payroll coverage.

Basically, the usual process is: An employee authorizes his or her employer to deduct insurance premiums from his or her paycheck. The employer then sends the amount deducted on to the insurer periodically. As with the other work benefits, this would ensure that your employees would experience the fruit of their labor.

With all of that being said, you’re probably wondering where to find a microinsurance that consolidates all of the mentioned features. No need to look further, as with Cebuana Lhuiller’s NegosyoCARE, you are surely in the right hands. Identified as a Personal and Property Insurance specifically designed for clients with micro, small, and/or medium enterprises or businesses, it covers property insurance, burglary and robbery, accidental death, permanent disablement and dismemberment, accident medical remibursement (AMR), and money, securities, and payroll coverage. With all of that, you are greatly secured in your venture.

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You’re an aspiring businessman/ businesswoman, on your way to turning your dream venture into reality. You have the knowledge and skills to make your dream business run. However, you do not have the needed capital. You suddenly realize that you may just simply apply for a business loan in order to get that needed amount. After submitting all of the requirements, you wait for a certain amount of time, only to receive a call one day from the loaning company telling you that your application was rejected. You ask yourself, what went wrong? Various factors may have affected the process along the way. In such case; here are the possible reasons as to why your business loan was rejected and the equivalent solutions to each of them:

1. Poor Credit History

This is always the primary suspect when it comes to the rejection of loan applications, whether for business or for personal use. A lender will immediately go straight to your credit history, like a parent going straight to their child’s report card, hoping to see whether they had received a good grade or not. A good credit score shows that a business owner has a solid handle on their personal and business credit, which is what every lender likes to see. On the other hand, a poor credit score would deflate any chance or confidence that a lender would have on you. Take note of this for future loan applications, as this is definitely vital.

Solution: Improve on your credit history by paying your past debts on time. Build up your reputation and always remember that you are doing this for a good cause, and that is to acquire funds for your business.

2. Cash-Flow Issues

A cash flow is basically the health of your start up business. Think of it as the air going in and out of your lungs, the same way that money goes in and out of your business. As with both examples, there must be a balanced flow, there shouldn’t be an overflow of outgoing cash, and neither should there be an occurrence of vice versa. If you want to apply for an additional fund for your small-time business, consider managing it well enough first, so that it may exhibit that well-balanced flow of transactions and money. If a lender were to see the continuous flow of income and the minor flow of business expenses, they would definitely keep you on the radar for a loan approval.

Solution: Make sure to manage your business accordingly, with no obstacle on the flow of cash. Do not overspend your resources to reduce the company expenses, while at the same time, secure every cent of your income, so that none would be wasted and misused along the way.

3. Limited Collateral

Collateral is basically something that you have to present to a lender, a clause that would ensure that they would get something from you in the offset that you fail to pay them back. Collateral will also be required if the company has defaulted on a previous loan. Companies with a limited amount of collateral will face challenges when trying to secure bank loans. Business owners should consult with their lenders to find out which types of assets or property can be used as collateral. You might ask, what makes up collateral? What are the types of collateral that you may present to a lender? This might include cars, trucks, real estate, business equipment, and investments. If the business loan is not repaid, the bank can acquire the collateral and sell it.

Solution: Coordinate and negotiate further with the lender if they want more than one type of collateral. Proper coordination would ensure that there would be a win-win situation if ever they were to approve your application for a loan. Be realistic in your offers and you may just land the deal in no time.

Get a jumpstart on your business venture with a trusted name that offers only the best service possible. Cebuana Lhuillier’s Lucky Loan is definitely your top choice. It is a multi-purpose loan offered to registered entities such as tricycle operators, credit cooperatives and other groups, as well as SMEs such as restaurant and mini groceries, among other businesses. Our network of more than 2,200 branches and online presence give customers unlimited access and utter convenience in applying for a loan. Our five-point application to disbursement process ensures services are delivered on time. So what are you waiting for? Visit your nearest Cebuana Lhuillier branch now – we assure a fast, easy and secure transaction.

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Getting involved in a car accident may be a horrifying experience for anyone. They occur without warning, and sometimes, in spite of you following all of the necessary precautions, things would still get out of hand. In such case, one must not forget the golden rule when it comes to emergencies: Do not panic. Things went wrong during your travel, and you definitely wouldn’t want everything to get worst just because you lost your composure amidst a tough obstacle. To further assist you, we had enumerated a few step-by-step guides of what to do when you get into a car accident:

Step 1: Check yourself for injuries.

Don’t just try to get out of the car immediately, analyze your situation. Do you feel any pain after the impact? Can you move? These things should be put into consideration due to the fact that any sudden movement may aggravate an injury further. Check yourself thoroughly and only get out of the car or wreckage once the coast is clear. If you’re not travelling alone, check on your passengers. Are there any signs of wounds or bruises? Would they be able to get out of the car after? It would be great to have one of you be able to get out of the wreckage in order to help the other person get out. On the other hand, if both of you are stuck, using your cellphones would be a great option to ask for help.

Step 2: Get to safety.

If you’re able to, move to the side of the road or a sidewalk. If your car isn’t much of a wreck and is still safe to drive, pull it to the side of the road, otherwise, leave it where it is and get yourself and your passenger/s to safety.

Step 3: Call the authorities.

Regardless if it is a minor or major accident, you would still need to contact the police to file a report on the situation. This would help smoothen out the negotiation when it comes to repairs and compensation for the injuries between those who were involved in the accident.

Step 4: Exchange information with the other party.

When everything’s all set and both involved parties are safely out of their vehicles, you may need to exchange information and contact details in order to coordinate about the damage. Such important information includes:

• Full name and contact information
• Insurance company and policy number
• Driver’s license and license plate number
• Type, color and model of vehicle
• Location of accident

It is important that you avoid discussing fault when going over the facts with the other driver, to ensure that there would be no conflict amidst the negotiation.

Step 5: Notify your insurer and start the claims process.

After exchanging details, you may want to contact your insurance agent next, that way, they can tell you exactly what they will need to in order to process your claim and what to expect during the claims process. The process time would depend on your coordination and willingness to provide the details of the accident, so be vigilant, be patient, and state only the facts.

Speaking of car insurance, you’d definitely go for a full-pledged service that has nothing but your best interest in mind. With that being said, nothing beats Cebuana Lhuillier’s AutoCARE Insurance, a Standard Comprehensive Car Insurance that covers Own Damage (OD), Theft, Loss and/or Damage. Excess Bodily Injury (EBI), Excess Property Damage (EPD), and Acts of God/Nature (AOG/AON). So what are you waiting for? Visit your nearest Cebuana Lhuillier branch now – we assure a fast, easy and secure transaction.

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Natural disasters are very unforgiving and unpredictable. While there are weather reports that would protect and warn us from any type of monsoon, there will always be possibilities of a very hazardous climate, depending on the situation. The cloudy calmness of the day may turn out to be the center of the storm, giving you no choice but to face the wind turbulence later on. In such case, you would need protection amongst time of turmoil and typhoons, and we’re not just talking about physical shields against natural disasters. Availing microinsurance coverage is always a wise decision when it comes to reducing the cost of damage repairs. Regardless of its premiums, as long as you have microinsurance implemented, you’d be doing better after a storm. You may ask, what are the benefits of microinsurance against natural disasters? Well, look no further than the following:

1. Protection for your home.

Our homes are always the frontliners when it comes to storms, hence, it should only be fitting for it to be included within the coverage. There are premiums tackling loss protection to buildings and residential dwellings including their contents against perils of fire, lightning and other allied perils such as earthquake, typhoon and flood. Hence, you are given enough option and security to help you rebuild without too much of the hassle and the expense later on.

2. Protection for your business.

Aside from your home, your livelihood is also at stake. You wouldn’t want all of your hard-earned savings to be used solely for the rebuilding of your tarnished business, do you? Whether it’s a small time or big time business, you must implement microinsurance coverage on it as well, so that you would not be burdened with a huge amount of repair expenses thereafter. Some business microinsurance coverages are too flexible that they are even identified as Personal and Property Insurance specifically designed for clients with micro, small, and/or medium enterprises or businesses, covering property insurance, burglary and robbery, accidental death, permanent disablement and dismemberment, accident medical reimbursement (AMR), and money, securities, and payroll coverage.

3. Protection for your vehicle.

Microinsurance coverage isn’t limited to your home and businesses; you may also get one for your car or vehicle. There are such things as Acts of God/Nature or AOG/AON, which basically refers to natural disasters. This is included within most insurance policies, as obviously, it isn’t your fault that a storm decided to drop by in your vicinity and destroy all of your beloved possessions, including your ride. Feel free to discuss this with your insurer to make the most out of your coverage and claims.

With all of those in mind, you may definitely want to weight in your options, analyzing which establishment would be best for availing a microinsurance premium and coverage. Look no further with Cebuana Lhuiller’s Microinsurance Services, affordable insurance products to help Filipinos avail of financial services and privileges that higher-income earners have easy access to, with innovative microinsurance products and services that promise to minimize impact of distress and misfortune on one’s financial position. Feel free to visit your nearest branch for more information.

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All of us have our own financial obligations, may it be a debt or simply our monthly bills. For some, it wouldn’t be much of a hassle, as we definitely have jobs to pay them all off. However, there are also those who struggle with their budget, owing to the fact that they are only able to get the exact amount per payday. With that in mind, applying for a personal loan is one way to acquire a certain amount of money to tend to our financial obligations. It’s easy and practical, all you’d have to do is pass the needed requirements, and you’re all set to spend the approved amount as you please. You may ask, how important would a personal loan be to pay off certain debts? When would be the best time to apply for a loan? Well, here are a few examples of those financial obligations where you may wisely utilize your personal loan on:

1. When You Need to Pay Off Credit Card Debt

This is important, especially if you are hoping to have a positive credit score. Credit card debts can be a hassle if left unattended and unpaid for a long time. Aside from the fact that it affects your credit score, it also accumulates penalty overtime. As much as you’d like to make it a habit to immediately pay off your credit card obligation, you are left with no choice when the budget is insufficient, and you may need to borrow cash, just to tend to this debt. Do not make this same mistake, use your personal loan instead.

2. When You Need to Pay for Medical Bills

Emergencies can happen out of nowhere. When you least expect it, an accident, injury, or illness may occur, after which, you may need to bring yourself to the doctor to be checked. Due to the current situation of our economy, medical bills are too high, which is why it is always good to have an extra amount ready at all times. Your personal loan may be able to help you erase any medical bill, especially if you’re mostly relying on a promissory note, just to be cleared from hospital confinement.

3. When You Need to Prepare for Unexpected Expenses

Aside from personal emergencies, other unexpected things might happen that is sure to catch you and your budget off guard, like a broken down car or fridge. Even though you have enough money in your savings account, paying for these unexpected expenses with a personal loan could be your best choice. When you take out a personal loan to cover these expenses, you help build your credit score and further protect your savings as a whole.

4. When You Need to Prepare for Vacation Expenses

We all need a vacation every once in a while. You may think that your savings are sufficient enough for the trip; however, travel expenses also include accommodation and souvenir tip-offs, which is why it is always good to have a little extra cash. Before heading out to the white sandy beaches, make an appointment to apply for a personal loan. Not only would it provide you with extra pocket money for your trip, it would also give you an opportunity to plot out the other possible fees of your travel (think of all the excess baggage fees that you had encountered before).

5. When You Need to Have a Home Renovation

Home is where the heart is, which is why you should do your best to maintain it and to keep it as clean and virtually conducive to live in. Getting your leaky faucet and roof holes fixed would not only bring about a positive ambience to your home, it would also provide that warm feeling of safety and comfort.

So, are you finally convinced that a personal loan does wonders for your financial obligations? Why not apply for one now? Look no further than Cebuana Lhuillier’s Happy Loan, a multi-purpose loan amounting to Php 5,000 up to Php 15,000 offered to any individual who is employed, self-employed, student, or a remittance beneficiary. Our network of more than 2,200 branches and online presence give customers unlimited access and utter convenience in applying for a loan. Our five-point application to disbursement process ensures services are delivered on time.

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There are countless ways in managing your business well. You may try to look at books dedicated to such topic while also getting advice from others who were able to successfully convert their startups into big time enterprises. The thing about small-time businesses is that they are much easier to handle, owning to the fact that they are much simpler in scale. This, of course, doesn’t take away from the fact that it is still a challenge to maintain a business’ good run. You have to please your customers and keep your inventory in line with the demand (no matter what products or services that you are offering). And then, there is the main corner stone of your livelihood, money. In order for your venture to have an effective cash flow, proper money management should be practiced at all times. With that in mind, we had enumerated 4 money management tips for you to implement, in order for your business to be successful:

1. Budgeting

First of all, know what you’re going to do with your money. Yes, it’s cash set aside for the daily operations of your business, but you should be more specific as to which amount should be used for which and how much. Knowing the details of your every cent would not only create an effective cash flow in your business, it would also bring out efficiency in your income.

2. Saving

Once you receive a certain amount of cash flow, you should set aside a few, not to be used for any other part of your venture, and neither should you use it for personal use. Remember, there will always be unforeseen circumstances when it comes to businesses, and not leaving any emergency fund behind would make it difficult for you to rise up from any financial obstacle in the long run.

3. Onboarding a CFO or Finance Consultant

As they say, two heads are better than one. Don’t just listen to your own opinion; seek the advice of a professional, specifically those who have a deep background in financial and marketing. Not only would they be able to provide valuable advice on your income and expenses; they may be able to provide valuable ideas as well on how to increase your sales and income. Always remember that no man is an island. No one ever became successful all by themselves.

4. Creating strategies to boost cash flow

Know what makes your customers tick. Get to know what they want and what attracts them most to a product or service. The thing about market research is that it’s spontaneous and unpredictable, which makes it easier for you to come up with new gimmicks to promote your business. Yes, your goal is to earn more income, but you should not forget as well that it’s the customers who are paying you with their hard-earned money, and that by playing by their rules can you only then score their trust and appeal on your products.

Get a jumpstart on your business venture with a trusted name that offers only the best service possible. Cebuana Lhuillier’s Lucky Loan is definitely your top choice. It is a multi-purpose loan offered to registered entities such as tricycle operators, credit cooperatives and other groups, as well as SMEs such as restaurant and mini groceries, among other businesses. Our network of more than 2,200 Cebuana Lhuillier branches and online presence give customers unlimited access and utter convenience in applying for a loan. Our five-point application to disbursement process ensures services are delivered on time. So what are you waiting for? Visit your nearest Cebuana Lhuillier branch now – we assure a fast, easy and secure transaction.

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