Beginning October 10, 2009, YouWantToBeRich (YTBR) will be published in Asia, the Journal of Culture and Commerce, Southern California’s award-winning newspaper serving the Asian and Pacific Islander Community. Asia comes out weekly in San Diego and Los Angeles, California. Asia is also publishing digital and print editions of YTBR in Thailand and Malaysia.

When in November 2007 a tank pummeled down the gilded glass doors of the Manila Peninsula Hotel at the main business district of Makati City in Manila, Philippines, heads began to shake. The country had been experiencing a re-emergence, a resurgence of some sorts, economically. Filipinos had begun to cling to threads, albeit thin, of hope – that the country may finally be shaking the vestiges of its zest for change and choose one unbending path as a nation.

I was immortal until I filled out a life insurance policy application and received the results of my laboratory test.  I was “rated”.  It meant I was “substandard”.  I was not sure I liked the sound of that.
SUBSTANDARD – below average insurability.  Acceptable but on modified basis or at increased premium rates. Certain hazardous occupations, [...]

In fact, in his report, the financial planner said, “While the couple’s Emergency Fund Ratio (EFR) will be over 1x by the end of 2007, the ideal ratio is 3x. The couple would need to add around Php149,000 to their annual income to meet such a ratio. To raise their savings rate to 18.1% from 6.7%, the couple would need additional annual income of Php262,000, or add 24% to their current annual income.” After this analysis, without ever explaining what the hoot it meant, or if there was any hope for us, we never saw him again.

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