Tag Archives: Financial Planning

Not All Insurance Are Created Equal

Confounded

Confounded, Confounding

Warning: there is a little bit of math here.  I may confuse you.

Not all insurance are created equal.  While appearing equal, most appear to be bloody sharks, feeding on the murkiness of our ignorance.  And sometimes, this is what they actually are, devouring the unsuspecting.  But an enigma too, because their “numbers” could, at once, become flexible as if by magic.  If you ask nicely.  Okay, forget nicely.  If you ask.  There is something about knocking that opens doors.

Let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time, I received a letter for the renewal of my car insurance from Insurance A.  I looked at the premium, thought something was not right, and good grief, when I checked, it was 7,000 higher than the old premium.  Aren’t cars suppose to be cheaper as they age?  Apparently not, if this quotation is to be believed.

The next day, I got another quote from Insurance B.  Same company, different agent.  The quote was cheaper than A’s, the deductible even less.  It was starting to get interesting.

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Personal Investing (Money Market): Where to Keep Your Emergency Funds

Calmer Waters

It makes perfect sense.

That is, for a person to save at least 3-6 months’ worth of his monthly expenses for emergencies (prolonged sickness, job insecurity).  But really, that concept (that comes across as almost common sense, but not really) – does not even cross the mind of those uninitiated in money matters.

Well, it never crossed my mind prior to 2008 (when I have not yet met – er, won, our financial planner).

But now that it has, and the panic has resonated within (a realization that anything can happen), I would be flustered (and yes, panicky) when our emergency funds fall below that imaginary line (6 months’ expenses, in our case).

Fighting to keep the amount intact is important, but it is also important that this fund is liquid, that it is reachable, that it is safe.  But it would also be great if it could also earn interest, right?

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Do You Stick to the Path that You Know? (Second of 2 Parts)

 

A Celebration of Life

Life is a Celebration

You can read the first part here.

I am waxing nostalgic about some trainings and seminars I attended in the past. (some of them do that to you, you know)

A memorable one was the training I received for voice and dance (a scholarship) – it was through the generosity and kind-heartedness of Dong Alegre (of Miss Saigon fame).  In that “school”, I met many wonderful and talented people,  including two people whom I still consider my best friends, M and A.  The people in that school rose to great fame in theatre, both locally and internationally (and sometimes I catch myself wondering where I would be now if I had pursued that path).  I will always remember those years as one of the most exciting.

Then there are others I still want to experience:

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Getting the Help to Help

Labandera

Inday, A Portrait

“Mam, wala nang bigas”.  Ma’am, there is no more rice.

Inday can make me crazy sometimes.  We just bought 600 pesos worth half-sack of bigas (rice) three weeks ago.  And in the house, it was just me, husband D, daughter C, Inday 1 and Inday 2 .  And Yo-yow, our Maltese brat, but she’s not counted because I do not give her people food (uhm).

D and I, we hardly eat at home.  We eat out all the time (I am not complaining).

But there is no more bigas.  The day before, no more drinking water.  The day prior, out of Coke, and I do not even drink it.  A week ago, no more cooking gas.  Meralco, too high.  Maynilad too high.  If I think about it (and I do think about it), it is too easy for me to fall into the I-am-being-duped trap and go crazy.  I imagine the Indays, which, by the way, is a form of endearment we use for our househelp, holding huge parties at my expense, having the TV on 24/7, aircon on full blast, cooking my food and my bigas and giving it away to friends, relatives, lovers, the whole subdivision and beyond.

But I refuse to fall into the trap.  To quell my doubting heart, I asked Inday to make me The List.

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Walking Down the Aisle with Our Financial Planner

 

Swimming Together

Swimming Together

 

D and I have been meeting resistance from our financial planner these days.

We (okay, I) had wanted to purchase a lot at Tagaytay Highlands (fine, Midlands) which will give me a free club membership.  He said no.  I wanted to buy a foreclosed house for which I would pay a pittance for.  He said no.

It could be quite frustrating to be told that you cannot buy something that you really, really want to have.  But that is the function of a financial planner – he will tell you if you can, when you can, how you can.  He is my personal financial brakes, someone to tell me that I am going overboard, or that I am just being silly.

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Do You Want to be Rich?

ytb-rich-headshot1

A Look Into the Future

It just happened.

I was in law school, one daughter, one husband, a house, no mortgage, no money.  Husband wanted to quit work and start business and asked my permission to which I said, um, okay, how…?, yes.

If there is one important thing I learned in married life, it is the power of believing.  If I believed in D, let’s call my one husband D, he suddenly soared, flew, made miracles, painted rainbows.  If I nagged him, he would flail, shrink to nothingness, felled by my ungraciousness and unbelief.  In the many years of our marriage, I always resorted to lashing out.  In my years of law school, I who never put food on our table all those remaining law school years, would slay D with my words  – and everything that remained – our confidence, peace, sanity – would shatter.

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