Monthly Archives: July 2009

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Shopping and Hunger

July 28 11:02 pm ,
Feed Your Hunger

Feed Your Hunger

I am not a shopper-shopper.  For some reason, having a million bags strung over my arm (or D’s) or spending precious hours trying on dresses after dresses or shoes after shoes do not appeal to me (D, please do not shake your head – yet).  Unless I am hungry.

There was a time before our financial planner (the dark ages), before reason reigned supreme.  One of his earlier lessons was some words of caution: “Do not go to the mall when you are hungry.” Huh?

He explains: the hunger gives off an emptiness sign to the psyche and the psyche goes haywire and the emptiness needs to be filled – instantly.  This is transmitted to the brain, and since the main activity at hand is shopping, the mind fools itself into thinking that the hunger will be satiated by buying.  It is correct, to some degree; the buying will stave off the hunger.  But the relief is merely temporary. After all, the stomach is still hungry, and the hormone ghrelin is still running out of control in the bloodstream.

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Posted in: The Basics of Finance , Tagged: , , ,

Why You Need Insurance, Insurance Agents and Insurance Companies

July 26 1:55 am ,
Getting to the Core

Getting to the Core

I had my first life insurance policy when I was 21.  I did not think I needed it, death was furthest from my mind at that time.

But everyone was getting one (at the office, at least) and so I did too.  The bi-monthly deductions hurt (though it did not even reach the one million mark) so it was kind of a hard decision to make.  But after courting me day after day, making sure I get the medical exam and pass it, after we did the dance of joy (I signed up), I never saw that insurance agent again.  I left the job and forgot the insurance and never knew what became of it.  I did not know I had options – take the cash surrender value, buy an extended term insurance or a reduced paid-up insurance or even reinstate within a three (3) year period.  I did not do anything because the agent did not take the time, nor cared, to explain my options to me.

And so I look at insurance agents with skepticism.  One call, one meeting, and I would find an excuse not to see them again or sign up.  It went like this for several years.  I did not know I was making unavailable to myself the most basic step in establishing financial freedom – protection.

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Posted in: Insurance , Tagged: , , , , ,

The Secret: Thank You

July 22 10:33 pm ,
Climbing Up To the Skies

Climbing Up To the Skies

During my birthday last year, D gave me The Secret Gratitude Book.  It was beautiful, in aged brown, with scribblings dry-embossed on the front.  I ran my hand over the cover and read “Dank Je”… “Gracias”… and said to myself, thank you, these all means thank you.  I was intrigued.  Is The Secret thank you? Rhonda Byrnes in her introduction explained that yes, The Secret is gratitude, that the mere utterance of “thank you” would lead to unimaginable blessings.  I was surprised.

Thank you are the simplest of words, taken for granted, mostly un-uttered because it is unnecessary sometimes because people feel entitled to the deed, or the giver, almost always, has already walked away and it is only the wind that will catch the last strains of the words…  Personally, I would wait for its utterance, and I would expel bated breath when I hear it.  I did not know that, like me, the universe also expels bated breath when it hears it, except that the bated breath has with it the makings of a miracle.  Truly, there is something about expressing gratitude that finds favor with the air around all of us.

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Posted in: Wealth Attraction , Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Teaching Children To Grow Money: The John Gokongwei Story

July 20 12:19 am ,

Teaching The Little Ones To Fish

Teaching The Little Ones To Fish

I look at C and ask myself: How do I teach her about money philosophy?  Forget philosophy.  How do I teach her about money?  It looks like such a daunting task.  Can it be taught?  I decided I would tell her stories.

Stories of the childhood of entrepreneurs always fascinated me.  There was always this one fateful episode that would alter their path, make them entrepreneurs and lead them to untold riches – a parent’s influence, a disadvantage, an early realization that it is money which makes the world go round, and that they have got to have it on their side.

JOHN GOKONGWEI

John Gokongwei belonged to a family of rich migrants.  He had it all as a kid.  He was such a gallant young man that there were days when he would treat all of his classmates to a movie at the cinema his father owned.  But at 13, his father died and he lost it all.

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Posted in: Children's Stories , Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Stocks on the Upswing

July 15 11:11 pm ,
To Financial Freedom

To Financial Freedom

Stocks are on the upswing again.  How do I know?  I look at the stock market reports daily.

This was one of the first tips given by my financial planner to me – to look at the business page, particularly the big rectangular block full of numbers and letters, read it over, pick at least 10 stocks that I would watch daily, and watch them daily (yes, it is a commitment).  He said that this way, I would develop a feel for it.  This, he tells me further, is how the pros do it – everyday, full time.  I looked at him, half-smiling (I was trying to convince him that I could do it) and half-wincing (I imagined it as a painful exercise).  Sure looked like it was a lot of hard work.  But I found out – it was not.

Let me tell you, I hardly ever looked at the business page before.  It screamed boring! to me.  After all, who cares about companies and mergers and acquisitions when there’s news that Actress A is pregnant and the dad is Actor B who is married and their story is played till kingdom come and I had 30 minutes to spare?  Even the cartoon page would get first dibs.

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Posted in: Stock Market , Tagged: , , , , ,

Grow Rich, Play Monopoly

July 14 12:44 am ,
Under the Sun, Playing

Under the Sun, Playing

It’s a funny thing. I have known Monopoly since I was a young kid. I enjoyed it, yes, and tried hard to get playmates to play with me but we usually get bored early in the game so we end up, always, not finishing it. We did not even care who won. But I did not know it could have such an impact on me. It was just a board game, after all, and board games do not really teach skills. Apparently, this one does, and I learned to look at Monopoly – and games – in a new light.

Fast forward to 20 years after. I read Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad and Kiyosaki said in that book that one can learn the basics of finance with Monopoly, such as “trade four green houses for one red hotel.” I could not believe my eyes as I was reading, I know this game! I immediately downloaded it to my Treo and played, and played, and played.

At home, at night, at traffic when my car is at a standstill – every chance I got, I played. And then, finally, I got it.

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Posted in: Children's Stories, The Basics of Finance , Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Passion, Schonberg and Miss Saigon

July 12 12:39 am ,
By D: Hanging By CMS' Bedroom

By D: Hanging By CMS' Bedroom

He was captivated by a single photo where the mother, with pain palpable on her face, was saying her last goodbyes to her bui-doi. It was but a single picture, of emotions caught on a flash, that immortalized her and fired-up the imagination of one French and the world of musical theatre. His name is Claude Michel Schonberg.

My first memory of Schonberg was of him playing the piano. He was with Lea Salonga, while she tried out the strains, in her melodious voice, of Sun and Moon. They were on TV as Saigon specials were aired every day. Every little girl at that time wanted to be Lea Salonga. From obscurity (in the global sense), Schonberg brought the Philippines and Lea to the forefront of musical history.

My last memory of him was of one Sunday afternoon, four years ago. He was sitting across from me, while strings were playing and the Sofitel dessert tempted us from the distance.

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Posted in: Mentors, The Basics of Finance, Wealth Attraction , Tagged: , , , , , , ,