Category Archives: Financial Education

On Stocks and Financial Statements

November 17 10:34 pm ,
Outside Looking In

Outside Looking In

Some readers emailed me privately wanting to know about stocks and financial statements. Here is my two cents worth.

On Stocks

I remember two things that my financial planner made me do so I will not be overwhelmed by stocks (well) and so that I can understand it:

1. He asked me to look at the business page of the newspaper everyday, the Stock Exchange page to be specific, and to choose at least 10 stocks that I will track and follow day after day after day.

He was right.  This gave me more than what I thought it will give me.  At the beginning, yes, there was confusion, and then after some time (six months… and going), illumination.  I had a “feel” of the market, and somehow, my “gut” was developed. I would know if stocks are on the rise, or if it is on freefall, which is the time to buy. The green and the red arrows in the newspaper actually meant something, but only as supplements to the general, wonderful, engaging world of numbers.  And when I recently had a report on my stockholdings and saw a 5% growth rate per month, I knew why a lot of other people play this game, and why they become greedy.

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Do You Have to Go to College to Be Rich?

November 14 12:25 am ,
Burning the Midnight Oil

Burning the Midnight Oil

Oddly, the answer is no.

I have to breathe and close my eyes, take my time before this means something to me.  I have always been made to believe, I have always thought, that education is very, very important.

As a matter of fact, a lot of poor parents put this on top of their agenda.  They can be overheard telling their children: “Your education is the only inheritance that we can give to you.”  The unspoken plea: please graduate and take us out of this pitiable, desolate, godforsaken place.  So they sell their only cow, the grains, their time, sometimes their souls, just so their children can go to school.

But there is Bill Gates.

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How To Get To Your Dreams (Second of Two Parts)

November 9 11:43 pm ,
Like Minds

Like Minds

I have a secret.

But before me, it belonged to Bo Sanchez (and maybe before him from some really wise man).

I could still remember the time when I first heard him speak of it.  I was cruising in my car and listening to one of his boxed audio seminars.  It was the first CD I received from him as a member of his Truly Rich Club.  I honestly did not think much about that CD – I plugged it and listened.  But there’s something about a two-hour traffic and listening to Bo’s charismatic voice that gets the heart pumping and the mind dreaming dreams.

He was telling a story, of what he did a long time ago, when he was just learning about riches and dreams.  He wrote about them. And when he wrote those dreams, he considered them as not just dreams.  He regarded them as if they were already realities.  He confessed, though, that when he was writing them – being a best selling author, being a wonderful husband, having a nipa hut (middle) with a fishpond (front) and a coconut tree (back) – he was laughing (could not help it).

I laughed too. (i thought i saw the other drivers look at me silly)

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

The Power of the Mind

October 10 1:31 am ,
A Higher Power

A Higher Power

Words from my past visited me.

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you’d like to win but think you can’t
it’s almost a cinch you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost
For out in the world you’ll find
Success begins with a fellow’s will
it’s all in the state of mind.

Victory isn’t always won by the stronger or faster man
In the end you’ll see the one who wins
Is the one who thinks he can.

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Increasing Your Financial Intelligence Series: Rules of Warren Buffett

October 4 12:22 am ,
Finding Kindred Minds

Finding Kindred Minds

I could never get enough of Warren Buffett.  I follow him on Twitter (and follow everyone he follows), his name would be the red flag that would make me read financial reports and updates (and countless finance websites I subscribe to that send me maybe 20 emails a day), and I even tried to join his 10,000 Women.

I cannot help it.  He was there at my first foray into the world of money and investment through a book given to me by a mentor: The Tao of Warren Buffett, by Mary Buffett and David Clark.  That introduction so inspired me that I have dedicated my life to learning all I can about this enigmatic thing, wealth, which has the power to change lives – not only the money earner’s but everyone’s.  Buffett, the philanthropist, showed that it can be done (and should be done). I moved on to learn the principles of Kiyosaki, Orman, Coelho, Bo Sanchez, Ramit, Tim Ferris, Dan Kennedy and countless others.

But I always go back to Buffett and his principles.  Here are three and some life’s lessons.

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