Category Archives: Financial Education

The Cost of Opportunity

Windows

Windows

Opportunities appear not to those who wait, but to those who look.

The problem is, not everyone looks.  Most sit on their divans and wait for the apple to fall, although there is no tree around.  Okay, sometimes there is – outside – but most of the time, the leaves are not even ruffled by the wind.  

And these people – they wonder – why isn’t there anything happening in my life?

When the cost of opportunity is nominal, a pittance.

It can be bought by small talk, an exchange of looks, or a simple email.  But there has to be a dash of audacity, daring, bravura.

You only need a window – an opening that will give you glimpse of what is beyond – the something that is out there, and good, and waiting for you.  You also need a sprinkling of imagination to spur you on so you can take the first step.

And the second, and the third.

But some of the time, you do not even need a window – you can find or create opportunity.

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Money Summit 2011: If You Think Education is Expensive, Try Ignorance

A New Day

A New Day

Yes, please sign me up!

Seminars.  Opportunities to learn new things, new ways of thinking, new (and hopefully more effective) ways of making money, new trends, meet interesting and like minded people… how could anyone pass that up?   I could not.

And I am still touched by the ripples (a.k.a. benefits, gains, blessings) that simple “Yeses!” to seminars were able to earn for me: the MavenSecrets blogging seminar which gave me this blog, the Ricky Lee Scriptwriting Seminar from long ago that so inspired me but failed to make me a scriptwriter (which friend said can’t have it all?), the Truly Rich Club seminar and materials (mostly CDs I still listen to in my car) from Bo Sanchez that I still remember to this day (that jumpstarted the personal-finance-me – who would ever think?), the Inquirer.net financial planning experiment that gave me my financial-planners-partners in MoneyDoctors, Bob Proctor’s Six-Minutes to Success and Rich Schefren and Jay Abraham’s League of Extraordinary Minds that are still giving me new insights into the human psyche and the Registered Financial Planning seminar I am currently attending which hopefully will make me financial planner extraordinaire (hopefully).

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It Started as a Silly Idea

 
 

Beauty

Beauty

From the window in my office, I could see a sliver of the sea.

At 4pm, it glistens, a beacon for those who care to look.  The sun is directly above it and plays on its surface, and the sun’s clouds appear to be yellow graduating to orange, interspersed with white wisps and marred by the dot of a high-flying bird.  I imagine the sky plunging to dark blue, at once, as soon as the sun touches the sea.

There is one space in my eye’s periphery where I refuse to look.  It is an abandoned construction, the skeleton of a building, an eye sore, and despite my reluctance to look, I am quite familiar with it.  It could have been beautiful, but it is not.  Its remains stand tall – the symbol of human-nature-gone-bad.  It told of the story of people refusing to agree, of a rift dividing partners, the drying up of money, and the final blow, hurling of lawsuit bayonets. I am sure it caused some pain to someone somewhere, maybe until now.

And it is spoiling the view of everyone who cared to look at it. Read More →

Why Are You Investing?

Within Reach

Within Reach

Today I embarked on my journey towards becoming a Registered Financial Planner.

I figured – I might as well plunge head-on into the world of personal finance.  And what better way to continue my education than by formal training.

Good too that I got a semi-scholarship / discount through MoneyDoctors partner and friend, Salve Duplito, who is a finance guru herself. (thanks, Salve, and to Mr. Henry Ong, head of the RFP – Philippines program)

So my friends, in a few months, I hope to be a Registered Financial Planner.  I also want you with me on that journey so I am cooking up something that I hope will positively impact the financial future of one (or two, or three) of you. (hint, hint)

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More Becoming-a-Millionaire-Without-Going-Into-Business Tips

Money Can Grow On Trees

You can read the first part here.

Everyone wants millions and the dreams-come-true that go with it.  There are roads that are tried and tested – which, more often than not, involve business.  But here are some other ways to get to that golden brick road.

Real Estate

Contrary to what most think, huge capital and putting up a business entity are not really necessary to succeed in real estate.  The secret (that-is-not-really-a- secret) – foreclosed properties. The how – the property can be fixed up and rented out (buy and rent), or fixed up and sold (buy and sell). But research, due diligence, some handyman abilities, patience, a flair for marketing and a lot of guts are necessary. Yes, there’s the question of – how in heaven’s name am I going to pay for it???  Most banks require only a 10% downpayment, which you can borrow, and the rest of the payment – the 90% – you can also borrow, and the loan can be stretched to forever (think 30 years).  And this is what makes it beautiful – if you rent it out, the house will practically pay for itself, if you sell it, you get a tidy sum for a little bit of finding-house-fixing-house headache.  Kiyosaki and the local Kiyosakis swear by this system to gain untold riches. (untold!)

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How to Be A Millionaire Without Starting a Business (and a Mention at Cosmopolitan Magazine!)

Cosmopolitan March 2011

Page 158, Tips 3 and 4 are Mine 😀

When I got the email from Kristina Monica Guerra of Cosmopolitan Magazine requesting for an interview, I was more than thrilled – I was ecstatic.

She said she got to know of me from Anton Diaz’ list of upcoming Bloggers and wanted my two cents on how one can be a millionaire without starting a business.

The question stumped me.  I am a business advocate and champion of those who dare to change their lives through the wonderful, maddening, exciting world of business.

Being a millionaire without going into business – is it even possible?

The March 2011 issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine featured some of the answers I submitted to Monica.  I was quoted alongside Francisco Colayco, author of several books, speaker, entrepreneur and mentor – what an honor!  I could not believe my eyes when I saw my name and my blog mentioned (yey!).  Thanks again, Monica.

But back to the question: Can one get to millions without getting his feet wet in the grime and grunge of business?

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Sometimes I Do Not Agree With Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You To Be Rich

Crimson

Well, at least, one time I did not.

Because, in an email to me about his “breathtaking insight about customers and human behavior,” he discussed two categories of customers:

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If It Does Not Make You Money, Cut the Time You Spend Doing It In Half

Cut It

Cut It

Or obliterate it altogether.

But boys will be boys.  Will be boys.

And my husband, is a boy. (still a boy)

He always has gadget fads that he swears will not last.  But they keep morphing into some other fad, that I want to scream to him: Yes honey, they do not last but they always, always get replaced with something else that take your time away from us!

Like now, it is his PSP and his Tekken game.  He plays it every chance he gets – when waiting for an appointment or before the start of a meeting, in the bathroom, in his office (I bet – but he owns it so I think it is okay), in my hospital bed (when I was recently hospitalized), downstairs in our house when my children and I are having playtime and how-are-you-time upstairs, in our bedroom when the lights have been dimmed and my baby boy who is trying to sleep could not sleep because he is distracted by the eerie disco lights and slightly muted sounds from the PSP game.

I could go on.

Please allow me.

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