HSBC Young Entrepreneurs Awards 2006-2007
December 5, 2006
The HSBC Young Entrepreneur Awards encourages and rewards brilliant entrepreneurial thinking from the youth. It is open to all full time Filipino university students (aged 25 or below as of 31 March 2007) from public and private colleges and universities in the Philippines.
The following, however, are not eligible:
- Post-graduate students
- Self-study students
- Students studying abroad
- Students of a different nationality (i.e. foreign exchange students)
- Individuals (not in a team of two or three)
Competition Details
The local competition runs from October 2006 to March 2007 and will be divided into four rounds.
Performance returns of mutual funds in the Philippines (as of 11-29-2006)
December 4, 2006
Following is a summary of performance returns of Philippine mutual funds as of the week ended November 29, 2006.
As always, when analyzing mutual funds you should not simply look at the NAVPS or Net Asset Value per Share. This number does not necessarily tell you whether the fund is performing well or not, but the change of the NAVPS over time does. Never assume that a fund with a high NAVPS means it is generating high returns. You need to look at actual returns of the fund over a certain time horizon.
Security Bank’s “Save and Win” Promo
December 3, 2006
All new and existing Security Bank Corporation (SBC) individual/joint accountholders who open or are maintaining any of the raffle-eligible accounts during the promo period of September 1, 2006 to January 31, 2007 are eligible to win in this promo.
The eligible accounts are: Peso Savings-Passbook, Peso Savings-ATM, Build Up Savings, Regular Peso Checking Account, CheckRight, CheckOne, All-In-One Checking Account and US Dollar Savings.
December Member of the Month: bizsum
December 3, 2006
bizsum.
One of the first and true online entrepreneurs in the PMT Forum, bizsum is a living example of how Pinoys can succeed in the online world. Ask how he did it as we recognize bizsum as our December Member of the Month.
6. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
Retired! Will sell my businesses. Except for the truly automated income-generating sites. Then travel every 3 months. Alternatively living in a resthouse outside Manila.
But wait a minute - this is what I also said 5 years ago! ha ha ha! Well, its a moving target…
Read more replies or ask bizsum your own questions in the December Member of the Month thread.
How to maximize bank deposits, government bonds
December 2, 2006
Original article by Dr. Noet E. Ravalo, former Chief Economist of the Bankers Association of the Philippines, published on Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Business section:
If you are asking yourself how to invest your modest family savings, while generating, at the same time, some return without much risk while also keeping liquidity, here’s what you can do.
Maximizing bank deposits
Maximize savings deposits by letting it do the work of your wallet. Put enough funds in it for your recurring family expenses. If you already have other investments, you can arrange their maturity with your savings deposit. If your shortest investment is a three-month placement, try to have three-months worth of family funding needs in your savings deposit as well.
Time deposits
Time deposits give better rates but you must be willing to keep the funds with the bank for three, six, 12 months, sometimes even longer. You can still withdraw the funds before the pre-determined maturity date if you really have to, but if you do this, the interest often reverts to the lower savings deposit rate. In such a case, simply inquire if your bank offers a “special savings account.” That is much better than a time deposit because your funds won’t be tied up for a long time or won’t even be tied up at all.
Government securities
Next to bank deposits, government securities (GS) would be ideal investments for majority of Filipinos. The government has embarked on the Retail Treasury Bond (RTB) program which allows investors to buy a GS-like instrument in units of 5,000 pesos.
What do you get for this investment? A fixed amount (called a coupon) is paid every three months. In actual practice, the actual coupon which individual holders of RTBs get will be slightly lower that the amounts just mentioned. The reason for this is that the public cannot buy RTBs directly from the government.
There is a list of accredited institutions that buy these RTBs from the government and these institutions then sell the RTBs to the public. In principle you can always sell your RTBs in the open market if you need back your funds but you must do so at prevailing market prices. This means you are faced with the possibility of selling your RTB at a price lower than the price at which you had bought them thus generating a loss.
Cebu Pacific Airfare Sale
December 2, 2006
Planning a trip in 2007? Cebu Pacific is offering a P99 one-way fare for all of its 20 domestic destinations and P999 one-way fare for its Asian destinations, namely Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Jakarta.
The seat sale will run from November 29 to December 5, 2006 only and the travel period is from January 1 to March 31, 2007. The P99 and P999 seat sale is non-refundable and is for immediate payment upon booking. All quoted fares are for one-way travel only. The seat sale fares are exclusive of regular surcharges and government tax.
With taxes, insurance and fuel surcharges, round-trip Visayas destinations would cost about P2,189.00, P2,703.00 for round-trip Mindanao destinations. International destinations would cost around P6,700.00.
Promo fares may be booked on their website (cebupacificair.com) or at Cebu Pacific ticket offices nationwide.
A piece of advice: Get a financial adviser
December 1, 2006
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s “Take Charge of your Money Series”:
When making investment decisions, do you ask your spouse, parents, or friends? The truth of the matter is we all need professional advice when it comes to investments and personal finance. There are many things happening in the world of finance and investment, and we could all use the wisdom and expertise of experienced advisers.
What an adviser can give you
An experienced financial adviser can help you identify your financial goals and map out a plan to ensure your family’s financial security. He will help you spot costly mistakes you’ve been making without knowing it. An adviser can give you tips on how to make your money work by pointing out good investment deals that would suit your appetite for risk. He will also help you to minimize tax liabilities.
