Investing 101
Source: Manila Bulletin, March 3,2013
With the country’s growing economy and well-performing stock market, local company Pesos and Sense helps Filipinos navigate the twists and turns of investing and personal finance
But Aya Laraya, a registered financial planner, will tell you it’s the wrong question to ask. ”It’s like asking, ‘What’s a good medicine?’ or ‘What’s a good exercise?’,” he says. ”Is there just one answer?”
Laraya is the resource person and co-founder of Pesos and Sense, a company that helps Filipinos navigate the twists and turns of investing and personal finance. ”The entire point of Pesos and Sense, and the reason I created it along with Verchie (Totanes) a few years ago, is that no one teaches us what to do with our money,” he explains. ”We’re taught how to make money. Then, what do we do with the money we earn?”
A common impulse would be to put the money into a savings account. But at today’s interest rates, a savings account won’t earn enough to sustain a person’s lifestyle, much less beat inflation. Given our growing economy and a stock market that’s currently performing well, this money could actually be earning more.
People simply don’t know how to take advantage of this. Laraya says, ”Up to now, they [still get] surprised-‘P5,000 or P10,000 lang, puwede na ako mag-stock market (With just P5,000 or P10,000, I can invest in the stock market)?’ Or, ‘Mutual fund? P2,000 lang, puwede na (P2,000 is enough)?”’
‘Aral Muna’
Pesos and Sense has been demystifying the sometimes intimidating world of managing and investing money since 2011. Laraya teamed up with Pesos and Sense President Verchie Totanes, a full-time entrepreneur with a background in video production. With their common passion for investment and finance, Pesos and Sense was born as a television show, which Laraya hosted, airing Saturday mornings on GMA News TV for one full season or 13 shows.
They then decided to continue their advocacy of educating people through seminars. On offer are modules on how to make your money grow, the time value of money, and how to pick winning stocks.
Read Full article at Manila Bulletin
Bringing Financial Literacy to Filipinos
Source: Philippine Star, October 13,2012
