Quick, when was the last time you thought about your retirement? If you’re under 50, you probably gave it just a passing thought. If you’re under 30, maybe not even. For many of us, retirement is just too far off to give it much thought. How can we think of something decades from now...
When you think of investments, you automatically think of stocks, bonds, funds, or real estate. Certainly, you need to invest your hard-earned money in these asset classes. But there are other investments you need to do that affect other areas of your life, which in the end will have not only a financial impact...
The worsening traffic in Metro Manila has gotten me lately to seriously think about where I want to retire. In fact, it has become so bad that I started to think about pre-retirement: where I want to live even before I retire. Certainly, certain cities in the Philippines are good candidates: Cebu, Davao, Bacolod,...
Every year, usually on my birthday or before New Year, I update my list of life goals. You may be familiar with the Be, Do, Have format of setting goals. If you are not, it basically means categorizing your goals into three: what you want to be, what you want to do, and what...
There’s more to personal finance than technical know-how. You see, managing our money has a lot to do with our attitudes and behavior. Financial freedom is more than having a net worth and cash flow that allows you to make working optional. It’s also about being freed from the bondage of materialism. Let me...
One of the funniest scenes from the comedy Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery goes this way: Dr. Evil: Gentlemen, it has come to my attention that a breakaway Russian Republic called Kreplachistan will be transferring a nuclear warhead to the United Nations in a few days. Here’s the plan. We get the warhead...
Quick, if you get a bonus, what will make you happier — buy that new smartphone you’ve always wanted or give it a non-profit whose caught you believe in? Most likely, you’d think spending money on ourselves will make us happier. Well, happy for sure, but not happier than if we give it away....
What do you do if you have Php100 million? Or even “just” Php10 million? In other words, how would you spend your fortune? You’ve heard of the saying “Money does not buy happiness.” I’m sure you’ve heard stories of lonely billionaire hermits and miserable millionaire misers. And you’ve read about lotto winners and rich...
Are you a comparison junkie? I was. For years, I had the habit of comparing my income, net worth, and career with others. And with others, I mean everyone, including: my siblings my in-laws my dad (when he was my age) my classmates in college my classmates in high school my co-workers my former...
We’ve always been told that “money does not make you happy.” Apparently it does, but only to a certain extent. There have been studies linking happiness to level of income across countries and on an individual basis. The conclusion? Money can make people happy, especially those who are financially struggling. This makes sense. After...
