Investing 101: Investment Types and How They Work For You

There was a time when Filipinos viewed investing as something that was only for the wealthy. Buying stocks, trading, or buying and selling were activities thought of as something only the foreign nationals living here did. In recent times, however, more Filipinos have become more open to investing. PawnHero looks at different kinds of investments and how you can maximize what you get from them.

Filipinos took great pride in these investments because now they can call themselves entrepreneurs and business owners instead of just being plain workers. Many years after, small investments became the name of the game with the arrival of multi-level marketing companies.

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Networking and Investing

Popularly known as “networking,” this type of investment enticed young people, as well as those who were easily lured by the promise of easy cash and significant returns. Alas, only a handful do succeed, and many feel that they have just thrown away the money they invested. Truth be told, the world of investment does not operate in such a simplistic way. If you really want to learn how to invest, take a look at these investment types and see which one is best suited for you. Let’s break them down into three main categories namely ownership type, lending, and cash equivalents.

Ownership

Ownership investments are things that you buy as an asset, which are kept with an expectation that they will increase in value. This is the broadest investment category because it includes investing in different things for profit or resale purposes.

    • Stocks – Filipinos are becoming more interested in trading in the stock market. Ordinary folks are now buying stocks from large companies, and trading and selling them for profit. You don’t need a big investment to start here, as even a few thousand pesos will do. This is the reason why even college students are able to try investing in stocks. You also don’t have to be very knowledgeable about it since there are financial advisers whom you can turn to for advice.
  • Real Estate – This is for people with large sums of money to spend. Buying land, houses and lots, or condo units is a lucrative trade, but you would need a large capital for it. Also, you must be very patient because selling pieces of property takes longer than say, jewelry or appliances.
  • Precious metals, Art, Collectibles – You may not realize it, but the “buy and sell” business falls under this category too. Some people buy jewelry and sell them at a markup, well this is like that but on a couple of levels higher. Gold, silver, diamonds and precious art are bought and sold to interest parties. Investment is also big here, but very rewarding.
  • Business – Opening a company selling a product or service is always a good way to invest.

Lending Investments

Lending Investments is also a good way to earn returns, and you won’t have to wait that long to get your money back. This is a low-risk and low-reward investment that includes bonds, certificates of deposits, and other types of loans. Here, the investment is purely cash, and there are no items or physical products that are bought or sold. Because of the lack of something physical that needs to be maintained, the expenses with this type of investment are negligible. Just be careful of who you lend to and make sure that you protect yourself.

Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalent investments are also low risk and little return. These include treasury bills, bank notes, corporate commercial papers, and more money market instruments. One important thing to note is that this is actually a relatively secure type of investment especially if you go for those backed by the government. Not a lot of people go into this kind of investment here in the Philippines though.

Filipinos would rather go with ownership and lending investments because they can immediately see, or at least project, how much they will be making. While the little return might put you off, it’s certainly higher than what most banks offer. This makes for a great alternative to a purely passive savings account.

As with any investment, there are highs and lows. In case you need extra cash to top up your capital for your online store or food business, don’t hesitate to check out PawnHero, the first online pawnshop in the Philippines. They accept appliances, gadgets, and other items allowing you to meet your short-term cash necessities right at the comfort of your home!

Rock your way to abundance!

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Why There Is No Need For You To Show Off

A couple of weeks ago, I was discussing with a friend about so many things such as the music we play as a band, how good homeschooling is for kids, politics in the Philippines, educating the youth, and our financial literacy advocacy. The most interesting part of our discussion was about stewardship and frugality, two of the things that I truly believe and always wanted to share to other people.

My friend told me about his father-in-law who lives in a posh village in the southern part of Metro Manila. His father-in-law owns 30 properties or so around the Philipppines but drives a very simple car. Which means he can buy any of those expensive SUV’s available around the Metro but prefers not to.

He uses an old school cellphone (the one with flashlight and FM radio) instead of smartphones that many people under the classification of “poor and not-so-poor” show off to their friends and frenemies alike.

Check out my post “We’re Using Cheap Cellphones, So What?”

My friend agrees with his father-in-law. He said that he would even choose a good second-hand car over a brand new one for practical reasons. And I share the same view and sentiment.

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Do you want to know why it is not good for you to show off especially if you don’t have the cash? Here are some of the reasons my friend and his father-in-law shared with me.

1. You become a subject of jealousy. Many people will surely get jealous of your high-end smartphone or your extravagant shoes. Yes, it’s your right and hell yah, you’re helping the economy. But tempting your friend to buy or borrow money just to get the same pair of shoes that you have may cause financial distress to him or her or their families. Leave the financial burden to yourself and do not tempt your friends and loved ones.

2. You will be the thief’s apple of the eye. Unlike my friend’s father-in-law who lives in a secured village, your house may be located in a place where you are your own security guard. Your dark street may be the kingdom and paradise for snatchers. Why risk your life for these?

3. You may lose your privacy and become the talk of the town. Many people will talk about you and that expensive thing that you bought. Well, you will say I don’t care what people say. But I tell you, you will. And it will be a big concern for you, your kids or family members in the future.

4. You will not really be happy about it. Other people may be impressed at least for a while. And you will too. Later on you will regret that decision of buying that mundane item because a more important financial matter needs to be settled. And you don’t have the cash anymore.

5. You will not benefit anything from showing off . You will fantasize about it before and after buying it. But soon your fantasy will become a nightmare. You won’t gain anything from such an interaction other than emotions fired up on both you and other people’s side — jealousy and pride. And neither of these two are good qualities for you to show off.

“Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” – 1 Peter 3:3

Live simply, comfortably and without the need to post what you have on social media and without the need to wave those bundles of cash in other people’s faces. Subscribe to Rock To Riches for FREE!

 

Rock your way to abundance!

#moneyliferocknroll

P.S. 1. Are you an OFW who’s been looking for a investment placement where your money could grow higher than your time deposit accounts? Are you outside of Metro Manila and would like to start investing in mutual funds but have no personal advisors to help you out? Click here so I can help you open a mutual fund account NOW! .

P.S. 2. Bro. Bo Sanchez has appointed me as a coach for our young and new investors at the TrulyRichClub social site. It’s a fun, learning family with the purpose of “helping good people become rich”. I’m inviting you to join the TrulyRichClub too and email me at burngutierrezblog@gmail.com if you have any questions. Click here to join!

P.S. 3. My co-author/illustrator Des Feliciano and I have just launched our “The Adventures of Pepot Kuripot and Dora Gastadora” comic book! It’s arguably the first and only personal finance-influenced comic book in the Philippines. You may grab your copy at your favorite National Bookstore and Powerbooks outlets. Or you can grab your copy yourself at ilovemilktea in Las Pinas City. Now available also in Australia, Saudi Arabia, and the USA! Email des_feliciano@yahoo.com for more details.
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P.S. 4. Yes, our Cyberpreneur Philippines book is now out in bookstores! Check out the chapters from my fellow authors Ray Calbay, Fitz Villafuerte, Ginger Arboleda, Kristel Silang, Marv de Leon, Paolo Lising, Anne Quintos, and other great online entrepreneurs and experts! Score your copy here now!

Four Simple Tests To Do Before Investing Your Hard-Earned Money

Are you familiar with litmus tests? A litmus test is the use of a litmus paper to test the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.

In investing or business, you should also apply a few simple tests before deciding to pull out that hard-earned money from your pocket.

Here are our four simple investment “litmus” tests: Continue reading Four Simple Tests To Do Before Investing Your Hard-Earned Money