tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12220040523200285342024-03-14T03:07:25.934-07:00The Executive DigestWhat Young Professionals Should KnowUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222004052320028534.post-65074201050670067862013-01-03T01:30:00.002-08:002013-01-03T01:30:20.334-08:00How Much Money Should I Put In the Bank?<b>3-6 months of you salary. </b>Yes, just this much. This is what we call a <b>cash buffer </b>- an amount<b> </b>that should cover your <b>1.)</b> <b>monthly cash flow needs</b> like paying your utility bills, and any <b>2.)</b> <b>emergency needs </b>like medicine in case you get sick or if a family member unexpectedly borrows money from you.<br />
You should always have this much liquid amount which is why it is best to put it in the bank.<br />
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Anything in excess of this amount would just be a waste to still put in the bank because there are lots of better performing instruments compared to bank products like savings account and time deposits. Samples of these better performing instruments are stocks, bonds or mutual funds.<br />
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<i><span style="color: blue;">To know more about stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, </span></i><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="http://executivedigest.blogspot.com/2012/11/what-are-stocks-bonds-and-mutual-funds.html" target="_blank">CLICK H<span id="goog_1942704119"></span><span id="goog_1942704120"></span>ERE</a></span></b><i>.</i><br />
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If you are saving up for retirement, putting your money in the bank is not a good idea as the returns from the bank is most usually lower than inflation. That means the money that you have worked hard to save loses its value every year. So if you have retirement savings that you are not planning to use in the short term, might as well invest it.<br />
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In what investment to put them in would depend on your risk appetite. There are instruments that can provide guaranteed but minimal return while there are others that can provide big returns but with no guarantee. There is always a profitability and risk tradeoff.<br />
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<i><span style="color: blue;">To know more about profitability and risk tradeoff, </span></i><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="http://executivedigest.blogspot.com/2012/12/investment-101-basic-concepts.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a></span></b><i>.</i><br />
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Don't get too comfortable with putting all your money in the bank. Try to find out more about other investments/instruments. The main selling point if putting your money in the bank is that it provides security and liquidity. If you are looking for "returns", the bank will provide very little of that for you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222004052320028534.post-48406105351711732982012-12-02T22:07:00.001-08:002012-12-02T23:50:09.016-08:00Investment 101 - Basic Concepts<br />
I know a lot of people who want to invest but have none to little knowledge about it. Having graduated from business school with enough knowledge on investment concepts and actually investing already, they ask me to talk them through it and give some tips, which I was very willing to do so. And that's when I realized this as a calling of mine - to educated people on investments and financial planning. And in order to reach more people, I created this blog. :)<br />
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So to you reader who I assume is very interested in investing thus landing on this blog, below is my first lesson to you. To kickoff your investment plans, you need to first understand 2 very basic concepts in order to manage your expectations regarding investments.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgodVFVk2Sme5tDo_v0504mlLGMxprGgj-pOkZr2DEYw-pg6Js6r4Pb2DnDyEF2sGEs9AA6XkAaQoTsVeXG80xvVd3m9kxeSTYwdHzHZErC6XQIVuU5uiGOkJAOAuWg_S6Lr7V14VUVzo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-12-03+at+2.03.10+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgodVFVk2Sme5tDo_v0504mlLGMxprGgj-pOkZr2DEYw-pg6Js6r4Pb2DnDyEF2sGEs9AA6XkAaQoTsVeXG80xvVd3m9kxeSTYwdHzHZErC6XQIVuU5uiGOkJAOAuWg_S6Lr7V14VUVzo/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-12-03+at+2.03.10+PM.png" width="400" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">1. TIME VALUE OF MONEY</span></b><br />
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The value of money does not stay constant, it changes throughout time. It can work against you because of <b>inflation</b>, or it can work to your advantage through<b> investments</b>.<br />
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Inflation is the yearly increase in the cost of basic goods. Let's say you put $100 in a bank deposit where it stays there for 5 years. At 5 years, the nominal value of you money did not change, it's still $100. BUT, what did change is the value of the items you can buy with 100$. Before, you could probably buy a full cart of groceries. Now, you can only buy a basket full of groceries.<br />
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So if you're someone whose saving money consistently for retirement and putting it all in a bank, you might not actually be doing yourself a favor since whatever you are saving, it's value would have been brought down significantly by inflation when you retire.<br />
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This is why it's very important to invest. By definition, an investment is an instrument where there is an expected amount of return to be gained. There are a myriad samples of investments but there are 3 which are very popular and widely discussed - <b>stocks, bonds and mutual funds</b>.<br />
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<i><span style="color: blue;">To know more about stocks bonds and mutual funds,</span> <b><a href="http://executivedigest.blogspot.com/2012/11/what-are-stocks-bonds-and-mutual-funds.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">CLICK HERE</span></a></b>.</i><br />
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By putting your money in investment instruments, you can beat inflation AND earn additional revenue. If you put $100 in an investment and let it stay there for 5 years, if it's an agressive investment, then it might have already become $150-$250 already.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. RISK AND PROFITABILITY TRADEOFF</span></b><br />
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All investments have a tradeoff between profitability and risk. If an investment promises higher returns, the tradeoff is that there is more risk. If it promises, less risk, then the tradeoff is that there is lower returns.<br />
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<b>We define risk as the variability of returns.</b> This means that if an investment promises higher returns, there is NO guarantee. The performance of the investment will depend on the market. If the market is bullish (upward trend), then it can earn very high. If the market is bearish (downward trend), then it can earn equally big losses. An example of a high return, high risk investment is stocks.<br />
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If the investment promises guaranteed constant return, whether the market is up or down, the tradeoff is that it won't be a high return rate. An example of this is bonds. Bonds offer a fixed rate of return and thus can guarantee you that return even if the market is bearish. But if the market is bullish, you miss out on the potential to earn more. Also, bond rates are generally way lower than what you can potentially earn in stocks.<br />
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<b>There is no perfect instrument that can promise high returns with low risk</b>. If someone promises such to you, be wary! It's either that someone doesn't really understand what he is talking about or it's a scam. If there is such a perfect instrument then we'd all be rich, but were not. A good question to throw at anybody selling you an investment is to ask them how it works; how does it earns money; and how much involvement is required from you?<br />
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<i><span style="color: blue;">To know more about how stocks bonds and mutual funds work,</span> <b><a href="http://executivedigest.blogspot.com/2012/11/what-are-stocks-bonds-and-mutual-funds.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">CLICK HERE</span></a></b>.</i><br />
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Keep these two concepts in mind always as you will encounter them a lot especially when you start investing already. More articles to come so subscribe to this blog now! :)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222004052320028534.post-3441827782931231122012-11-21T00:52:00.000-08:002012-12-02T21:37:09.369-08:00Investment 101 - What are Stocks, Bonds, and Mutual Funds?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There are 3 basic instruments when it comes to invesments. On which instrument to invest depends on your investment goals and risk appetite. You need to understand the behavior of each instrument in order to manage your expectations on investment returns and risk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have lots of friends who want to know more about these instruments but never could find something online that's easy to understand. And these friends of mine don't have a Finance background so I try to explain these terms in the simplest way I could without being too technical.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Bonds</b> - lending money to the governemnt or corporation for a fixed time and interest rate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That's right, it's you lending these big entities money. Why would they ask for your money? Because it would cost them more to borrow from a bank. So instead of borrowing money from a bank that usually has high interest rates, they borrow money from you through bonds. With bonds, they can dictate the interest rate and the duration of the bond and thus they have more control on their costs.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Returns from bonds are fixed since there is a predetermined interest rate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Investment Goal: Income Generation, Capital Preservation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Income: Interest Income<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Examples: Goverment bonds/T-bills, Corporate Bonds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Also referred as: Fixed Income Securities<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Risk: Virtually Risk Free to Low Risk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Stocks</b> - buying ownership of a corporation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A company can be owned by many people. They get ownership through buying stocks. The more stocks you have, the more ownership you have. People who have a significant number of stocks are what we call major stockholders. Usually, if you have more stocks then you have more voting power regarding major decisions of the company.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You earn two ways in investing in stocks. One is through dividends. At the end of the year, if the company has excess earnings, it may declare giving dividends to stockholders. Think of dividends as your share in the company's profits. The more stocks you have, the more share in the earnings you get. Declaration of dividends is not fixed though. A company is not obliged to declare dividends every year. A company may not declare dividends due low earnings or tight cash budget.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The other way to earn from stocks is through capital appreciation. If a company is projected to do well, earn more profits due to an expansion program, then there's higher chance of declaring dividends. People would then want to get hold of this stock, thus increases demand, in turn increases price.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Returns from stocks are volatile. There is no guarantee on returns but returns can be potentially big like 100% return r even higher. However, it can easily go the other way, you can also incur equally big losses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Investment Goal: Capital Appreciation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Income: Capital Appreciation and Dividends</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Also referred as: known as Equities, Shares<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Risk: High Risk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Mutal Funds</b> - giving your money to an investment house for them to manage your money for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Not all folks have the time to manage their own money. Investing stocks on your own takes time and effort to study the market, the companies, their individual stock performances. With a mutual fund, an investment house does the investing for you. In turn they charge you with management fees. You, as an investor get to dictate which underlying asset you want them to invest your money into - stocks, bonds, or balanced (both stocks and bonds). This is the only decision required from you, everything else will be done by the investment house. For example, if you choose stocks as your underlying investment, then the investment house will be the one to decide which stocks to buy, when to buy, and when to sell. As such, mutual funds are quite passive investments since there is very little to no participation needed from you.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Returns reflect the returns of the underlying asset.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Investment Goal: Same as underlying asset<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Income: Same as underlying asset<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Examples: Sun Life Prosperity Funds, Philam Strategic Growth Fund, ALFM Growth Fund</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Risk: Same as underlying asset<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So what do you think is the best investment for you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Personal Thoughts:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I personally prefer stock mutual funds. I prefer mutual funds since I don’t have the capacity and expertise to manage my investments on my own. I choose stocks as my underlying asset because I accept absorbing risk in exchange for potential higher returns. I can accept risk as of the moment since I don’t have any dependents and no debts so there is no problem with volatile and non-guaranteed returns. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222004052320028534.post-67430032188739354992012-09-02T14:25:00.001-07:002012-09-02T14:25:20.569-07:00Insurance 101As financial needs are very specific, life insurance policies have become highly customizable. Below are the points you need to be aware of in order to formulate a policy that can best address your needs. Don't rely soley on what your insurance agent tells you. They earn from commisions and therefore have interests that conflict your's. Review these items before you see an agent so you are knowledgeable of what you are commiting to and the options that are available to you.<br />
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<strong>Face Amount</strong> - the amount you are insured for. This is the minimum amount that will be given to your beneficiaries upon your demise. This is the main and basic component of your life insurance policy.<br />
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<strong>Premium</strong> - the amount you need to pay regularly to be insured. Understandably, the bigger the face amount, the bigger the premium.<br />
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<strong>Living Benefit</strong> - the amount that will be given to you in the event that you are still alive but want to surrender your policy. This value increases given that you constantly pay your premiums but takes significant time before you break even, usually in the range of 10-20 years.<br />
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<strong>Death Benefit</strong> - the full amount that will be given to your beneficiary. This is comprised of the face amount plus cash value plus dividends.<br />
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<strong>Paying Period</strong> - the number of years you are required to pay premiums. <br />
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Insurance policies are usually lifetime to pay. However, there will come a point when your cash value and dividends are big enough to pay premiums for you, in which case, even if you don't pay premiums, your life insurance policy can take care of itself. <br />
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Or, you can be upfront with your agent that you only want to pay for a certain period only, let's say 10 years. If so, premiums will be adjusted, usually made bigger, to make sure that in 10 years of paying, your cash value and dividends will be big enough to sustain you policy without paying premiums anymore.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GM8e60HclFUSQJtdp4ejEemIYHnIt60MQikeR7axHZ8GPD1FCNDr6TbE7nlXxJ06LEubwGwwB3CexKwIePLFftqFDpaRG-fDuNLAGnuy4LizKXCWgNBX0yyW88PoEi0tyQfkRd3sbc4/s1600/imagesCARW0SOI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GM8e60HclFUSQJtdp4ejEemIYHnIt60MQikeR7axHZ8GPD1FCNDr6TbE7nlXxJ06LEubwGwwB3CexKwIePLFftqFDpaRG-fDuNLAGnuy4LizKXCWgNBX0yyW88PoEi0tyQfkRd3sbc4/s1600/imagesCARW0SOI.jpg" /></a><strong>Riders</strong> - accessory/add-on protection. When you get a life insurance policy, you are basically insured against death. However, you can also get insured against disability, dismemberment, critical illnesses, etc. through riders. These are accessory protection and cannot be availed on their own. A main policy (life insurance against death) must exist first in order to get riders. These also have associated additional costs that will be added to your premium.<br />
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<b>Dividends</b> - bonuses given by an insurance company. These usually depend on the performance of a company thus these are not guaranteed and may or may not be given. And if given, there are no fixed rates.<br />
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<strong>Dividend Options</strong> - options on how to manage dividends. There are several options and below are the basic ones.<br />
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1. Dividends to be automatically paid to you in cash <br />
2. Dividends to be kept and accumulate in the safekeeping of the isurance company and in turn, earn you interest <br />
3. Dividends to be automaticaly used to reduce premuim paymentsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222004052320028534.post-49395085655830842792012-08-28T23:20:00.002-07:002012-09-10T08:47:04.506-07:00Recommended Insurance - Variable Life Insurance<div>
A lot of people think of life insurance as an expense and thus would rather place their money elsewhere like on savings or investments. However, insurance is indeed very important and an essential part of financial security (to know more about financial security, click <a href="http://executivedigest.blogspot.com/2009/12/things-to-prepare-once-you-start.html">here</a>). But insurance usually have very conservative returns and most young people who are unmarried and no children don't see the value in it yet.</div>
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Due to this, insurance companies have come up with a new product that would address this issue - <b>variable life insurance</b>.</div>
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Variable Life Insurance is an insurance policy with an <b>investment component</b>. A portion of the amount you pay goes to paying the insurance while the leftover portion are invested in mutual funds of your choice - stock, bonds or balanced funds. With the portion that goes to mutual funds, you can build your savings and get good returns that if you keep long enough to accumulate significantly, can serve as your retirement fund or your inheritance to your children.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIUCoAP3lcpVzoUWafA8Q5hLiuvmzPuMIFY4xXbru9nRpsPdcWHMQNchSJlm4On8u9VRbVhyMXXR5BNcnT3Qcsn6uLgSWB45U-Imr3iUDZs_eAWhjZNKbcZqCyVbs7nXAWOtgUr5xZpQ/s1600/variable-life-insurance-300x199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIUCoAP3lcpVzoUWafA8Q5hLiuvmzPuMIFY4xXbru9nRpsPdcWHMQNchSJlm4On8u9VRbVhyMXXR5BNcnT3Qcsn6uLgSWB45U-Imr3iUDZs_eAWhjZNKbcZqCyVbs7nXAWOtgUr5xZpQ/s1600/variable-life-insurance-300x199.jpg" /></a>As with all investments, there is associated risk. The associated risk would be the same risk of the underlying investment. So if you choose stock funds as your choice of mutual fund, then there is bigger risk compare to a bonds mutual fund, but the potential return, is of course bigger with a stock mutual fund. This risk will be shouldered by the policy holder - meaning the insurance company will not guarantee returns and depending on the performance of the market, the returns may be positive or negative (loss).</div>
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The advantage of this type of insurance is that it allows you to potentially earn bigger returns due to the investment component, which you don't have in regular life insurance. It is also equally as flexible as traditional life insurance as you can also add riders and dictate paying years. As such, a big chuck of the business insurance companies have is on this product. Almost 70% of life insurance availed nowadays is variable life insurance.</div>
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This type of instrument is usually very attractive to young professionals as their willingness to get insurance early would also mean, not only cheaper cost of insurance, but also potential bigger returns to them in the long run. So if you are contemplating to get insurance or not thinking about it at all, try to know more about this instrument first and give it a chance.</div>
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Will discuss this product in more detail and with numbers soon.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222004052320028534.post-24183247967800874892010-02-25T22:03:00.000-08:002012-09-10T08:47:41.787-07:00Invictus by William Ernest Henley<div style="text-align: justify;">
Just watched <b>Invictus</b> directed by Clint Eastwood starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. Great movie! </div>
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I want to share with you this haunting and powerful poem the movie was named after, <b>Invictus,</b> written by British poet <b>William Ernest Henley</b>. This poem is Nelson Madela's favorite and served as one of his greatest inspiration and source of power during his 29 years of prison before his presidency.</div>
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When he became President of South Africa, he saw the opportunity in Rugby as a means to unite his racially divided people with adamant belief that the universal language of sport can break the barriers of apartheid. He then meets with South African Rugby Team Captain Francois Peinaar and tasked him for his team to champion the coming Rugby World Cup. As was evident in Francois' expression the hesitation and disbelief in the seemingly impossible task appointed to him, Nelson Madela gave him a hand written copy of Invictus for inspiration.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1dEeqvGDmbC0S8gyUU_n7gmBx46o1g8shL2VeJYiMPV5SvBbteXP28LxtP6PVDnRXpkEOI2EKfimvI9XyYX2SAliRAsfinVEjYax8ZflaeKMUIPAiUQcehuD5NRsIdm16kOFjqvGQi7I/s1600-h/invictus_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1dEeqvGDmbC0S8gyUU_n7gmBx46o1g8shL2VeJYiMPV5SvBbteXP28LxtP6PVDnRXpkEOI2EKfimvI9XyYX2SAliRAsfinVEjYax8ZflaeKMUIPAiUQcehuD5NRsIdm16kOFjqvGQi7I/s320/invictus_poster.jpg" width="216" /></a><i> </i><br />
<i><b>Invictus</b></i> <br />
<i>Out of the night that covers me,</i><br />
<i>Black as the Pit from pole to pole,</i><br />
<i>I thank whatever gods may be</i><br />
<i>For my unconquerable soul.</i><br />
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<i>In the fell clutch of circumstance</i><br />
<i>I have not winced nor cried aloud.</i><br />
<i>Under the bludgeonings of chance</i><br />
<i>My head is bloody, but unbowed.</i><br />
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<i>Beyond this place of wrath and tears</i><br />
<i>Looms but the Horror of the shade,</i><br />
<i>And yet the menace of the years</i><br />
<i>Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.</i><br />
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<i>It matters not how strait the gate,</i><br />
<i>How charged with punishments the scroll.</i><br />
<i><b>I am the master of my fate;</b></i><br />
<i><b>I am the captain of my soul.</b></i><br />
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Truly an evocative piece most famous for its last couple of lines. Just wanted to share this with you hoping it will have the same effect on you as it had with Nelson Mandela, Francois Peinaar and the many more unknown men who have drawn courage and strength from it. </div>
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Here is the theme song from the movie Invictus, 9000 days, performed by Overtone and Yollandi Nortjie, which lyrics was also inspired and some lines even taken from the poem. 9000 days is equivalent to the 27 years Nelson Mandela spent in prison. </div>
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<object height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3J1Xov0dB5Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3J1Xov0dB5Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222004052320028534.post-89815997316509534372010-01-01T02:48:00.000-08:002012-09-10T08:48:15.666-07:00Never Be Late Again with These Innovative Alarm Clocks<div style="text-align: justify;">
There are just those days when it's hard to get out of bed. And don't we all have experienced that nerve wrecking moment when your boss told you not to be late for tomorrow's very important meeting at 9:00 am and you wake up the next day and it's already 8:45?</div>
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If you're late, superiors and peers always assume you're not that serious about your career and we don't want that kind of impression at the workplace. Check out these innovative alarm clocks that'll make sure you get out of bed on time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDgUXmAFnBSmVJwMgqAYkYAMRCo6tQ-w3ZwegsAaHKHSeSWouHe3Yl7q6P2kTd2I54SzbZ4lNvmG2fgy2iV0eeRGIEeSP_IIpaJ1dyB3a0Tpmy0qD64_D48ZfUgArmIuiLpr9wBJ5DNo/s1600-h/silence_clock2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDgUXmAFnBSmVJwMgqAYkYAMRCo6tQ-w3ZwegsAaHKHSeSWouHe3Yl7q6P2kTd2I54SzbZ4lNvmG2fgy2iV0eeRGIEeSP_IIpaJ1dyB3a0Tpmy0qD64_D48ZfUgArmIuiLpr9wBJ5DNo/s200/silence_clock2.jpg" /></a><b>1. "Silence" Alarm Clock</b><br />
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It's technically not an alarm clock since it doesn't have an alarm but has something way much better at waking you wake up. Before going to bed, you wear a wireless rubber bracelet with a built-in vibrating device that goes off on your set time. The snooze function is engaged by shaking your hand. However, each successive snooze you desire, more movement is required to engaged it again making you finally wake up from the physical activity. Isn't it brilliant?!</div>
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It's still a conceptual alarm clock though so it's not yet available in the market, but we're be definitely waiting for it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOV_-Qdlc__07ThofMBRoaGDgcAhY15zDlMRkCjtoS8__c9VLKCOYM6VdU8Dfqo-IUQuEBBnxaFBYi9Dcu4aRyyP-2-pWSGY9L3g8X8t100Vp2P0-FMC_yONObqjW7pDMNezqPG-BqlwY/s1600-h/snuznluz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOV_-Qdlc__07ThofMBRoaGDgcAhY15zDlMRkCjtoS8__c9VLKCOYM6VdU8Dfqo-IUQuEBBnxaFBYi9Dcu4aRyyP-2-pWSGY9L3g8X8t100Vp2P0-FMC_yONObqjW7pDMNezqPG-BqlwY/s320/snuznluz.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>2. SnūzNLūz Wifi Donation Alarm Clock</b></div>
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Here's one that'll make you jump out of bed right away!</div>
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Here's how to set it up. Just connect the SnūzNLūz online via cable or wifi. Once connected, select you online banking institution from the list of supported banks (1600 banks are supported). Input your login information. Then select a charity or non-profit organization of your choice from 6,200 supported charitable institutions.</div>
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What this alarm clock does is that every time you snooze it, it automatically transfers money from your bank account to your choice of charity. So when you fail to get-up, it actually costs you. That's one hell of a reason to wake up. Cause if you don't, you might go broke! Buy it <a href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/snuznluz.shtml">here</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzt8BaPDXaS0OSgCJFx_hBHer527N4AGeufmo4COJ9PrdfS3jRiLLQOrkJHGDvmuUmwM7nzX4V6mrjMErnioiBZx-0fbElpaU6XpcZ9BLhoYC5cV1pOJoGcTotQrmgGKgQZah_oa4JMo/s1600-h/a96922_a571_6-flying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzt8BaPDXaS0OSgCJFx_hBHer527N4AGeufmo4COJ9PrdfS3jRiLLQOrkJHGDvmuUmwM7nzX4V6mrjMErnioiBZx-0fbElpaU6XpcZ9BLhoYC5cV1pOJoGcTotQrmgGKgQZah_oa4JMo/s200/a96922_a571_6-flying.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>3. Blowfly Alarm Clock</b></div>
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This alarm clock comes with a flying propeller that is activated on your set time. The siren then begins to wail and the only way to stop it is for your to to get out of bed, find the plastic propeller and put it back on the clock. By the time you stop the siren, you're already awake. Buy it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Princess-Flying-Alarm-Clock-Black/dp/B001JPISPE/?tag=oddee-20">here</a>.</div>
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Here's a video demo.<br />
<object height="285" width="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ablBCBK9ZHM&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ablBCBK9ZHM&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="340" height="285"></embed></object><br />
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Lastly, we have the...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6U1Gp2XSLxyL4p1VQYqMfedCeRykBDXCTX0QMnHjKZ6DlG9Th3Z-KVf3a2I6fim47rlJ6qa5JvLDCv_fMT3Vd2P5ACFLs3LRkaEsEL1XIGBLKrqRBJlsInvi35hDOOnuJpvlgy6Q9xSk/s1600-h/a96922_a571_12-carpet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6U1Gp2XSLxyL4p1VQYqMfedCeRykBDXCTX0QMnHjKZ6DlG9Th3Z-KVf3a2I6fim47rlJ6qa5JvLDCv_fMT3Vd2P5ACFLs3LRkaEsEL1XIGBLKrqRBJlsInvi35hDOOnuJpvlgy6Q9xSk/s200/a96922_a571_12-carpet.jpg" /></a><b>4. Carpet Alarm Clock</b><br />
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The only way to turn this clock's alarm off (yes, it's still considered a clock because of it's small lcd screen that displays time) is to step on it, therefore physically forcing you to get out from bed and stand. Genius! If you want to make sure you really wake up, place it far from the bed so you'll be forced to walk as well. </div>
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These are some inventive stuff we have here. Get one and you'll have no more late days at work! Make that your 1st new year's resolution.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222004052320028534.post-7839370447323084782009-12-17T21:07:00.000-08:002012-09-10T08:47:58.538-07:00Facebook Founder is World’s Youngest Billionaire<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Mark Zuckerberg is world’s youngest ever self-made billionaire</b> according to Forbes Magazine. And just who is <b>Mark Zuckerberg</b>? <b>Mark Zuckerberg</b> is the now 23-year-old co-founder and CEO of the the currently biggest and most used social networking site with 350 million active users worlwide, <b>Facebook</b>. And yes, that’s right, he’s only “23 years old”.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrHU9DOt5kd6e_aLv3qqxzYPdWI3gdg19FZkULHPvj7Bhab54Q6MG6nx6jeloKt2K8dDuvFSv9OYoTlJp9g5HFAWneE5pxFQQQQV6xwauI-4y1rkmVsRr0pRryykLOo9Q1zDJTvHKeCA/s1600-h/v912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrHU9DOt5kd6e_aLv3qqxzYPdWI3gdg19FZkULHPvj7Bhab54Q6MG6nx6jeloKt2K8dDuvFSv9OYoTlJp9g5HFAWneE5pxFQQQQV6xwauI-4y1rkmVsRr0pRryykLOo9Q1zDJTvHKeCA/s320/v912.jpg" /></a></div>
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The former Harvard student is approximately with $1.5 billion based on a supposedly conservative valuation of Facebook that is $5 billion with an approximated annual sales of $150 million. Zuckerberg owns roughly 30 percent of Facebook and the remaining shared by co-founders Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin and Chris Hughes. </div>
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Mark Zuckerberg originally launched Facebook as a Harvard thing back in 2004 in his dorm room in the said university then decided to spread Facebook enlisting the help of his roommates and fellow Computer Science students Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, and Chris Hughes to Stanford, Darthmouth, Columbia, Cornell, Yale and other schools with social contacts with Harvard. It then later expanded to include any university student, then high school students, then anyone aged 13 and above.</div>
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Because of the addictiveness of Facebook, it has been blocked intermittently in Syria, China, Iran and some other countries. It has also been banned in many workplaces to discourage employees being distracted and wasting time on Facebook. </div>
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In 1008, Time magazine added Zuckerberg as one of The World's Most Influential People.</div>
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So where and what were you doing when you were 23 years old? </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222004052320028534.post-23336994149518348312009-12-09T23:46:00.000-08:002009-12-18T07:15:57.945-08:00Volunteer Online Now! (Others)<div style="text-align: justify;">Many pass up <b>volunteering</b>, though they’re very much interested to, for lack of time due to work or family. Thus rendering them unable to spare time and travel. Well, that’s not a problem anymore. <b>United Nations Volunteers</b> (UNV) has now launched an <b>online volunteering service</b> site where you could easily sign up for <b>online volunteering work</b>.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.onlinevolunteering.org/">www.onlinevolunteering.org</a></b> is one of the United Nations Volunteers programme’s corporate tools to mobilize more volunteers for development. It connects volunteers to organizations working with the United Nations for sustainable human development who are in need of volunteers.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">All available volunteer work listed on the site can be done from volunteers’ homes. No need to travel and work can be done by the volunteers’ own pace. Communication will all be done online as well for everybody's convenience.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Volunteer work of all kinds are available in the site. From projects ranging 2 weeks from 2 months and projects from simple editing to research. You’re bound to find volunteer work that well fits you.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you’re interested, just go to <a href="http://www.onlinevolunteering.org/"><b>www.onlinevolunteering.org</b></a> and register. Once you’ve registered, you can easily go over the list of available volunteer work as the site is very easy to navigate. Just to make sure you do find volunteer work best suited for you, the site allows you to filter available volunteer work based on your specific skills and interests (i.e. writing and editing, translation, research, IT development, etc.).<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">You could also filter available volunteer work based on your desired advocacy (i.e. education, youth, crisis prevention and recovery, gender, environment, etc.)<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">You can even filter available volunteer work based on which region you want to offer support (i.e. Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Arab States, etc.)<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">You can use all three filters at the same time to find something specific for you.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">After selecting your chosen volunteer work, you will be asked a few essay questions on your motivation, experiences, and skills to be submitted to the organization you are offering your volunteer work to. Depending on the organization, they might also let you submit sample works.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once they accept you, you’ll get the project briefing and you can do your work at home and at your own pace until date of submission. At the end of the project you will be given a certificate of appreciation for your work from the United Nations.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It’s now very easy to volunteer given such online program. There’s no more excuse of not being able to travel or being too busy. What are you waiting for, volunteer now! Go to <b><a href="http://www.onlinevolunteering.org/">www.onlinevolunteering.org.</a></b><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222004052320028534.post-42488236324988965252009-12-09T02:48:00.000-08:002009-12-18T07:19:07.779-08:00Get Extra Revenue From Online Graphic Competitions (Extra Revenue)<div style="text-align: justify;">If you’re looking for some <b>extra revenue</b> and happen to be good with <b>graphic design</b>, you should go to <a href="http://www.graphiccompetitions.com/"><b>www.graphiccompetitions.com.</b></a> It’s an index site of <b>online graphic competitions</b> where you could easily find a well-paying <b>online graphic competition</b> to make your spare time something of use and money-worthy.<br />
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Go to the site, look through the online graphic competitions that are listed, pick the ones you think is suited for your skill and the time you can spare, check whether your eligible for that online graphic competition and whether their mode of payment is applicable to you.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">You can also see the list of online graphic competitions sorted by deadline of submission or by highest prize money. They also list, other than graphic competitions, animation, illustration and multiple discipline design competitions and Prize money can go as high as thousands of dollars. Check it now, <a href="http://www.graphiccompetitions.com/">click here</a>.<br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222004052320028534.post-59748735843178718182009-12-01T01:34:00.000-08:002012-08-29T05:13:50.480-07:00Things to Prepare Once You Start Earning to be Financially Secure (Finance)<div style="text-align: justify;">
First salaries usually go to treating yourself, friends or family to celebrate the start of your career. With the prospect of more paychecks to come, people usually spend away all their first salary and save, at best, very little. Not a lot think of what to <b>prepare once they start earning to be financially secure</b>. </div>
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The moment <b>you start earning</b>, first thing you should keep in mind is to be <b>financially secure </b>- being <b>financially secure</b> means not only getting a stable salary for the long run but also being able to prepare for unforeseen circumstances that might affect your income.</div>
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Here are the things you need to organize once you start working and before you start investing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSLFrKw2GXCleUXUfw5Tbka3xzZqPQghumardRnUKfXQ5DjMxYM2sTGAKCTKNxDKlEdIbeHtj3fg-9QDuXiX8oVPNAuq55iWEhDPk0Frtt3_BszYXwj8kgMxd2H0M4VC8Q1zh0BwB59I/s1600/FAN9001730_Veer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410212904688355474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSLFrKw2GXCleUXUfw5Tbka3xzZqPQghumardRnUKfXQ5DjMxYM2sTGAKCTKNxDKlEdIbeHtj3fg-9QDuXiX8oVPNAuq55iWEhDPk0Frtt3_BszYXwj8kgMxd2H0M4VC8Q1zh0BwB59I/s320/FAN9001730_Veer.JPG" style="margin-top: 0pt;" /></a><b>1. Obtain ample health insurance.</b></div>
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You shouldn't save to be able to pay hospital bills if you get sick. Instead, save to obtain medical insurance for the former is much more expensive than the latter. Also, any major health problem could easily drain all your wealth for treatment and recuperation and entail you to take a long leave of absence. Better be prepared if such happens. Not being able to prepare for such may lead to huge debts. </div>
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<b>2. Obtain ample disability insurance.</b></div>
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Disability can also drain all your wealth, if not more than, then just as fast as a major health problem. Not to mention, depending on the gravity of disability, it can affect you and your income stream for the rest of your life. Note that a 35 year old person is 3 times more likely to be seriously disabled for at least 3 months than to die. A 50 year old person is 4 times more likely to be disabled than to die. And when it happens, it would be best that you were able to put into insurance an appropriate amount of money to offset the more or less permanent effect to your income.</div>
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<b>3. Build up a cash cushion of 3-6 months worth of expenses or salary.</b></div>
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Don't go into investing just yet without having a cash cushion of 3-6 months. If any emergency happens that would entail you to shell out money on the spot, you at least have money that is ready to spare. Investments are not easily converted to cash and may take a week or more to do so. Not being able to pay emergency expenses may lead to accumulation of debts. This is different from acquiring health and disability insurance for not all emergencies are health related and covered by those insurances such as friends and family borrowing money, unexpected travel expenses from work, additional purchases due to special occasions, etc. </div>
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Building up a cash cushion also helps in case of sudden unemployment in which case you have money to spare while looking for a new job. Saving up for a cash cushion may take some time to gather. For more tips on how to save, <a href="http://theexecutivecircle.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-much-of-your-salary-do-you-need-to.html">click here. </a>Once you have prepared these three, you're only a few steps away from being financially secure for life. The next step is to "invest your money" which a handful of articles regarding such will be posted on this blog very soon. </div>
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<b>4. Get a an insurance policy because it's cheaper when you are young.</b></div>
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You might think that since you are still single, you don't need life insurance. Get one anyways!<br />
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It's better to get an insurance policy while you are young and the cost if insurance is low. If you have plans of getting married and having children anyway, might as well prepare for it now. If you get insurance by the time you get a wife and kids, its more costly because insurance gets more expensive with age. If you get it now when you are 25, its way cheaper compared to if you get it when you are already married and expecting a child at 30.<br />
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Also, don't assume you have no dependents. You may not have children but if there is anybody you provide support to no matter how small, like contributing to your cousins education or contributing to your retired parents monthly expenses, then you definitely need insurance. With insurance, your ability to provide support to your loved ones, will not go to the grave with you.<br />
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There is a myriad of life insurance policies being offered now. One I suggest you get is insurance with an investment component generally called a <b>variable life insurance</b>. With this, a portion of what you pay goes to paying insurance and the other portion gets invested in mutual funds. So if you feel, insurance is an expense, try to know more about this product, as due to the investment component, this product can also build your savings. It can also serve as a source of retirement fund or inheritance to your family. As with all investments, the key component to getting bigger returns is time - the longer you leave your money in the investment, the more it can earn. So with this hybrid product, if you get it early, the more returns for you in the long run.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222004052320028534.post-29696329472224782932009-11-23T02:32:00.000-08:002009-12-18T07:24:25.014-08:00How Rich is that Food Stylist? (People)<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I just went to a talk by a Senior Unilever Executive about Marketing and Campaign Execution. On one of her sidetracks she mentioned about encouraging her daughter to be a <b>food stylist</b>. <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">She tells us that there is only a handful of food stylists in the country and that’s already today when food styling is starting to get attention. Back then, during the earlier days of her career, there was only one. And that one food stylist did all the food styling for all the commercial advertisements of big companies. <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our speaker continues that the food stylist she mentions can make ice cream look cool and delectable despite of the heavy lighting of shooting. She can perfectly bounce a tomato and other vegetables. She can make peanuts do back flips and mozzarella cheese stretch a meter long. Such tricks the food stylist perfected from an extensive work experience making him/her (I didn’t get whether it’s a she or he) the most sought after food stylist today despite the emergence of other food stylists. That food stylist demands a fee of P500,000, around $10,000! Wow.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmUWesyUl0m8fW-ibTmxIIYzCGFYKKFs1RrKnos4yZE3In7tEwMyOobQokYktfVMU7hYfgEgi8r_SA_sOJAzEZPHNx-DKoYaD1JIufHmYHRMjAMqXJRojqE2nnLH1y7kZY-lCdkINIqI/s1600/large-emmaknowles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407246327570318322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmUWesyUl0m8fW-ibTmxIIYzCGFYKKFs1RrKnos4yZE3In7tEwMyOobQokYktfVMU7hYfgEgi8r_SA_sOJAzEZPHNx-DKoYaD1JIufHmYHRMjAMqXJRojqE2nnLH1y7kZY-lCdkINIqI/s320/large-emmaknowles.jpg" style="height: 178px; margin-top: 0pt; width: 320px;" /></a>But can you imagine how it was like during the early days of that food stylist’s career? <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• How exactly did he/she land the job? Where did she look for the job, the classified ads? During that time, I don’t even think the term food stylist was already in use. <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• And how exactly did he/she told his/her parents about his/her career choice? <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Did he/she even know that he/she would make such an amount now then? Was this all planned? <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And how rich is he/she now? There is always a new food commercial every other week at a conservative estimate. If he’s/she’s been doing this for a long time now and earns P500,000, she should be very very rich by now. Well, even doing one makes her very rich, $10,000 rich.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So how can that food stylist demand a fee of $10,000? Well, what she does is very specialized not to mention rare to find as well. Is there even a school for what he/she does? That plus being the best in it and being very well experienced gives her the bargaining power to demand a fee of $10,000. How lucky is that food stylist?!<br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222004052320028534.post-32919117322624732192009-11-23T02:15:00.000-08:002012-09-10T08:47:27.473-07:00“Find something you love doing. Be the best at it. Then the money will follow”<div style="text-align: justify;">
Some food for thought. One of the judging panelists during the last screening for UNILAB Sales Management Trainees gave us candidates good advice. He said:</div>
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<i><b>“Find something you love doing. Be the best at it. Then the money will follow”</b></i></div>
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It’s saying that in choosing a career, the beginning of your equation must start with what you love and what you can do and not how much you can earn. </div>
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Don’t be blinded by the money or fame. What you love doing and what best you can do may be hard to find and they may not always be the same thing. And when you do find it, it may also seem not a good career path at first. But if you build on it, there’s a lot more chance of being successful this way over choosing a career based on money but not actually liking the work. </div>
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What say you?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222004052320028534.post-51589924170610828962009-11-13T03:48:00.000-08:002012-09-10T08:46:46.836-07:00How much of your salary do you need to save?It’s common to hear from people to save at least 15% of your gross salary for retirement. It’s the general rule of thumb. However, <b>how much you "need" to save </b>really depends on “when you start saving”. <b>How much you “can” save</b> depends on your lifestyle and marital status. <br />
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If you start saving when you’re young, in your 20’s or 30’s, you can save as low as 10%. This is so because your money has more time to grow, more time for interest to compound, compared to when you start saving in your 40’s. If you start saving in your 40’s, you my need to save around 30% and still postpone your retirement for a few years.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuI3KO81EjI7aU5_A3rklsu-rwPhQqlhUrFXnWRdmYfk9LMGGKqvrttKP9oRV1Ro2gyuag3s6r5SFIQPNVyQXUvuSE8EBLODhvPL5AdBtI5csjmgnq1LyG6fiXKm5KgIBvYHEuPKeM7k/s1600-h/piggy_bank.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403560595853318802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuI3KO81EjI7aU5_A3rklsu-rwPhQqlhUrFXnWRdmYfk9LMGGKqvrttKP9oRV1Ro2gyuag3s6r5SFIQPNVyQXUvuSE8EBLODhvPL5AdBtI5csjmgnq1LyG6fiXKm5KgIBvYHEuPKeM7k/s320/piggy_bank.jpg" style="float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 320px;" /></a></div>
Then again, you may have a bigger capacity to save more than 10%, or even more than 15%, if you start saving in your 20’s or 30’s as more or less you’re still single and living a moderate lifestyle. If you can, then go for 15% or more as it may prove harder to save the same when you're already married and with children. <br />
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All these estimates presume that you put your savings in worthwhile investments with good returns. If not, meaning you're just putting you money in a bank account, you need to save twice as much to compensate for the returns you could be getting.<br />
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<b>Bottom line, the best strategy is to save as early and as much as you can and invest.</b> Doing so may entail you affording to retire early, financially secure of course.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222004052320028534.post-84374757191924477682009-11-12T03:02:00.000-08:002009-12-18T07:34:45.293-08:00Private Policy and Legal Disclaimer<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The privacy of our visitors to The Executive Digest is important to us.</b><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222004052320028534.post-53346917517878457562009-11-11T22:13:00.000-08:002009-12-18T06:13:48.691-08:00About The Executive Daily<div style="text-align: justify;">The Executive Daily is a blog dedicated to delivering essential information to young professionals on how to boost their career, find inspiration, learn from the experts and improve their financial status – in general, to holistically develop themselves.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The author of this site is a young professional himself who has a calling for teaching, an inherent interest in instilling positive energy and change in others, and an intrinsic delight towards people who want to achieve big in life. Once seeking to be taught and mentored himself and never finding such, the author wants nobody put in the same position and thus dedicated this website as a venue for him to mentor and teach others of his valuable learning. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The author of The Executive Digest is a business graduate in one of the top universities in Asia and is now into entrepreneurship.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>“Knowledge is most valuable when given to those who want to learn.” </b></i><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com