Postpaid Bundle Face-off: Smart’s Flexibundles vs. Globe’s mySuperPlan
- By Moneymax
- April 18, 2014
Over the years, Smart and Globe, two of the country’s biggest networks, have been consistent in providing its consumers with promising packages when it comes to their postpaid plans. The Big Two never fail to satisfy its million subscribers with new promos and postpaid bundle offers that would fit daily communication needs. Read more: 5 Free Mobile Apps Every Driver Must Have Aside from better SMS and call promos, mobile internet has now become the third platform for subscribers. Smart and Globe give their subscribers the power of three platforms in a variety of bundles. Smart’s Flexibundles and Globe’s mySuperPlan offer flexible features wherein subscribers can mix-and-match features depending on needs and budget. Smart Flexibundles matrix Smart gives its subscribers the freedom to choose all the features that the subscriber needs and certain price queues. Smart didn’t limit the promos with its network alone. There are deals where subscribers can text and call other network subscribers. Calls Unli Talk/ P500.00 – unlimited calls to Smart, and TNT for 30 days Trio Talk Plus 300/ P300.00 – 300 minutes calls to Smart, TNT, Sun Cellular, and PLDT landline for 30 days All Net Talk/ P250.00 – 80 minutes of calls to Smart, Globe, and Sun for 30 days Sun Talk/ P99.00 – 50 minutes calls to Sun for 30 days Text Unli Tri Net Text/ P350.00 – Unlimited texts to Smart, TNT, and Sun for 30 days All Net Text Upgrade/ P350.00 – 3,500 texts to Smart, Globe, and Sun for 30 days Sun Text/ P99.00 – 1,000 texts to Sun for 30…
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How to Survive Summer Without an Allowance
- By Moneymax
- March 27, 2014
Summer is here! After experiencing two full months of cold days and freezing nights in the Philippines, who’s not excited to hit the beach and bathe under the scorching sun? While almost everyone is busy calling their friends and planning vacation itineraries, it’s not that simple for everyone to commit to an out-of-town or out-of-the-country trip. Who doesn’t need money for fun? Students get the biggest slice of the pie when it comes to having a longer summer. However, students are also the ones who have minimal financial capacity because there’s no source of income. Asking mom or dad to fund an eco-trip to the Underground River in Palawan or a sleepless weekend in Boracay might happen unless your parents have already entrusted you with a supplementary credit card. But that’s just one weekend out of at least two and a half months of summer vacation if your next school year will start in June. What can you do to survive the summer season without cash? Get a summer job Getting a summer job will not only help fund your much-awaited weekend in paradise. It will also give you an edge in terms of learning how to survive in the real world. Leveraging your skills while you are young is a great step to building the groundwork for your career. Ask around for any vacancies. Spend a few hours searching the web, but make sure you invest on a stable broadband connection especially if you’re looking at a freelance job. Sell your old stuff Turn those dusty items in your room into instant…
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5 Things You Should Know As a Day Trader in Stock Market
- By Moneymax
- March 14, 2014
Everyone who starts to trade whether new or old learns every single day one certainty in life: everything is always in constant flux. We are all constantly changing. Prices fluctuate every second or millisecond or nanoseconds. You get what I mean. Couple this with the stress of trying to make ends meet, and to make a good living out of one’s trading portfolio and you will find yourself with 99% of the Filipinos out there who struggle in this endeavor. “How do I actually earn from the markets if I want to be a self-directed trader or investor?” Read more: How to Pick Stocks in PSE: Helpful Tips for Beginners Things I Learned in Investing at Stocks 1.) Be Completely Fine with Imperfection; Expect to Be Wrong. Do not beat yourself up because you have a few extra pounds around your waist and do not beat yourself up because you didn’t get to buy at the exact perceived support level before it bounced. Do not hate yourself for failing to sell before the stock has fallen. Be completely fine with taking the next price which can be one to two percent higher or lower. No one is perfect. Be perfectly imperfect. Most traders I’ve had the pleasure to meet, work, and talk with, whether they’ve been trading the markets for twenty years or just twenty days pretty much have something common to share amongst themselves and that is that “no one gets everything right”. The difference between the two is that most newbies cannot accept their mistakes and think that there’s a path where…
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Jesi Bondoc: Personal Budgeting Made Easy
- By Moneymax
- March 6, 2014
For most people, the word “budget” can never be associated with the words “easy” and “fun”. It always has that restrictive and challenging sound to it and perhaps because budgeting is a major struggle for many of us. But contrary to what you feel and think, budgeting is not about repressing your control over money and cutting down on your spending and the fun that goes with it. It’s all about guiding you on how to efficiently spend your money and in the process help you save some so you can have more to spend in the future. For this reason, I refer to it as a “Spending Plan” instead of budgeting. Read More: Budgeting Tips for First-Time Employees Effectively managing your personal cash flow, the money that goes in and out of your pocket is the first step towards achieving a healthy financial life and a “Spending Plan” is a great tool in helping you accomplish it. Here are the things that you need to do in order to develop your own Spending Plan. 1. Put your Spending Plan on paper. Writing provides clarity, direction, and focus. If you do not write down your spending plan, you will surely forget it. Start by writing down your monthly income net of taxes and other government contributions. 2. Track your monthly expenses. Begin by writing down your fixed expenses like food, transportation, mortgages and utility expenditures. In short, list down your necessity expenses. Shopping is not a necessity! Do not try to justify it and include it under your necessity bucket….
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Effective Saving Tips for Filipinos | MoneyMax.ph
- By Moneymax
- March 5, 2014
Filipinos like the idea of saving, but they always manage to forget every time they’re faced with spending issues and such. If you need to be reminded about your spending habits and saving schemes, below are 13 tips to get you started! Read More: 5 Money-Saving Tips for OFWs Turn off the lights. And the fan. And the PC. And everything you don’t use whenever you’re not in the room. It’s something all our parents have told us to do and yet we still forget to do it every time. It may seem like such a hassle, but it’ll do wonders for your electricity bill. Unplug appliances, gadgets, and chargers when you’re not using them. Limit your AC use. Or if you can take the heat, don’t use it at all. You’ll be amazed how much you’ll be saving after just one month! If you want, turn it on for 2-3 hours and then turn on the fan afterwards. As much as possible, don’t set the fan to rotate because that consumes more electricity. Or if you can take the heat, don’t use it at all. You’ll be amazed how much you’ll be saving after just one month! If you want, turn it on for 2-3 hours and then turn on the fan. As much as possible, don’t set the fan to rotate because that consumes more electricity. Bring an umbrella. You can save yourself from an unnecessary tan and paying for a taxi ride if you have an umbrella at hand. It may be a bit of a hassle carrying…
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How to Be a Successful Entrepreneur
- By Moneymax
- March 2, 2014
Apart from being a reputable stock trader/analyst, Marvin Germo is many things: entrepreneur, blogger, book author, newspaper columnist, and registered financial planner. All these, however, are just his ways and means of fulfilling his ultimate goal: financial freedom for every Filipino. Now, that might sound like a lofty dream (and indeed it is), but if Marvin’s life is an example, nothing is impossible. From completely ordinary beginnings, Marvin is now one of the leading finance experts in the country. He represents Registered Financial Planners[1] (RFP) Philippines, an independent self-regulatory professional group educating and gathering financial planners in the country. He writes regular columns on stock investment for the Business Mirror and MoneySense Magazine. Marvin, who often appears in TV and radio interviews, also shares financial knowledge as a keynote speaker in various events and seminars. MoneyMax.ph was given the privilege to interview Marvin, and we learned how he was able to carve his own path toward financial freedom, and how RFP is working to empower Filipinos with knowledge and information to change the way they view and manage their financial situation. 7 Business Tips from Mr. Marvin Germo 1. Being an entrepreneur is a decision. Marvin wasn’t born to a particularly wealthy, business-minded, or financially-savvy family. His father, for example, was a long-time employee of a top multinational pharma company up until retirement. Marvin himself seemed destined for the same, safe path, having started out in a corporate job and staying there for five years. But along the way, he realized that he had more ambitious goals, and that being…
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Effective Ways to Save Money as an OFW
- By Moneymax
- February 18, 2014
Most Filipinos get the impression that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) have more savings because they earn abroad. This is not always true. Often, families with members working abroad tend to spend more and save very little—or none at all. There is no measuring the kind of sacrifice OFWs make, working in a foreign country and leaving their families behind for the chance to earn more money and secure a better future for their loved ones. If you’re are an OFW yourself, it is your responsibility, as well as your family’s, to make sure that all the sacrifice and hard-earned money don’t go to waste. Read more: 4 Things OFWs Need to Know about the Current Pag-IBIG Fund Law 1. Talk to your family. It won’t make much sense if your family is so quick to spend every peso you earn. While there is nothing wrong with them enjoying the fruits of your labor, remind your family about the importance of budgeting so they won’t be empty-handed in cases of emergency. Teach your kids about saving and encourage them to develop a healthy mindset about money. With your family’s support behind you, you will be more inspired and motivated to do your best at work. 2. Live within your means. Do not always give in to your wants. If your expenses take up most of your income, then you need a change in your spending habits. Save a set percentage of your salary for savings every payday, and budget the rest for your family and your personal expenses. There is no need…
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13 Money-Saving Tips for the Modern Nanay
- By Moneymax
- February 5, 2014
If you’ve been living in the Philippines your whole life, you know saving money is always a must. At least, that’s what your Nanay and Lola always said. Being a mother, you know that finances are never easy. It’s an everyday challenge, especially if you’re also trying to earn money. Now, it’s easy to forget the dos and don’ts of being thrifty, so here are a few easy-to-remember tips you can follow to keep that saving streak going: 1) Buy your food from the market. This means you’ve got cheaper vegetables and cheaper meat. As much as you don’t like to do your pamamalengke the old way, it’s actually the best place to find awesome deals for fresh food. 2) Bring your own bag (BYOB). If you do your market runs or shop at grocery stores, it’s best if you bring your own shopping bag. Some grocery stores like SM Supermarket have banned the use of plastic bags during weekdays. If you’re traveling by public transportation, you’ll be forced to buy extra plastic bags or their shopping bags so you wouldn’t have to carry your grocery items in a box or, worse, in a paper bag. 3)Eat something before you shop for food. If you shop while you’re hungry, you’ll realize it’s easier for you to put stuff in your grocery cart. It’s also advisable to rely on listing your items before you shop. This will keep you in line with what you’ll have to spend for—what you’ll ONLY spend for. 4)Avoid calling for taxi service. It’s usual to aim for convenience, but…
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Globe and Smart’s Tablet Bundles for the Christmas Gift Shopper
- By Moneymax
- December 19, 2013
Hoping to get a new tablet under the tree this Christmas? It’s the perfect time to get a tablet when you sign up for a broadband plan from Globe and Smart, two of the biggest broadband providers in the country. Let’s compare the different tablet bundles offered by Globe and Smart for this coming Christmas. iPad Plans from Smart You can get a 16GB iPad mini on Smart’s Plan 999 for P13,990. The plan comes with unlimited 3G/4G/Smart LTE and has a 24 months lock-in period. The iPad mini 32GB version is priced at P18,990 while the 64GB version is priced at P23,990. Smart is also offering the 16GB iPad with Retina display for P21,990 with the 32GB and 64GB versions priced at P26,990 and P31,990 respectively. For the iPad Mini with Retina display, Smart is offering the 16GB model with a total monthly fee of P1,499 while the 32GB model comes with a monthly fee of P1,699. These bundles come with a one time fee of P1,000. The plan includes 65 hours of surfing with anti bill shock. They’re also offering the iPad Air 16 GB and 32 GB models with the same total monthly fees but with a one time fee of P5,000. iPad Plans from Globe Globe is also offering the iPad mini with Retina display and Globe’s price for the 16GB model with a 24-month contract period for its plan 999 unlimited LTE surfing plan is P18,000. The 32GB version and the 64 GB versions can be availed for P22,990 and P27,990 respectively. Globe has a…
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The History of Money in the Philippines
- By Moneymax
- November 30, 2013
When drawing your wallet for a purchase, you might not give much thought to where the pesos in it come from. Sure, from an income perspective, you probably would, but considering their actual history might be another story. What is the history of the Philippine’s current currency, and which payment methods did precede it? Read More: Top Celebrities’ Financial Nightmares Before delving into the history of the Philippines’ money, it is useful to go a bit into the concept of money itself. What are the main functions of money? You can use it as a medium of exchange, a store of value, or as a unit of account. Possessing certain amounts of it contributes to your capability to choose how you want to live your life. For many countries in the world goes that their national currency is a source of pride and that it is an important and valued aspect of their national identity. So how did the Filipinos fare before the advent of the peso; how did society actually function without it? Back in the Old Days Long before the country we live in was known as the Philippines, people were already exchanging goods and services with each other and people from neighboring areas. They did so through ‘barter trade,’ which means that for instance someone would trade a cow or chicken directly for someone else’s knife or hammer. The impracticality of this barter trading led people to assign certain set values to mediums of exchange. As gold was plentiful in the Philippines at the time and relatively easy…
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UnionBank Power Checking Account
- By Moneymax
- September 5, 2013
Have you ever wanted to have an account that lets your money earn interest and at the same time allows you to deal with daily transactions with ease? The UnionBank Power Checking Account aims to unify both needs. Know More about the Power Checking Account With a UnionBank Power Checking account, you can issue checks and carry out unlimited transactions at UnionBank branches nationwide. For business and personal checking accounts, P350 and P180 will be charged respectively upon the checkbook requisition. With the Power Checking account, we can earn higher interest than with a regular savings account. The interest rate varies according to the of funds in the account. The minimum ADB to earn interest is P1,000,000. The following is the tiered rate of power checking account: PhP 1 Million – PhP 4,9 Million: 0.125% PhP 5 Million – PhP 9.9 Million: 0.150% PhP 10 Million and above: 0.25% An extra feature for this account is the UnionBank Transaction Diary, which allows the account holder to monitor their account activity. The replacement fee of the transaction diary will cost the account holder P200. The Benefits of the Stop Payment Service Many Power Checking Account holders have to deal with heavy money transactions every day. For these users, check-issuing is already a daily routine. The advantage of the Power Checking Account is that if they accidentally sent a check for the wrong amount to a wrong account, they can request the bank to cancel the check. This can be with the stipulation that the check or payment has not been processed…
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How to Change the ATM PIN of My EON Cyber Account?
- By Moneymax
- August 30, 2013
The UnionBank EON Cyber Account is an internet-based deposit account, allowing us to perform our daily money transactions anytime and anywhere. The UnionBank Online Banking Facility is one of the fast ways to carry out the banking transactions. You do not need a passbook to access the account. As long as you know your PIN, you can log in your UnionBank EON Cyber Account. The ATM PIN The ATM PIN is important for you to gain access to any ATMs for cash. Once you receive your EON Visa Debit Card, you will get a preset PIN. It’s advisable to change your PIN immediately. Once you have updated it, please remember it and do not expose it to any third party. In cases where the cardholders have forgotten their PIN, they need to visit the UnionBank branches and request for a card replacement. In addition, they have to wait for at least 3 days to get a new card along with a new PIN. Apart from that, they will be charged a fee of P150. How to change my PIN? You cannot change your PIN online. You can only do so by accessing your cards at the UnionBank ATMs. Here are the steps to change your PIN: 1. Locate a UnionBank ATM 2. Insert your EON Visa Debit Card 3. Type the PIN which is given by the banker 4. Choose “Other Transactions” from the menu 5. Choose “PIN CHANGE” 6. Enter your favorite combination of number 7. Re-enter the new PIN number 8. Please do not leave your new card in the…
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Verify Your PayPal Account Using the EON Visa Debit Card at Ease!
- By Moneymax
- August 25, 2013
Nowadays, PayPal is one of the most popular and reliable online payment methods. If you wish to fully utilize your UnionBank EON Visa Debit card, it is best to link it to PayPal to easily perform online transactions worldwide. Let’s have a look at the ways to link your EON account to PayPal. Read More: UnionBank EON Visa Debit Card First and foremost, you need to sign up for a PayPal account. You can get a PayPal account at their official website. If you are a Filipino, please select the Philippines as your residing country. At the same time, you may want to use peso as the primary currency to ease your daily transactions. MoneymaxWith a goal to help Filipinos lead healthier financial lives, Moneymax regularly publishes tips and tricks on personal finance and lifestyle, among many other topics. For more finance-related news and articles, follow Moneymax on Linkedin. www.moneymax.ph
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The Freelance Revolution with More Freelance Job Opportunities: The Official Launch of Elance in the Philippines
- By Moneymax
- August 17, 2013
After the transition from an agricultural economy to an industrial economy, we are glad to witness another significant shift in today’s workforce. This shift is fuelled and accelerated by the rapid technology innovation, changing lifestyles and the growing Gen Y workforces. Nowadays, there are an increasing number of employees who leave the traditional workplaces and choose to piece together a professional life on their own. The Freelance Revolution is Unstoppable! Starting an e-commerce business or working as a freelancer from home is becoming the order of the day. With the lower start-up costs and technologies advances such as the iCloud and Paypal, it is easier to work independently or start an online retail business instead of running traditional brick-and-mortar businesses. In line with this, there is an increasing number of Filipinos using the Internet to find freelance work. How Elance Sees the Online Freelance Platform in the Philippines? In April 2013, an article in Yahoo!News[1] discusses how Elance expects a strong growth in the online freelance platform of the Philippines. The survey conducted by Elance, the world’s biggest online freelancing platform, shows that the Philippines now ranks fourth globally in the number of registered users and ninth in online freelancing earnings. In September 2012, Elance conducted a survey among 120 selected Filipino freelancers who had registered on Elance. The report was entitled “The State of Filipino Freelance Market”. This report revealed that the Filipino freelancers are specializing in administrative support, information technology (IT) and programming, and writing and translation, among others. The report also indicated that the Philippines is a prime destination for freelance work…
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The Pros and Cons of Buying a House
- By Moneymax
- August 10, 2013
All of us have dreams, and most of us share the same dream: to own a house. The application process for a housing loan can be burdensome and time-consuming. Before you devote your time to getting the approval for your home loan, spend some time to read through the pros and cons of buying a house. What are the advantages of buying a house? This question may seem irrelevant to those who are going to apply for a housing loan. However, when you are on the verge of breaking down due to the suffocating financial obligations involved, these are the reasons you should keep reminding yourself to keep holding on. Your perseverance in pursuing or defending your dream home will definitely paid off someday. On the long-term, the cost of ownership is lesser than renting a house. You have full control over your property. The acquisition of a house is actually a capital gain. It is an increase in the value of a capital asset (investment or real estate) as the property has a higher worth than the original purchase price. However, the gain is not realized until the asset is sold. Your property taxes can be itemized for tax reductions. You will have a sense of security that comes from owning a home as your home is well-protected from the inflation. Lastly, you can design, remodel and decorate your own home without any restrictions. Imagine the sense of pride and achievement that bubbling in your heart when you see your beautiful artwork. All the hard work paid off. Do not…
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PNB UITF Online Facility
- By Moneymax
- July 26, 2013
The Philippine National Bank (PNB) has launched the country’s first comprehensive unit investment trust fund (UITF) online facility that allows its clients to invest and redeem funds at ease through the Web. What Are the Benefits of PNB UITF Online Facility? Once your PNB UITF Online enrollment is processed by PNB, you will be able to perform various functions related to your UITF investment at your fingertips such as: Direct UITF investments Full and partial redemption services (The fund will be credited to the nominated settlement accounts) Purchases of additional UITF investments Track the real-time investment status View the UITF portfolios Generate the electronic copies of the Confirmation of Participation (COP) and Participating Trust Agreement Utilize the Auto Invest Plan (AIP) Use the UITF calculator to calculate the profits/losses If you wish to know the general benefits of investing in an UITF product, please click here. What is the Auto Investment Plan (AIP)? The Auto Invest Plan (AIP) is a facility that allows you to put aside a portion of our savings on a regular basis for automatic investment on your chosen PNB UITF once it reaches the required threshold amount. This way you can earn potentially higher returns in comparison to a traditional savings deposit. How to Enroll in PNB UITF Online? With a stable internet connection and a laptop/mobile device in your hand, you can complete the enrollment. Log on to the PNB official website[1] Select “Personal Banking” Select “e-banking service” If you have yet register previously, please proceed to the step 5 & step 6. Otherwise, you…
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How to Open a Kid’s Savings Account?
- By Moneymax
- July 7, 2013
A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. The first step is ultimately important to steer your kids toward a bright and sound financial future. This could be done by opening a kid’s savings account for them. What are the criteria that you shouldn’t overlook so that you can ensure the safety of your child at home and the safety of their money in the bank? Criteria For A Kid’s Saving Account 1. Proximity to the bank The idea of driving for several hours whenever your kids require a visit to the bank wouldn’t be an appealing for you. It is smart to ensure finding a bank in your neighborhood or at a location that’s convenient for you. 2. Interest rate In order to get your kids the best savings account, pay close attention to the following: The annual interest rate Whether it is a tax-free savings account Minimum monthly ADB requirement Minimum maintaining balance to earn interest. 3. Types of bank saving accounts STATEMENT ACCOUNT Your child will get a monthly report of the account such as the deposits and withdrawal that have been done, the interest that has been credited as well as any banking service fees. PASSBOOK ACCOUNTS Your child will get a little booklet that every transaction such as deposit and withdrawal will be posted into. 4. Banking / Service Fees Don’t ever let any statement regarding the banking or service fees slip through your fingers. Otherwise, you may end up a bunch of jaw-dropping fees that have been charged to your account whenever you make any transaction, such as…
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The UCPB Kiddie Max Savings Account
- By Moneymax
- July 5, 2013
Money doesn’t fall from the sky, it doesn’t grow from trees, nor will it accumulate by just sitting in a piggy bank. If you want to educate your kid on the concept of money and how it works in real-life, you might want to consider putting money in a real bank. The Real Piggy Bank It is highly valuable to introduce your kids to the world of finance and banking. To ensure that their curiosity and interest towards money management remains strong, providing them with a simple, reliable – and most importantly: no-frills – kids savings account can be of great help. One product to look into is the UCPB kiddie max savings account. UCPB’s Kiddie Max Savings Account UCPB’s Kiddie Max Savings Account, the latest savings product offered by United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB), is one of the most convenient and kid-friendly savings accounts in the market today. Age: 0-18 years old Min. Initial Deposit: 500.00 pesos Min. Balance: 500.00 pesos Annual Interest rate: 0.25% (Minimum ADB to earn interest is 10,000 peso) Monthly Maintaining Balance: None Account holders and their parents / guardians will be able to manage their funds and monitor their transactions with their own passbook or an ATM card. At the same time, parents/guardians could transfer fund from their own UCPB account by phone banking or via online. Zero Maintaining Fees Many banks charge fees for certain behaviors that customers don’t realize are actually costing them money. However, one of the most attractive attributes of this savings product is the zero monthly maintaining fees. As long…
