On my Way to Financial Freedom

I am A FINANCE PERSON but why haven't I still reached FINANCIAL FREEDOM?

Transferring from one bank to another in Manila, I developed the love for doing  loan evaluation.  For 25 years, day-in, day-out I computed for people's cashflow, validate their income and expenses, derive their net disposable incomes and credit ratios, and tell them whether they have the capacity-to-pay and approved of a loan or not.

I am a commerce graduate, major in Economics at that from the best exclusive girls school in Manila, an MBA degree holder from the best university in the country. My father is a Certified Public Accountant where debit and credit, assets, liabilities, capital, trial balance, income statement, balance sheet was an everyday thing at home, cashflow analysis is peanuts..... I AM EQUIPPED and learned all my financial theories .....

BUT I still feel I am not fulfilled FINANCIALLY.... have not achieved FINANCIAL FREEDOM

WHAT WENT WRONG???
WHY AM I NOT in FORBES Magazine's, list of wealthiest people in the WORLD

i FIGURED, ITS ALL IN THE EXECUTION ...
its ALL ABOUT OUR INVESTMENT RISK APPETITE
FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE
AND OUR DRIVE TO MAKE IT BIG!

i BELIEVE ITS NEVER TOO LATE...

From being a simple employee, I did  have enough savings and a few investments left and right... bonuses given by my employers meant a lot....  I am living comfortably. Considering the very high-cost of education in Manila, I'm able to send my 2 kids to the best school in the country. .Inspite of all these, I'm still not satisfied and want FINANCIAL FREEDOM.

I made a couple of wrong investments, credit card spending spree - We make mistakes and learn from it.... this is what I learned...

.To gain FINANCIAL WEALTH - means:

. . . you need to be financially literate,

..... you need to have a financial plan and EXECUTE IT,

......you need to have faith in GOD in your journey to financial freedom. . .

This is at least for those of us who started from NOTHING. Lucky are those who were born with a silver spoon

To  ACHIEVE FINANCIAL FREEDOM IS A CHOICE.
We need to take ACTION and PRAY if we want it badly.

I thank God I am not one of those who live below poverty line.
I thank my parents for sending us to the best schools and for teaching us the value of hardwork to achieve greatest things in life.

                                                              -=o=-

Forbes list of billionaires based on an annual assessment of wealth and assets compiled and published by Forbes  magazine on March 10, 2011.^[1]

^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_billionaires}

^{lets all achieve TO BE ONE OF THEM . . . .}

Steps to Building Wealth

"I do not own a BMW

. . . nor do I live in a mansion. . .

  but I can consider myself financially wealthy . . ."   

Wikipedia states:  An individual who is considered WEALTHY, affluent, or rich is someone who has accumulated substantial wealth relative to others in their society or reference group. 

Is someone with P1,000,000 considered wealthy? or is it someone who has P100,000,000? The word wealthy is relative depending on how many digits you want your NETWORTH to be. But one thing for sure, those who are wealthy indeed have considered having all if not most of the ingredients in the list below.

I have been working as an employee for the last 20 years. . .Had I known the secrets of the wealthy earlier on then, at 45, I probably wouldn't be working 9:00AM to 6:00PM every weekdays . . . 

But I still believe its  never too late to build your wealth. . .  All we need is to be STRONG-WILLED - that we want to be WEALTHY and have the DISCIPLINE WITHIN US to follow all of the items in the list below.

1. Have your own Dream/Vision of being Financially Wealthy
2. Pay tithes/love offering
3. Get out of Debt ASAP (as soon as possible)
4. Increase your cash inflow
5. Pay yourself first.
6. Get Protection (Insurance)
7. Always have an Emergency Funds
8. Create Passive Income
9. Invest instead of just Saving and placing them in low-yields
10.  Aim to have your own home.
11.  Build Long-Term Assets that will accumulate income later on
12.  Preserve your Estate (Estate Planning)

My ADVOCACY: Teach Financial Literacy to My Fellow Filipino

The riches of Babylon were the results of the wisdom of its people. They first had to learn how to become wealthy.

George S. Clason, The Richest Man in Babylon

Inspired by George Clason’s The Richest Man in Babylon, I said I will teach financial literacy to my fellow Filipinos.  

It is my dream all Filipinos will have 3 meals a day and a home they can call their own.

It is my dream the Philippines will flank the US, Germany, UK, Italy as a FIRST WORLD country.

It may happen if all of FILIPINOS will be taught  the right path to financial wealth. . .

Last Saturday, April 2, 2011, I joined our company’s maiden project for Corporate Social Responsibility – A program giving FREE Financial Literacy Seminars. The one last Saturday was held in Ridgeview, a humble town in Muntinlupa, South of Metro Manila.  We gave a free seminar where they were taught the basic concepts of savings and investments, budgeting, getting out of debt, etc. 

It was very fulfilling and I hope to be able to do more of this. . .

I dedicate this blog and my future blogs to all my fellow Filipinos, most specially the "masang Pilipino" (Filipino masses)  who want to know how to be financially healthy . . . and to all others who may be financially literate already or those who simply want to know more about “Money, Banking and Credit” in the Philippines. . .

 

CORE TEAM of TRAINORS for FINANCIAL LITERACY

Our Ridgeview, Muntinlupa Townfolks learn Financial Literacy

Poverty Alleviation: Teach our Fellow Filipinos Financial Literacy

Volunteerism at  Work

Answering Queries from Townfolks after the Seminar