For decades, Filipinos have always held the belief that having kids equals being rich once they get old. If you ask your grandparents, they are probably the ones who firmly believe that their children are responsible for them during retirement. This is embedded in us due to the Filipinos’ deep-rooted family-oriented culture. Thus, they themselves have no retirement funds, savings, or investments that can sustain them during their geriatric period.
Now, before you pass on this ideology to the next generation, we’re here to tell you that YOUR CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE YOUR RETIREMENT PLAN. Relying on others for your retirement fund is too risky, considering that at retirement age you may not be able to keep working if your children cannot provide for you. While you’re still working and earning money, here’s what you can do to secure your retirement and be financially free:
1. Plan for your retirement as early as you can
Think about your retirement fund even when you’ve just started working. Set aside a portion of your income consistently for this. Your 30 years in the workforce means 30 years of income to be invested and saved, to survive the next 30 years of retirement.
2. Practice risk management on your finances
As you grow older, take fewer risks when it comes to investing. The fewer years you have earning money, the less risky your investments should be.
3. Only have kids because you want kids, not because you think they’re your ticket to a secure retirement
And here’s the most important tip: to really think about the reason why you want to have kids. If it’s to treat them as part of your retirement plan, then you should not be having kids at all. Children are your financial responsibility, not the other way around. This is the reality that you have to face when you’re thinking about building your own family.
Filial piety does not have to mean having to provide for one’s parents during their retirement. As Filipinos, this might be a difficult pill to swallow, but it’s better to face the reality as early as possible. This way, you’re assured of a secure retirement and a healthy relationship with your family in the future.
Out of everything humans experience in life, getting married and celebrating the union of two people is one of the only instances where wearing your rose-tinted glasses is accepted. But as much as we imagine weddings as the final step to reaching one’s happily ever after, we know that real-life begs to differ.
The exchange of “I do’s” does not guarantee a love life without arguments or problems. The reality is that married couples encounter multiple predicaments, most commonly financial and money problems. In fact, financial issues are one of the leading causes of why marriages break apart. Here’s where a prenuptial agreement can help.
A prenuptial agreement is superior to the Family Code which states,
“The future spouses may, in the marriage settlements, agree upon the regime of absolute community, conjugal partnership of gains, complete separation of property, or any other regime. In the absence of a marriage settlement, or when the regime agreed upon is void, the system of absolute community of property as established in this Code shall govern.”
This means that with a prenuptial agreement, both parties are in control of setting the parameters governing their properties.
The absence of the prenup on the other hand entails that each of their properties, therefore, becomes conjugal, or owned by both spouses. Following this route becomes a monstrous predicament in the instance of a marriage break-up. This is why entering into a prenuptial contract helps avoid and alleviate future disputes in case the couple decides to separate.
Different couples have different circumstances and needs, and often have adverse reactions to a prenup. But whether you’re a hopeless romantic or a brutal realist, taking the initiative to think about having a prenuptial agreement is a step in the right direction.
With anything involving marriage, communication of both parties is required regarding this significant financial matter. As early as the dating phase with your partner, talk about money matters. Discuss the family budget, how to handle money in the household, and other financial considerations. Both parties should be educated and open in order to be able to make an informed decision before they enter into marriage.
We may not have fairy godmothers who can deliver us happily ever after, but we do have ourselves to decide how we can live happily with our partner, for the rest of our lives.
The month of August marks the beginning of the slow trading activity, minimal financial dealings, and red portfolios all around. Ghost month has already begun, thus, many people wonder if it’s safe to keep investing during Ghost month or if it’s better to wait until the end of the month before they should invest and handle big money matters. But here’s what you should consider before you choose to invest or not to invest this month.
What is Ghost month
Ghost month is a tradition that originates from Chinese Buddhist and Taoist influences, which starts on the seventh month of the lunar calendar. During this season, it is believed that ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm and bring forth bad luck. In 2021, Ghost month starts on August 8 and ends on September 6.
Money Taboos
Because the gates of hell are believed to be opened during this time, there are multiple taboos that the Chinese advise people to avoid, such as: investing, selling assets, and buying a house or a car, lest you bring forth bad luck or misfortune.
Opportunities
However, if you’re the type of person who isn’t particularly superstitious, then we suggest you treat this time to look for more opportunities. If you’re investing long-term, this is a good time to average down your portfolio as the prices decline. You can take advantage of “discounted prices” to accumulate shares.
Whether you choose to exercise prudence, or take advantage of the market this month, here in Investa, we always encourage investors to be smart and make informed decisions about their money, whether or not it’s the Ghost month.
Not investing in the markets this Ghost Month? Then invest in yourself!
Learn how to bag the Next Gen Money with the help of top traders & investors in the Philippines & in the world.
WELCOME TO THE INVESTAPRIME MILLIONAIRE’S CUP CIRCUIT 4 – STOCK MARKET COMPETITION!
This competition is open to everyone who is part of #TeamPrime. All you have to do is be an InvestaPrime+ or InvestaPrime Elite Annual Subscriber to become an automatic participant in the Millionaire’s Cup Circuit 4 with a chance to win PHP 100,000.00 in total prizes without an entry fee!
1. Registration.MCup Circuit #4 will begin on August 16 and will end on September 24, 2021. To become an automatic participant in all MCUP circuits, all you have to do is subscribe to either the InvestaPrime+ or InvestaPrime Elite. You can be part of #TeamPrime here:Click here to join the competition. Alternatively, if you prefer not to have a Prime subscription but still want to join the Millionaire’s Cup, you can join via the Solo Ticket Access here: Get Solo Access
Take note:
You can change your Display Name, Username, and Profile Picture until THE DAY BEFORE the competition starts. Once the Trading Cup begins, the system will not allow you to change the above-mentioned anymore.
If you are an annual subscriber of InvestaPrime+ or InvestaPrime Elite, your account will automatically be added to the competition room. You will NOT be allowed to add a secondary account to use in the competition unless you pay for the registration fee for the non-prime participants.
2. Platform.The participants of the PRIME Millionaire’s Cup will use the Virtual Trading Platform of Investagrams which tracks the real-time stock price movements in the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). The system automatically calculates transaction fees to make it more realistic.
3. Goal.The goal of the game is simple — trade your InvestaPrime account for the whole competition period and aim for the highest profits. The participants with the highest rankings while playing within the rules will be recognized as winners.
4. Starting Capital.Each participant will start with PHP 1,000,000.00 virtual money to trade.
5. Trading Hours.Weekdays from 9:30AM – 1:00PM. This is the current Philippine trading hours and will be changed once the enhanced community quarantine is lifted. Meaning, you can’t trade during off-hours and on weekends.
6. Tradable Stocks.Participants can only trade the listed tradable stocks for this competition. The tradable stocks are filtered by our system and qualify as liquid and actively traded stocks. The initial tradable stocks list will be posted over the weekend before the competition begins.
You will be able to access the whole stock list once you are added to the Competition Room.
7. Diversification.To promote diversification and risk management, maximum exposure in a single stock can only be 1/3 or 33.33% of the portfolio. This requires the participants to buy at least 3 different stocks should they want to fully invest their portfolio. The system won’t allow you to allocate more than 33.33% in a single stock.
8. Buying and Selling Conditions. (For LONG positions). Participants now have two options when transacting. The first option is to transact using the current price of the stock and use market orders to buy and sell specific stocks at their real-time prices. The second option is to transact using our CONDITIONAL ORDERS. By using Conditional Orders, you won’t need to watch the market the whole day in order to transact in the market, you can now set AUTO CUT LOSS, AUTO TAKE PROFIT, and AUTO BUY ON BREAKOUT. You can also set these orders to GOOD TILL CANCELLED so that you order will remain active until your buy/sell price is hit. Watch this tutorial.
Buy – You can buy the same stock multiple times within a day. Sell – YOU CAN SELL THE SAME STOCK SIX (6) TIMES PER DAY.
In one stock per day you can sell TWO TIMES (2) at a PROFIT.
In one stock per day you can sell FOUR TIMES (4) at a LOSS. (cutloss)
9. Buying and Selling Conditions (For SHORT positions). SHORTING is now available for this competition. The same thing applies if you want to short a stock, you can transact using the current price or set conditional orders if you can’t keep an eye on the market. We understand that many may not know the concept of shorting which is why we created a video tutorial you can watch here: LINK TO VIDEO
Sell – You can open a short position on the same stock multiple times within a day. Buy – YOU CAN COVER YOUR SHORT POSITION ON THE SAME STOCK SIX (6) TIMES PER DAY.In one stock per day you can cover your short position TWO TIMES (2) at a PROFIT.
In one stock per day you can cover your short position FOUR TIMES (4) at a LOSS. (cutloss) FEES / COMMISSIONS – Same as long positions. COMPUTATION OF PROFITS – (Sell price – cover price)*shares – fees
For those who are not familiar on how to trade SHORT POSITIONS, here’s a STEP-BY-STEP guide to short selling stocks for this competition:
1. Choose your position from the market order type (long or short).
2. Upon choosing the short position, input the initial number of shares you want to sell.
Note: To short a stock, you have to SELL it first. Then to cover your position, you will need to BUY the shares back. To learn more please watch the tutorial: LINK
3. For closing the short position, select the short option in the market order type and input the number of shares you want to buy to close your short position.
10. Holding period for all stocks (For both LONG and SHORT positions).
We will be applying the twenty (20) minute time lock for taking profits to ALL STOCKS to avoid widespread and rinse-repeat trades.
There will be no time lock or restrictions when selling at a loss.
11. Revision of Tradable Stocks.Investa has the right to remove any stock from the list should it suddenly become too illiquid, abusable and/or delisted. Furthermore, Investagrams may also add new stocks on the tradable list as new stocks become more active and tradable in the market. All changes will be announced before implementation.
In such cases that a stock is to be removed, we will follow this process:
Investa shall notify all the participants via the Investa Platform’s notifications and group posts before the market opens.
If you still have the stock in your portfolio, you can sell it at any point in time at your discretion.
12. Initial Public Offering (IPO).All upcoming IPOs that will happen while the PRIME Millionaire’s Cup is on-going will be added on its SECOND (2nd) trading day.
13. On Dividends that will be given during the PRIME Millionaire’s Cup.
Stock Dividends that will be released by a company will be credited at the END OF THE DAY of the ex-date. Please note that stock dividends will cause price adjustments, so be aware if a stock you’re holding will release stock dividends.
Cash Dividends that will be released by a company will NOT be credited to your total equity as the current system is still not able to credit cash divs.
14. On SRO that may happen during the PRIME Millionaire’s Cup.
Stock Rights Offerings (or SRO) is offered to existing shareholders of a specific stock to purchase additional shares at a price lower than the current market price in addition to their current shares at hand.
SRO’s can be deemed good for longer-term investors. However, in the short term, may POTENTIALLY lead to a possible decline or gap down in the stock. So it’s important to always be aware of this.
Participants in the PRIME Millionaire’s Cup will not have an option to purchase additional shares from the SRO.
15. For stocks that will be detected by our WIDE-SPREAD DETECTION SYSTEM (WSDS). The Wide-Spread Detection System’s main condition is that the first (1st) best bid and ask should never be more than 2% at any moment during the open market session.
Fig 1. Real-time Market Depth / Orderbook showing the first (1st) best bid-ask data.
Example: $ATN (Refer to Fig. 1)
Given:
1st best bid = 1.11
1st best ask = 1.14
Formula:
X = (1st best ask – 1st best bid) / 1st best bid
Condition:
If X is greater than 2% then WSDS detects that the stock is wide-spread and can be abused.
Solution:
X = (1.14 – 1.11) / 1.11 = 0.02700 x 100% = 2.70%
Verdict:
Since X is greater than 2% then the stock is wide-spread as computed by the system.
The participant will be given a prompt that the detected stock is not tradable upon executing a buy or sell transaction.
The stock will again be tradable once the system detects that the spread of the 1st best bids/asks are below 2%.
16. On Trading Abuses.
Day trading opportunities on natural market moves are normal, but please take note that Investagrams will be on full-guard against participants that abuse illiquid opportunities. We want our winners to show real trading skills that are applicable in the PSE. Abuse of intraday spread trades will NOT BE TOLERATED. These rules are set to protect against the usual ‘rinse-and-repeat’ abuses that are mostly used in virtual trading competitions like this.
Any participant that has more than 10% of their profits from rinse-and-repeat wide spread, illiquid and other abusive trades will be penalized or DISQUALIFIED depending on the severity of their offenses. We will be able to validate this through our data and algorithms that verify the historical transactions of each participant.
Any form of hacks, cheats, and abuses shall not be tolerated and will have corresponding repercussions. Suspicious behavior that may not be specified in the rules may also be flagged as ‘abusive’ trading behavior. A warning shall be sent after Investa has reviewed and confirmed that the actions are against the integrity of the competition. All trade records shall be verified and those who fail to follow the rules will be disqualified.
Participants will only be given ONE (1) warning, any participant who has constantly repeated any abusive trading behaviors (whether illiquid stocks, system abuses, loophole abuses) will instantly be DISQUALIFIED. Investa has the right to review any suspicious activity, and if the behavior is deemed inconsistent with real-life trading then the said participant shall be disqualified.
Questionable Transactions. Questionable transactions will be cross-checked through the buy and sell transaction time and the traded stock. Stocks that have more than 2% consistent gaps in the one (1) minute timeframe within the transaction period shall be deemed invalid and Investagrams has the right to deduct the profits from the said transactions. It is normal to trade natural intraday moves and gaps can really happen, but if a participant is constantly trading stocks that have gaps within one (1) minute timeframe and their profits from these kinds of scenarios make up more than 10% of their total profits, then he/she will be automatically disqualified.
Fig 2. Example 1 for one (1) minute time frame gaps with buy (green arrow) and sell (red arrow) transactions
Fig 3. Example 2 for one (1) min. time frame abusable 2% gaps
Fig 4. Example 3 for one (1) min. time frame abusable 2% gaps
Investa will warn the participant that is proven to be constantly transacting with illiquid stocks with 2% one (1) minute gaps. Basically, any stock that has 2% spreads and do not really have a trend is included in this definition. After the first warning, any participant that is proven to repeat this kind of behavior shall be disqualified.
17. Trading halt.Stocks that are on a trading halt will not be tradable during the halt and will be tradable again during the announced lifting time.
18. Participant rankings. This is constantly updated every 10-minutes and automatically ranked by Investa system according to net profit gain/loss.
19. Deliberation period and the announcement of winners.At the end of the competition, at least one (1) week deliberation period shall be given to Investa team of moderators to verify trades and the confirmation of winners. The participants with the highest net profits will win. The resulting Top 3 participants after deliberation will be announced as the official winners.
19. Total prizes. Here’s the breakdown of PRIME Millionaire’s Cup Circuit 4 prizes:
Top 1 = PHP 50,000 // Lifetime Elite Access // Trading Cup Access // Hall of Fame
Top 2 = PHP 30,000 // Trading Cup Access
Top 3 = PHP 20,000 // Trading Cup Access
20. Unexpected events. In the case of an unexpected event that interrupts the operations of PSE or the system of Investagrams, the competition shall be frozen and paused. Further notice shall be given and trading will resume once everything is back to normal.
21. Modification and adding of rules. Investa has the right to modify the rules of the competition and add protective measures against any future abuses that may arise to ensure the integrity of the PRIME Millionaire’s Cup. Announcements shall be made if there are any changes. Rest assured, we prioritize keeping the competition as FAIR as possible to all participants.
22. Ignorance of the rules is no excuse.All participants are expected to have read and understood the rules and mechanics of the PRIME Millionaire’s Cup. These are published for the participants’ information and protection. Ignorance of these rules and mechanics is not an acceptable excuse for violation.
23. If you are part of the Top 3 winners, the FINAL DEADLINE to claim your cash prize is on OCTOBER 8, 2021. The cash prize will not be given anymore past this date.
24. Sponsors. Apple is not involved in any way in this competition. The sponsor(s) is/are solely responsible for providing the prize(s) listed herein. The prize(s) won are not apple products, nor are they related to apple in any way. The responsibility of organizing this competition and distributing the prize(s) are the sponsors’ responsibilities. Apple does not sponsor this competition in any way.
25. Joining thePRIME Millionaire’s Cup means that you agree with all the clauses mentioned above.
Investing your money is a great way to jumpstart your future finances. It not only provides extra income, but it also provides a way for you to learn more about the financial market that can possibly make your investments your entire retirement package. However, in a time like this where making ends meet or even job opportunities are scarce, simply investing your hard-earned money into various mediums can be very difficult.
This has been more evident with the rise of heavy hitters such as more accessible online trading, various forms of cryptocurrencies, and more recently, NFT or Non-fungible tokens and games associated with it. While these are reliable and valid forms of investment, going blindly into them expecting a quick buck can be a source of concern. I present to you the dangers of blind investing and how to deal with them.
Lack of sufficient research
As previously mentioned, there are multiple mediums of investment open to the public, especially to beginners. These are easily accessible, legitimate, and quite popular. However, this popularity can lead to a lot of people mistaking this medium as a quick money bag, which can then lead people to losing their money without having a clue as to why they did.
They might then repeat that same mistake or another, until they’ve lost beyond the point of no return. A great example of this is people on Twitter losing their entire life savings because they relied on someone’s Tweet forecasting certain cryptocurrencies that will supposedly double in value.
As with any form of investment, nothing comes to you easily; you have to put in the hours! What this means is you have to research exactly how this investment form works to its fundamentals in order to have a better understanding of how matters operate within them.
Simply joining in without thinking about it is like buying shares of a random stock and expecting your money to double overnight. You have to look into it, see where it comes from and how it works, and that’s when you invest. Even if you lose money from a well-researched investment, at least you’d have enough knowledge to control the situation of your finances.
Choosing the wrong investment option for your lifestyle
Connected to researching an investment option thoroughly is understanding whether it will work for you or not. There are so many possible options out there and while they can all make you some good cash, not all of them would work best for you. Sometimes it takes a toll on your health to stay up all night for a 24/7 market, or the market schedule simply doesn’t compliment your job’s.
It is therefore of the essence to choose an investment option that will work alongside if not improve your lifestyle. Find what works best for what you do in your daily routine, your work hours, and of course your health. Investing shouldn’t be taking so much from your life because while working for it is important, it should not be stressing you out at all.
Overspending your budget
The most important rule in your investing journey is only investing what you can afford to lose. This means that you have to make sure to set boundaries on what you’re willing to spend and manage in your daily budget. Don’t invest all of your money, especially your emergency funds because you’ll never truly know when you might need them. This is why blindly investing too much if not all of your money is a hazard in more ways than one.
Instead, it is better to simply invest whatever extra you have, or capital that you can raise from other means if possible. If you think that you can’t afford it, at least invest some other time once you’ve already earned enough.
Overall, I hope this serves as a reminder to be careful where you put your money into. Even legitimate and safe investment options can be a cause of loss when not evaluated and done properly. Remember, your financial safety is more important than whatever profit you might be able to get.
The pandemic has proven to be a crisis in more ways than one. A year and a half and various market crashes later, we’re only beginning to adjust to the adverse effects of the situation brought about by the virus. This means the recovery of various facets of our country like government, healthcare, and of course our economy.
Plenty of establishments and industries have began to open up, employment rate is slowly but steadily beginning to improve. However, with the threat of every new strain or variant of the virus, the threat of it crashing down again is a very real possibility, and this could be especially bad for you, financially.
The silver lining of the situation is the country’s current vaccination program. With more than 3% of the population getting fully vaccinated, we have found the fighting chance for our economy. But with this hope comes another problem: vaccination hesitation.
This can come in a lot of ways like having a brand preference, waiting to observe the side-effects on others, and simply not wanting to get vaccinated entirely.
While some hesitations can come from a place of concern, vaccines have been proven to be an effective way of controlling the virus and therefore, the effect of its presence overall. So if you’re concerned over the status of your finances and eligible for your shot, here’s some reasons why you should get vaccinated!
It could keep you safe from a health catastrophe
The most important reason overall to get vaccinated is to keep you safe from the virus. Health is a number one priority nowadays for you and your family, and nothing matters more than your health.
In the context of your finances, getting vaccinated can keep your money, especially your emergency funds, safe from possible depletion from medical bills. All vaccine brands, while having different protection rates, have all been proven to protect you from the more severe effects of the virus that can lead you to getting hospitalized, and getting hospitalized can be very hefty.
It could reenergize the economy
The closure of businesses in pretty much every industry and the subsequent loss of jobs brought about by that has been a very heavy experience for many people. And now that things are slightly improving and various establishments are opening up, it’s the repeat of that very difficult situation that the vaccination program is trying to avoid.
Getting vaccinated means making a step towards the recovery of the economy, of the lives of others and your own, and of course, of your money and investments, if you have any.
It could be a free solution for a priceless outcome
In case you didn’t know, the vaccination program is free. So if you are eligible for any of the priority groups, you can get your shot at your local government center. Without spending a dime, you secure your health, your investments, and your finances.
So if you can, get your jab done as soon as possible because getting vaccinated in the context of today’s world is the best investment you can make.
BE VACCINATED & GET 1000 PESOS!
Upload your vaxx proof and we’ll give you PHP 1000 OFF when you subscribe/upgrade to our InvestaPrime Elite Annual 💵
HOW TO GET YOUR BAKUNA REWARD?
🔹 Click the photo below and fill the form & upload your vaccination card
🔹 Once you submit the form, just wait for our message in your InvestaChat for the next step
Every trader, beginner or expert, has seen these sticks with rectangles called candlesticks. In fact it has been a well-known symbol of the stock market but what makes it so important? Well, here are some reasons why candlesticks can be a possible strategy for trading.
Used in technical analysis, a candlestick is a type of price chart that displays the high, low, open and closing prices for a specific period. Originally from the Japanese, candlesticks are now being used by traders all around the world.
Candlestick charts are very visual, due to the color coding of the price bars and thick real bodies, which are better at highlighting the difference between the open and the close. Traders use these candlesticks to make trading decisions based on regularly occurring patterns that help forecast the short-term direction of the price.
Also, candlestick signals are used to analyze any and all periods of trading including daily or hourly cycles, even for minute-long cycles of the trading day.
Candlesticks are created by up and down movements in the price. While these price movements sometimes appear random, at other times they form patterns that traders use for analysis or trading purposes.
Patterns are separated into bullish and bearish. Bullish patterns indicate that the price is likely to rise while bearish patterns indicate that the price is likely to fall. A very important note is that no pattern works all the time since candlestick patterns represent tendencies in price movement.
Some notable and more reliable candlestick patterns include:
The Bullish and Bearish Engulfing Pattern
The Bullish Morning Star and Bearish Evening Star
The Bullish and Bearish Harami
Candlesticks are a great indicator and a suitable technique for trading any liquid financial asset such as stocks and foreign exchanges. Reading and understanding candlestick patterns can help traders in making better and more calculated predictions about where an asset might be headed and can also use it as a factor in buying that asset.
Want to know more about the Stock Market and Technical Analysis? Check this free lesson from #InvestaUniversity:
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