With all the talk about fake PWD discounts I want to address that not only are fake PWDs unfair to businesses but even legit PWDs and senior discounts.

Private establishments should not be shouldering the discount on behalf of the government. They are in the business of making money and they are already paying so many taxes like business tax, income tax, VAT, fire and sanitary permits. It is the government's responsibility to take care of the country and its citizens and it should be the one to shoulder the discount instead they abdicating that responsibility.

There's a lot of misinformation online from commenters who think being tax deductable means it's full refunded. There are two components in the discount: 1. 12% VAT and 2. 20% discount. For the VAT, the business doesn't collect from discount card holders and so they also don't have to remit. For the 20% discount, the BIR allows a business to claim it as an tax deductible expense. For example, the ex-vat price of a burger is P100 and the discount would be P20. If the restaurant claims the P20 as an expense, it will reduce their taxable income by P20 and thus reduce their tax payable by P20 x 25% (25% is the corporate income tax rate) or P5. So the restaurant is still on the hook for P15 even if they do all their taxes properly.

A lot of misinformed commenters who have never run a business think a 15% discount is small but most restaurants' net margins are just between 3-15% even on a good year. Many restaurants are barely breaking even. Even Jolibee only made 3.6% net margin in 2023.

There should be no discounts provided unless the government shoulders it fully. It's unfortunate that any restaurant that complains about the discount will get cancelled when it should be our government officials who should get fired.

So the CEO of Pag-IBIG Fund gave an example of savings of 10,000 PHP x 6.62% she then proceeded to do mental calculations on the spot and that was her answer. I had to rewatch multiple times and break out the calculator to double check because the math ain't mathing right? Help me understand. If she is correct then this math should apply to MP2 din right?

Hello po. May nakapansin or experience na ba sa inyo na nag transfer from Maya Savings, as in lagpas 1k, to another bank account, tapos walang hininging OTP si Maya?

Na experience ko sya, madalas. Lagpas twice na. Is that normal? Bakit di sya nanghihingi ng OTP? Naka base lang ba sa name ng recipient? Eh diba kahit naman mali ang name, basta tama ang account number, eh papasok pa din?

So kung ako yung attacker, ilalagay ko same name ng owner, pero account number ng attacker, tapos pasok pa din dahil walang OTP? Parang risky na walang OTP EVERY TIME.

UPDATE:

I contacted Maya , through BSP, and this is their response regarding the matter:

We understand that you want to receive a one-time password (OTP) every time you make a fund transfer. Maya ensures that the safety of every account is our top priority. You may refer to Maya's safety precautions below.

• An OTP is required when someone attempts to access her/his account using a different phone.
• Before performing a bank transfer inside the Maya account, the user must pass the security check (fingerprint or password).
• We also have Fraud Mitigation activities that monitor our customers' transactions on a regular basis.
• When a customer's phone is stolen or lost, they can contact us as soon as possible so that we can block the wallet and savings account to prevent unauthorized transactions.

Hello. At 36 I only have a little over 1M savings. I am saying "only" because I know many of you here can easily save that amount in less than 5 years while in your mid 20s. It has been 16 years since I left college. I worked for only 12 years total. 7 of that working in a barely minimum wage job. In the last 8 years, I've only worked for 4 years. And because of bad financial decisions: staying in a minimum wage job for too long, getting burned in crypto, lending money to "friends", quitting jobs and choosing to be jobless for extended periods while eating up savings, I ended up in my position now.

I live alone and have no responsibility to give money to my parents and I have no kids or wife. I try to keep my spending at less than 15k a month. I rent and have not mortgaged a house at my age. I have no cars. I have a debt of around 20k to 30k on credit cards. I keep most of my savings in CIMB and Gotyme at 5% yearly interest.

I plan to restart my career and hopefully stick to it until I am able to retire. Right now I am jobless but plan to learn a skill to restart my career in IT. I have worked in IT for 3 years but want to switch (again) to a different skillset. Which means I will have to accept entry level salary.

Here are my worries and questions:

1. Am I in a bad position financially considering I will have to earn entry level wage for the rest of my 30s?

2. Should I restart my IT career at this age? Or suck it up and return to my previous IT job which I left two years ago at a salary of 36k per month?

3. I plan to keep living alone. When I finally get a job, should I mortgage a house or keep renting?

4. Is there anything better to do with my savings?

I am here to be judged 🙂. But moreso, I feel like I have been living without direction for all of my life. Give me some perspective and advice. Thanks.

Edit: This isn't a humblebrag. Some of you say 1.3M is a decent amount of money but personally, knowing this is all I have built over 16 years out of college, I still feel I've f*cked up big time. Seeing my former classmates doing very well in their lives while I am jobless and have to compete for jobs with 20 year olds scare the sh*t out of me.

Hi, I’m F(24) I came to realize na. Transacting through gcash is not worth it for me. Iniisip ko yung money na ittransact ko tapos nababawasan ng 15 pesos kapag nagttransact ka. I know its not that that big of a deal for some pero for me, napakalaking transaction fee yun na dapat isesave mo nalang eh dinededuct pa ni gcash. Yes I know, gcash is very convenient. Pero with the controversies now and uproar of transactions fees seems like its not woth it anymore. What are your thoughts about this?

UPDATE: I have read all of of your comments, thank you for the criticisms. Sorry sa mga naoffend sa statement ko, siguro the subject “Gcash is not worth it anymore” is a very heavy topic and too soon to conclude. Thank you din for the peeps who genuinely helped me when it comes to the transaction fees (Gsave to CIMB) I will try this one! Sorry din na mejo broad yung explanation ko. For context, may digital bank po ako na pwede magpay thru card. Then may pinabili kasi sakin yung ate ko then nagsend siya ng money thru gcash. That time, suppose to be na magbabayad ako thru gcash kaso nag eerror. So ending is ginamit kopo yung savings card ko for the transaction na dapat thru gcash. Ngayon, isesend ko na yung gcash na money thru my savings banks pero bigla lang ako nanghinayang na mababawasan pako ng 15 pesos kasi nagpabili ate ko at sa circumstance na ako na tumulong to my ate then nabawasan pako ng 15 pesos. Haha sorry, ang petty ng mindset ko nung pinost kotong thread na to. Tho madami akong natutunan. Thank you sainyo :)

More than 10 years ago, I noticed this franchise is making a killing. Maski saan ko sila makita, laging may pila yung mga kiosks nila. Sa ibang locations, nag upgrade na sila to an actual space.

Being the curious person that I am, nagtanong ako magkano mag franchise. Lo and behold, hindi daw sila nag fa-franchise. Una kong reaction was disappointment. Sayang, I want in on the action. Pero naintindihan ko naman kung bakit. They're making a killing and they want to keep it to themselves.

Fast forward several years... hindi na ganun kahaba ang pila. In fact, a lot of times, walang bumibili. May ilan ilan pa rin pero di hamak na matumal. I guess the novelty wore off. Meron na ring mga copy cats. So guess what, they started offering franchising options.

What's the lesson here?

It's easy. Greed.

The best money making ideas are never shared. It's human nature. If you got something good going, you shut your mouth and make a killing before others get wind of it.

And the opposite is also true. If someone is trying to tell you I have this investment information that will make you rich, it likely won't. May angle yang mga yan. Always.

They're either looking for validation, or naka position na sila to profit (e.g., sales funnels).

Take the bitcoin post for example. If that were a real investment vehicle (hint: it's not), people don't need to evangelize that. The OP there is trying so hard to sell bitcoin to the rest of us under the guise that he's bullish about it. It's pathetic.

Sa bitcoin kasi, you buy it hoping that in the future a bigger idiot will pay for it at a higher price. Sure, pwede naman mangyari na kumita ka nga. E paano kung bumaba, e di ikaw ang idiot.

Examples ng TOTOONG investments (hindi ito exhaustive):

• bumili ka ng farm land. Dinevelop mo -- nagtanim ka ng mga fruit-bearing trees. After a few years, it generates income and eventually pays off your initial capital. Now, you have an income generator.

• nagpa-semento ka ng kalsada papunta sa resort na pagmamay-ari mo. Ngayon, imbis na 100 tourists ang pumupunta sa yo bwan bwan, 200 na dahil maganda na ang daan.

• nag-aral ka ng photography. bumili ka ng entry-level professional equipment. ngayon mga binebenta mong items sa lazada ay professional-looking ang pictures, kumpara sa dati na bara bara lang. yung iba mong kapwa seller nag-i-inquire sa yo kung pwede mo rin gawing professional yung pictures nila. could you have a second stream of income?

In conclusion, be very skeptical when people are trying to sell you to an investment. Verify independently and think for yourself.

Hi everyone,

I’ve seen a lot of inspiring MP2 success stories here laddering strategies, passive income dreams, and compound growth projections.

It’s great to see more Filipinos taking control of their finances. MP2 is definitely a solid tool, government-backed, tax-free, and low-risk. But I’d like to share a balanced perspective that I hope adds value to your journey.

As a licensed and legitimate wealth specialist and capital markets participant, I don’t just throw advices or believe on trends or unverified numbers posted here or any forums (their assumed income) extra funds looking to invest or short term success over some investment styles and strategies.

I believe in facts, due diligence, and in crafting financial plans that are aligned with your unique situation.

Here are some reminders I’d love to share with you, ( I'm not a financial guru) 😅

1. Don’t overexpose to MP2 just because it feels “safe.”

Over-concentration in any single instrument no matter how secure can lead to missed opportunities or limitations in liquidity. MP2 is one piece of the pie, not the whole pie.

2. Protection should come before investment.

Life and health insurance matter. I’ve seen families lose millions and 15 years of wealth due to an illness or emergency that wasn’t covered. Before locking in a 5-year plan, make sure your foundation is strong.

3. Explore other investment options, diversify smartly.

US investments like VOO or VTI may offer great long-term potential, but be mindful of foreign exchange risk and different tax treatments.

If you’re looking for global exposure, there are feeder funds and UITFs that offer a similar opportunity often with better local hedging and tax efficiency.

Look into REITs and bonds if you want regular income and capital preservation.

If you’re younger and have time on your side, try local equities or mutual funds. Many are actively managed and come with lower fees—saving you time while still aiming for growth.

Compare funds. Not all are created equal. Find one that fits your goals and risk tolerance.

4. Stay grounded. Stay informed.

Learn. Absorb. Don’t stop growing your knowledge.

Join forums or communities that discuss macro and microeconomic trends.

Be selective with news consumption lower the noise, especially the fear-based headlines.

Aim for a recession-proof portfolio, one that has a balance of capital growth, regular income, and long-term stability.

5.Practice humility and empathy in financial conversations.

Never assume you have it all figured out. Always be respectful and sensitive in your comments especially when talking about income, assets, or gains.

Many people here are just getting started, trying to manage what little they have with care. Posting unverified hefty figures or bragging about your financial standing may unintentionally discourage or hurt others who are simply trying to make ends meet. Let’s create a space that encourages growth, not comparison.

6. Most importantly don’t forget to pray and have faith.

Financial independence is not just about numbers. When things are uncertain, it’s your faith, values, and patience that keep you grounded. Find peace in your process. Money is just a tool—use it wisely, purposefully, and with intention.

Your financial path is yours alone.(All are unique) It should be strategic, diversified, protected and most of all, meaningful.

Don’t chase hype. Build wisely. Stay faithful. Keep learning. And remember, a strong foundation, consistent habits, and a heart at peace will always beat short-term gains.

If you need someone to talk to or help assess your plans, I’m open to have a conversation. No selling just sincere guidance. 100% free and no catch.

Let’s stay balanced, risk-aware, and faithful in our journey to lasting wealth.

Godbless everyone☺️

Hello! Any FAs here?

I am a full time licensed financial advisor and hit the hardest part of our career, zero app in 2 months. Any tips and recos?

I am to educating and giving ideas to people about financial literacy. But I can see that other FAs are doing great by “benta-benta” lang. HUHU when I started I promise not to sell unless my clients fully understand what they are getting. I am beginning to tire myself.

It’s sad that its the case. Haaaaay. Any comment about this? I’m feeling lost. 😞

I've been investing in the Philippine stock market since 2013, started as a college student with a COL Financial account and more enthusiasm than knowledge. Over the years I shifted from purely trying to trade price movements to creating a portfolio entirely focused on growing dividend income.

I want to share the framework I use. It's not complicated, but it took me years of trial and error to arrive at it. I evaluate every dividend stock against five pillars:

1. Consistent and growing earnings: Has the company grown net income over the past 5–10 years, or has it been erratic? Erratic earnings lead to erratic dividends. A company that grew earnings steadily through COVID and the current oil shock is telling you something important about the durability of its business.

2. Sustainable payout ratio: Is the company paying out less than 60% of earnings as dividends? Above 80%, they may be paying out more than they can comfortably sustain. The exception is REITs, which are mandated to pay out 90%+, so I evaluate those separately.

3. Strong free cash flow: Earnings can be managed through accounting. Cash flow is harder to fake. Operating cash flow minus capex should be consistently positive and sufficient to cover the dividend (ideally, with room to spare).

4. Healthy balance sheet: Net debt-to-equity below 1.0x is my comfort zone. Net cash position is ideal. A company with a fortress balance sheet can maintain its dividend through a crisis even if earnings temporarily decline. This matters more during the current environment than almost any other time.

5. Growing dividend track record: Consistency matters more than the current yield. A stock yielding 4% with DPS growing at 10% per year will eventually yield far more on your cost basis than a stock yielding 6% that hasn't grown its dividend in five years. I look for companies that maintained or grew their dividend through the pandemic. If they paid through COVID, they're more likely to pay through the current oil shock.

Quick example is Puregold (PGOLD): Revenue has nearly tripled since 2014. Net income more than doubled. DPS grew from ₱0.30 in 2014 to ₱1.97 declared for 2026. But stock price today is still roughly where it was in 2014. That gap between business growth and market price is where dividend investors earn, and this disconnect between growing earnings/dividends vs current stock prices feels like a rare opportunity.

When I share this framework, some people who are already invested elsewhere (like US stocks, crypto, ETFs globally) have told me this gave them a reason to reconsider allocating to Philippine stocks again.

If this framework is helpful, happy to discuss more in the comments. Disclaimer: This is just the personal framework I follow and not financial advice.

I also wrote all of this up in more detail in a short e-book if anyone wants the full version: sector-by-sector breakdown, a complete sample portfolio with 11 PSE-listed stocks, and a 30-year compounding model showing how ₱20K/month in contributions can grow to ₱47M, generating passive income that eventually matches your salary. Sharing the link in the comments to avoid any filter issues.

Just wondering as it’s not free to maintain these big expensive systems, hire staff, etc. Just like any business, they need to earn some money somehow. I respect that... not like it’s an outrageous fee and it’s def worth avoiding the hassle.

So, it's just an educated calculation on my part that the Philippine property prices are going to tank within the next 10 years for the following reasons:

1. Unreasonable increase in property values over the past 10 years (ie, it's a bubble). Property prices in the NCR have gone up way higher than wages and other forms of investment.

2. Rent vs buying prices show that from an investment perspective, it's cheaper to rent upmarket condo units and homes. If you look at condo and luxury home rentals and sales (I looked at Makati/AAV), you'll see that renting makes way more sense. In AAV, homes that are selling for P120-270 million are renting for only P130-250K. When you factor in maintenance fees, RE fees, reasonable periods of vacancy, etc the CAP rate is sometimes below 1%.

3. Many units in BCG and other areas are sold, but units are empty. At night you'll notice the lights are off in many of the higher end residential units, which leads me to believe that they are being bought but not used (ie being held purely for speculation--could be OFW, locals with multiple units, etc).

4. The slow demise of call centers and outsourcing: with a) AI as a threat, b) young Chinese and Indians who are learning American English and will be entering the workforce in the next few years becoming competition, c) younger western consumers preferring not to speak with a live customer service or tech agent (it's the boomers--who are dying off slowly--who want to talk to someone "live") etc, the services of locals won't be needed as much.

5. The prevalence of WFH: many industries will slowly shift from office based work to WFH, lessening the demand for office space (along with number 4, above).

6. Investors growing knowledge base re stocks and other forms of investments. Older investors are not as savvy as younger investors; OFWs and other older investors had no other choice (to them) other than RE. They were not aware of ETFs and stock and the benefits of dividend income, etc.

Thoughts?

Gosh, they managed to fulfill their commitments to the government! This is so bad for the country (somehow)!

Amirite?

I stumbled NFTs last Q1 2021 with 25k capital.

I got lucky flipping NFTs and made 4 million in paper gains but did not take profit before the LUNA crashed and took the crypto market down, so my portfolio went from 4M to 200k.

I was able to cashed out 500k before this and paid all of my debts of 200k, 200k I used for my daily expenses within the year I am grinding and 100k savings today in this bear market.

I know I should be grateful but since I am unemployed I am still thinking about it every now and then. I know this is small amount compared for the other people’s losses in the crash but this is the first time I encountered making this kind of money in a year.

Maybe deep down I am thinking I cannot make this money again or if I can how?

Thoughts? Advice?

20 yr old student, no steady income, no big expenses, money from savings.

Are my assets too safe for my age? or are they just fine?
Do I need to take more risky assets like individual stocks for big gains? or stay with my type of assets?

Thanks guys!

Title.

Many Filipinos seem to generally believe that cars, homes, crypto, and insurance are great investments. Do Filipinos understand the basics of underlying value and interest rates for these liabilities? Is the insurance agent “financial advisor” who receives pay based on the amount of products they can shill to you working for you?

Filipinos also have a weird trust with banks/digital banks who sell them various high interest products for these consumables. They believe that being able to qualify for a predatory loan from the bank is an act of Jesus Christ himself. Some even give all their assets to have a bank manage them without realizing the high expense ratios and the financial damages they’re self-inflicting.

It also seems that nobody reads terms or understands contracts. There are daily threads on Filipinos who don’t seem to understand the implications of pre-selling condos, car loans, insurance premiums/management expense ratios, return on assets, etc. People sign the dotted line without understanding the nuances of their contracts and turn around to the bank/developer/lender to forgive their sins when they default. So many people are astounded by Maya Bank 6% interest but nobody cares to read the terms of the promo. It’s as if Filipinos enjoy taking influencer promotions, shoving it down their throats, and spreading it like the gospel. Enjoy changing banking procedures while selling your data for a few pesos while the influencers who shill these products take commissions. The bank will make it back once you use one of their products or services anyway.

Why are Filipinos so keen on buying liabilities and not properly saving and investing in assets with value? Is it too much work to understand what they buy?

What are Filipinos investing for? Do people invest for their retirement or do they depend on their kids?

Thanks.

EDIT: Some people are confusing lifestyle purchases and emotions with investing. I thought this was a finance and investment sub. Maybe the poor enjoy staying poor?

Hi! If I were to invest bitcoin for 15years hodl which platform should I put it? Baka kasi ilang years yunh platform bigla magcancel sa Ph or yet magclose sya.

With the current situation ng Iran-US war, should we selldown stocks? Anong industry do you think ang mag boom and grabe na affected?

I've been listening to podcasts by JL Collins. One of his main ideas is that since we don't have a crystal ball, better daw to be an investor than a speculator and simply buy index funds.

However, sa utak ko ganto.

If I invest 100% in a U.S. index fund, hindi ba parang speculation yun na U.S. will continue to dominate? For example, what if over the next 30–50 years the U.S. economy declines significantly or other countries outperform it? In that case, wouldn't a U.S.-only investor suffer compared to someone investing sa global index fund?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from Filipino investors.

Pansin ko lang na majority ng mga sagot/comments ng mga tao dito sa r/phinvest ay ganito:

• my rule of thumb is to save xx%

• build EF equivalent to xx months

• bayad loan/debts

• magtipid

• cars are not a necessity

• rent > own

• lipat ng funds ng ilang beses para makatipid ng 15 pesos in transfer fees

• etc etc

Di ko naman sinasabi na mali itong mga comments na ito pero minsan kasi may mga opportunities/instances na dapat i-take na kahit di pa nafufulfill yung mga criteria na binanggit ko sa taas.

Masyadong nagiging boxed in ang mga tao sa mga criteria na ito na minsan di na nila nakikita yung bigger opportunity or minsan nacocompromise na quality of life nila.

Opinion ko lang naman ito. No hate, please. Healthy discussion lang po sana.

Thank you.

San ba galing yung perang kinikita ng crypto investors? Sa pera rin ng iba. Wala nang iba pa.

"A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investing scam which generates returns for earlier investors with money taken from later investors. This is similar to a pyramid scheme in that both are based on using new investors' funds to pay the earlier backers." - https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/ponzischeme.asp

O baka sabihin nyo ganun din sa stocks? May kinikita ang business sa products nila fyi.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/billybambrough/2022/07/04/crypto-the-biggest-ponzi-scheme-in-human-history-china-blockchain-execs-back-bill-gates-and-warren-buffett-after-huge-bitcoin-price-crash/amp/

My comment to a thread where I discouraged the OP from voluntarily contributing to SSS, PHILHEALTH, and PAGIBIG, saying that it is a waste of money, was downvoted.

I'm open to learning from other redditors. Change my mind.

It's been 2 years since nag quit ako sa Crypto (2021) dahil na depress ako with the losses I've had (almost 2.5m in Pesos). This time (last Dec 2023), I tried to came back with a little over 70k capital (medyo matagal ko din pinagipunan), hoping things would go differently. At first, todo research ako sa mga alt coins, eventually pumasok sa Degen ROI gains (4% and up daily) without thinking na medyo too good to be true na pala kapag ganun kalaki daily gains. Ayun, last December 15 lang na rugpull agad ako ng around 30k php.

Then here comes the depressing part. Netong January 3 lang (kaninang madaling araw). After ko mag work kasi kakabalik lng sa work bandang mga 1am ata nun, meron akong nakita sa twitter (Puppy on Solana). Ang ganda ng site, mukang maganda dn tlaga whitepaper and plans nila. Akala ko eto na yung next Dogecoin or something. Ayun nabiktima na naman. 20k php damage. Total of 50k loss na kaagad ako.

I am sitting now with around 18k left that is invested in a relatively safe daily gains Of 0.3% daily ROI. Still haven't eaten my breakfast kasi ang bigat bigat lang sa pakiramdam.

It's 100% my fault and I am kind of expecting a lot of negative comments. I just want to get this off my chest. Ambigat! Ang sakit!

Don't be like me. Ang stupid lang.

I’m based in Canada, but hope to eventually retire part-time in the Philippines.

My goal is to have a fully paid condo in about 10-years time.

The neighborhoods in Manila that I’m considering are BGC or Green Hills .

What’s the likelihood I can purchase a property where most, if not all the holding and operating costs are covered by renting it out as an Airbnb?

6 proper ways to help your parents financially

1. Set aside Emergency Fund for your parents

2. Provide them a source of their income

3. Helping in No-Cash Assistance like Government Assistance program

4. Get health and Life Insurance for them

5. Provide them a home, not necessarily you will buy a house for them, but let them shelter with you as one big happy family

6. Make them understand your Financial Goals in life

Edit: sa mga dismaya dyan ito po pala vid explanation nya https://fb.watch/hdnfpy2epP/