21Oct 2019 by admin No Comments

Passing the Baton

Money Radiance Book
(Excerpt taken from Money Radiance) By Jon Kho When it comes to leaving a legacy, having enough for ourselves materially should not be a prerequisite for passing the baton. We can still help others improve their way of life by passing on what we have learned from our life’s experiences and teaching the next generation how to do things on their own field. On a relay race, passing the baton is so critical that if one of the runners drops the baton while trying to pass it to the next, the whole team would lose the race. If the team wants to finish the race, it would be imperative for every member to not drop the baton but to make sure that the baton is passed on from runner to…
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16Sep 2019 by admin No Comments

Graceful Exit

Death, Estate Planning, Insurance, Savings
By Johannes Pan The first time one of my grandparents passed away, my family scrambled to adjust to this sudden difficulty.  On top of the grief, my uncle and aunt had to rummage through piles of paper scattered throughout the house for the proper documents to submit.  They had to recall the different passwords of the various bank accounts. They kept wondering what else had to be done, depriving themselves of peace of mind.  When my second and third grandparents departed us, my parents went through the same things. No one learned to prepare for a graceful exit. For my fourth and last grandparent, for my other relatives, for myself, and for you reading this article, I have compiled a checklist of things to do to make sure our loved…
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15Jul 2019 by admin No Comments

4 Mentalities Towards Spending Money

Money Radiance Book
(Excerpt taken from Money Radiance) By Jon Kho Our view towards money is the key to success in our spending habits and pursuits as it can make us happy or miserable in this area. There are 4 Mentalities with regards to spending money: Mentality 1 This is when we receive our paycheque from our job or income from our business. We usually allocate it immediately to what we deem as important in our expense column. Then, after satisfying all the needed things to pay for, only then are we able to save on what is left for us. This is good, but the problem with this mindset is that most often, we are not able to save anything because we feel our income is not enough. Mentality 2 This is…
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17Jun 2019 by admin No Comments

Study, Work, Study Part 2 (Passive Income)

Debt, Education, Passive Income
By Johannes Pan So I want to take up graduate studies after five years.  But I just graduated from college and have barely any money to study.  What can I do to achieve this life goal? What would you do in this situation? First, I could analyze my situation and get some facts straight.  For one, I know that I do not have to pay for the tuition of all the semesters at once.  I only have to pay one semester at a time or even get a student loan and pay in installments.  Sounds easier. Second, if I only have to pay in smaller amounts over time, I could work on earning passive income.  Passive income is the money one gets without being actively involved in work. This way,…
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15Apr 2019 by admin No Comments

The 4 Ss

Money Radiance Book
(Excerpt taken from Money Radiance) By Jon Kho Consider this situation: Your employer or your business has given you a good chunk of money for you to live by for the next couple of days. What are you supposed to do with it? Here are some tips on handling money and paying off those debts, as demonstrated in the 4 Ss: 1. Set Aside Wisely Have a plan. If you are an employee, you would know how much salary you receive every month. Create a draft on your journal the priorities of your budget allocation. After jotting down the things you think are your priorities, look at the list again. Are the items on your list the absolute essentials for your household’s needs? Will something happen if you fail to…
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18Mar 2019 by admin No Comments

Study, Work, Study Part 1 (Mutual Fund)

Debt, Education, Investment, Savings
By Johannes Pan Even though I just recently graduated from UP Diliman and started working, I already have plans to study again.  But unlike college where I enjoyed free tuition, graduate school will surely demand a hefty sum of money. So with very little to my name, what can I do?  What would you do in this situation? I could borrow from my parents.  However, and this is assuming they even have the money to pay for graduate school, doing so would put me in debt, which is not necessarily bad as some debts as strategic but is not how I want to start my adult life.  It would be as if I am not even trying. I have to at least show that I am doing my part in…
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14Feb 2019 by admin No Comments

Valentine’s Gift for Your Loved Ones

Death, Insurance, Investment
By Dian Ngo Happy Valentine’s Day! This day is usually the time when you reflect on your own love life. If you are single, you might be wondering why you are still (happily?) single. If you are in a relationship, you might be daydreaming about the perfect relationship. But for me, this is also a good time to celebrate with the family. Let us remember not to take for granted people who are always there for us. We may sometimes think that their love is there since they have no choice. Because of this, we tend to forget that they are the ones we need to treasure the most since they love us even though we are not perfect. As such, here are some ways we can show and celebrate…
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21Jan 2019 by admin No Comments

Have a Vision (Goal to Achieve)

Money Radiance Book
(Excerpt taken from Money Radiance) By Jon Kho Since money is used to help one achieve his or her life's goals, then one must learn how to set those goals. It is my personal conviction that my life should have a vertical and a horizontal component. This is why, for my life’s goal, I limit the importance of allocating my funds to two important aspects of my life, namely, God and Family. 1. God God should be at the forefront of how I think of money. Since He alone is the Giver of all things, in His Sovereignty, He alone can give blessing in what He deems important to me. And since God is the Giver of all things, my perspective changes in how I view money. I am now…
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17Dec 2018 by admin No Comments

Parable of the Growing Money (VUL)

Insurance, Investment
By Johannes Pan When I started working, I was excited to apply what I learned from the financial planning talks I attended.  I made a budget journal to track my expenses and savings and then invest in a variable universal life (VUL) insurance fund.  I did the same for my parents, who at first looked at me as if I was taking away a bulk of their hard-earned money that they were supposed to enjoy in their few years before retirement. “But how do you intend to live through your retirement years?”  I asked them. My father replied, “We’ll just work in another church that accepts people who are over 65 years old.”  (My parents are pastors.) “We’ve always planned on working the rest of our lives like your grandparents…
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15Oct 2018 by admin No Comments

The 4 Cs of Life

Money Radiance Book
(Excerpt taken from Money Radiance) By Jon Kho In order to draft a financial plan, we need to have a good perspective of money. Let us use the 4 Cs of life, namely, Create, Cover, Control, and Celebrate. 1. Create Create is the stage where one starts receiving and handling money. This is the stage of exploration, where we get the idea that money is essential in our daily life. We think of a lot of ways to create money, such as asking for allowance from our parents when we go to school or receiving our paycheck month in and month out while we actively work for money. This stage is the foundation of it all. 2. Cover Cover is the stage of protection where one safeguards the money. When…
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