Over 150 individuals participated in the first run of the Colayco Foundation’s Wealth Seminars this January and February. Several of them were so committed to their personal finance education that we saw them at all the seminars! These individuals started the year right!

We started the year with Pisobilities: Wealth Within Your Reach Seminar last January 29, 2011 conducted by Colayco Foundation Executive Director Armand Bengco. Seminar attendees were equipped with the right mindset to be wealthy!

Pisobilities: Wealth Within Your Reach - Jan. 29, 2011

This was followed by Protect Your Greatest Asset: YOU, a seminar about insurance last February 1, 2011 conducted by guest speaker Susan Tañedo of PruLife UK and Colayco Foundation Programs Director Guita Gopalan. Seminar attendees were taught the importance of correct planning your insurance needs as well as the differences between different kinds of insurance products.

Various Images from Protect Your Greatest Asset: YOU - February 1, 2011

Then there were seminars about the Philippine Stock Market. The first was entitled InvestAbility: The Stock Market conducted last February 3, 2011 by Colayco Foundation Programs Director Guita Gopalan and guest speaker Philippine Stock Exchange Senior Market Education Specialist Jay Peñaflor. This was followed by InvestEd: Analyzing Stocks also conducted by Mr. Peñaflor. These seminars are conducted in partnership with the Philippine Stock Exchange Market Education Department.

Guita Gopalan discussing the Investing Mindset: Stocks - InvestAbility: The Stock Market, Feb. 3, 2011

Jay Peñaflor discussing the Basics of the Stock Market and Stock Investing - InvestAbility: The Stock Market, Feb. 3, 2011

Did you know that in 2010 the best performing mutual fund grew by 63%? In the seminar entitled InvestAbility: Mutual Funds, Colayco Foundation Executive Director Armand Bengco discussed how average income earning Filipinos can make the most out of growing their money through mutual funds. The seminar was conducted last February 8, 2011 at the Colayco Foundation office.

Armand Bengco discusses the Power of One - InvestAbility: Mutual Funds, Feb. 8, 2011

In contrast with the risky investments-stocks and mutual funds, the Colayco Foundation also conducted InvestAbility: Fixed Income Instruments last February 17. The two part seminar began with the Investing Mindset: Fixed Income Instruments discussed by Colayco Foundation Programs Director Guita Gopalan. The second part, the Basics of Fixed Income Investing was discussed by Kathyrin C. Robles, a consultant with VICSAL Investments and an economic analyst affiliated with the Asian Development Bank. Between the two speakers, seminar attendees were able to learn about investing and trading government securities and corporate papers.

Colayco Foundation Programs Director Guita Gopalan introducing the resource person for Fixed Income Investments - InvestAbility: Fixed Income Instruments, Feb. 17, 2011

Kathryin C. Robles giving an overview of the Philippine Capital Markets - InvestAbility: Fixed Income Instruments, Feb. 17, 2011

Too many Filipinos are heavily burdened by their personal debt and they don’t know how to deal with in. A Be G.O.O.D.: Grow Out Of Debt seminar was conducted last Feb. 19, 2011 by Colayco Foundation Executive Director Armand Bengco. Seminar attendees were equipped with the knowledge and tools to create their own debt management plan.

Colayco Foundation Executive Director Armand Bengco discusses the power of Good Debt - Be GOOD: Grow Out Of Debt, Feb. 19, 2011

Interested in shifting gears in your personal finance and getting back on track to being wealthy? Start with the Pera Mo Palaguin Mo Workshop this March 12, 2011 and check the upcoming seminars on investing here.

By Clarissa Batino

Source: Bloomberg.com Feb 15 2011 -

The Philippines has hired five banks to sell 5- and 10-year bonds targeted at individual investors,

Treasurer Roberto Tan said.

State-owned Land Bank of the Philippines, Development Bank of the Philippines, First Metro Investment Corp., BPI Capital Corp. and Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. will be selling the bonds starting next week, Tan said in a phone interview today.

The Philippines has been spurning high bids at debt auctions since last month to cap borrowing costs and is

examining other funding options to plug its budget deficit. The country has been tapping funds from individuals since 2001 and has raised more than 200 billion pesos ($4.6 billion) from so-called retail treasury bond sales in the past two years.

The government may also sell Samurai bonds, or yen-denominated notes sold in Japan by overseas borrowers, Tan said.

The $161 billion Asian economy had recorded budget deficits in 22 of the past 26 years. It is seeking to narrow the shortfall this year to about 290 billion pesos from an estimated record 310 billion pesos in 2010.

The government plans to auction at least 10 billion pesos each of five- and 10-year bonds on Feb. 22 for “price setting,” Deputy Treasurer Eduardo Mendiola said in a mobile phone text-message today. The government may sell another batch of the debt by the third quarter, Mendiola said yesterday.

About 28.8 billion pesos of three- and five-year retail bonds, sold in denominations as low as 5,000 pesos, will mature in July and in December, based on Bloomberg data. The Philippines sold 97.5 billion pesos of the bonds in August 2010 and 114.4 billion pesos in September 2009.

Maturing government debt in March will give investors additional cash to deploy, Tan said. About 90.6 billion pesos of five-year bonds will be due next month.

The government will meet with investors in Manila, Cebu and Davao next week, Mendiola said today

To be updated on Government Security Offerings check www.treasury.gov.ph

A list of GSED – Government securities accredited dealers can also be found there.

Announcement re RTB 13 Offering here: http://www.treasury.gov.ph/govsec/puboffering/others.pdf

Are you looking for fixed returns?
How about guaranteed income?
Do you need to diversify with low risk investments?

Debt Securities are viable investment alternatives for you.

INVESTability: Fixed Income Instruments is a seminar about debt securities such as bank products, government securities and corporate papers. These lending investments are low risk and offer fixed returns and are often guaranteed. Fixed income instruments also play a big role in managing risk and portfolio diversification. This seminar will educate you about the basics of investing in debt instruments as well as how to avail these through the primary and secondary market. You will also be given the knowledge and skills to make most out of your fixed income investments.

INVESTability: Fixed Income Instruments

Date & Time : Thursday-Feb. 17, 2011, 6:30-9:00pm

Location & Venue : Pasig City, TBA

RegularLearning Fee: Php2000

Click Here to Register Online

Call 637-3731, 635-3247, 637-3741 or 577-9540 to avail of early bird and group discounts and to reserve your slot!

For payment options click here.

Having a difficult time paying for your housing or car loan? Can’t seem to survive on your salary-need to borrow from friends and family just to make ends meet? Do you worry about how you are going to pay for your huge credit card bills? Are you drowning in debt?

Credit is one of the most utilized financial service. Unfortunately, many are unable to use credit wisely and find themselves with unmanageable debt. This seminar will change your mindset about credit and will equip you with the steps you need to take to start growing out of debt.

Be GOOD: Grow Out Of Debt is a no nonsense seminar about how you can take control of your debt. It is ideal for individuals who are ready to drastically take control of their financial lives so that they can Be GOOD. If you want to manage your debt obligations better (and quicker) this seminar is for you. Examples of debt obligations: credit cards, housing loan, car loan, business loan and other informal loans.

Be GOOD: Grow Out Of Debt

Date & Time : Saturday-Feb. 19, 2011, 9:30am-12:00nn

Location & Venue : Pasig City, TBA

Regular Learning Fee: Php2000

Click Here to Register Online

Call 637-3731, 635-3247, 637-3741 or 577-9540 to avail of early bird and group discounts and to reserve your slot!

For payment options click here.