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<channel>
	<title>Randell Tiongson</title>
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	<link>http://www.randelltiongson.com</link>
	<description>Life and Personal Finance</description>
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		<title>Transforming the Financial Lives of our Filipino Children</title>
		<link>http://www.randelltiongson.com/transforming-financial-lives-filipino-children/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=transforming-financial-lives-filipino-children</link>
		<comments>http://www.randelltiongson.com/transforming-financial-lives-filipino-children/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 May 2013 17:05:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Randell Tiongson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stewardship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial education for children]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ge cantor]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Financial education is an important life skill, that is a fact that needs no debate anymore. Why do Filipinos fare so poorly in terms of financial literacy? Perhaps one of the reason is lack of financial education. My good friend &#8230; <a href="http://www.randelltiongson.com/transforming-financial-lives-filipino-children/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Financial education is an important life skill, that is a fact that needs no debate anymore. Why do Filipinos fare so poorly in terms of financial literacy? Perhaps one of the reason is lack of financial education.</p>
<p>My good friend and also a staunch advocate of financial education Ge Cantor is a guest blogger for www.randelltiongson.com and he writes a very timely blog on financial education for our childre.</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-</p>
<p><b>Transforming the Financial Lives of our Filipino Children</b></p>
<p><em>By Gerald Cantor</em></p>
<p>I recently came across an online Time article about the big push for mandatory personal <img class="alignleft" alt="" src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/randellt/clarissa_zps923fcb6c.jpg" width="360" height="480" />finance classes in U.S. schools.  Apparently, there has been global fight against financial illiteracy with nations like Australia and the U.K. having voted to make financial education mandatory to their school systems.</p>
<p>According to Mr. Richard Cordray, a director of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, “Young people today and future generations should not have to repeat the financial mistakes made by earlier generations.  This is why we support a plan to bring financial education into K-12 classrooms.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, here in the Philippines, President Aquino just signed into a law the “K-to-12 Act” or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013.  This adds three years to the country’s 10-year basic curriculum to make Filipino children at par with their peers in other countries.</p>
<p>Perhaps the next logical step is really to mandate for the inclusion of financial education in grades K-to-12.  Apparently, there is already a “Financial Literacy bill” that has been submitted in 2010 for approval by Congress.  Both the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of Education have also taken steps to teach schoolchildren about saving and investing.</p>
<p>During the Citi-FT Financial Educaton Summit 2012, BSP Governor Armando Tetangco Jr. was quoted that “While financial education may not immediately be considered a core function of a monetary authority or a supervisor of the banking system, it is actually quite intrinsically linked to our overarching goal and vision.  To us, financial education empowers people to manage their resources with prudence, instills the discipline of saving regularly, and safely grow their money.”</p>
<p>All of these are good news for the future our Filipino children.  However, we must not forget that children learn first about financial management and discipline (or none of it) in their own families.  Psychologists would say that “children would pay more attention to what an adult does than to what an adult merely says.” Thus, parents play a crucial role in developing the character and values of our Pinoy children, especially when it comes to handling money.</p>
<p>The Philippines is fast becoming the rising tiger of Asia.  With the expected surge of jobs and wealth in the country, we see Filipinos enjoying their new found purchasing power.  Sadly, this leads to the insatiable want for material goods, with the mindset of having more and having the best.</p>
<p>I’d like to quote Mr. Greg W. Huffman and his online article on “Materialism and its effect on culture:”</p>
<p><b><i>“</i></b><b><i>Materialism feeds on weak parenting and children feed on weak parents.<a href="http://www.randelltiongson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/saving.jpg" rel="lightbox[2598]"><img class="size-full wp-image-2602 alignright" alt="saving" src="http://www.randelltiongson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/saving.jpg" width="300" height="204" /></a> Children learn everything from their parents.  Raising children the right way is an invaluable way of helping them raise their parents&#8217; grandchildren the right way… A culture full of spoiled children extinguishes the fire of earning what we have. A culture full of spoiled children encourages laziness. A culture full of spoiled children breeds spoiled and irresponsible adults… The ability of parents to discuss with their children financial responsibility is paramount. Showing children reality and not &#8220;reality&#8221; television will benefit them and our culture.”</i></b><b><i></i></b></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><i><a href="http://www.randelltiongson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Ge-Cantor.jpg" rel="lightbox[2598]"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2599" alt="Ge Cantor" src="http://www.randelltiongson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Ge-Cantor.jpg" width="110" height="100" /></a>Gerald “Ge” Cantor’s mission is to help Filipinos save and invest for their future while protecting themselves and their families for the present.  Ge is a Financial Adviser of Pru Life UK (www.prulifeuk.com.ph), a Financial Planning Advocate of Personal Finance Advisers Philippines Corporation (www.personalfinance.ph), a Registered Financial Planner graduate (www.rfp.ph), a  Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), a Son of Lourdes (LSM), and a La Sallian (Animo La Salle!).  Ge is proud to be an ex-OFW, a &#8220;career-shifter&#8221;, an entrepreneur, a baller, and most importantly, a &#8220;proud&#8221; dad of Gia and Clarie. You may e-mail him at </i><a href="mailto:geccantor@hotmail.com"><i>geccantor@hotmail.com</i></a><i>, or contact him at 0917706933 or visit https://www.facebook.com/iPon.ph for more of his iPon tips.</i></p>
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		<title>Growing your wealth through the Stock Market</title>
		<link>http://www.randelltiongson.com/growing-wealth-stock-market/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=growing-wealth-stock-market</link>
		<comments>http://www.randelltiongson.com/growing-wealth-stock-market/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 May 2013 02:30:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Randell Tiongson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marvin germo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Philippine Stock Market]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[The Philippine Stock Market is one of the world&#8217;s best performing investment markets in the world and yet very few Filipinos actually invest there. Is investing in stocks really like gambling? Is it too risky? Is this only for the &#8230; <a href="http://www.randelltiongson.com/growing-wealth-stock-market/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Philippine Stock Market is one of the world&#8217;s best performing investment markets in the world and yet very few Filipinos actually invest there. Is investing in stocks really like gambling? Is it too risky? Is this only for the wealthy?</p>
<p>Marvin Germo will be discussing about Stock Market investing at the iCon 2013: The No Nonsense Investments Conference on June 22, 2013. Learn from one of the country&#8217;s most sought after stock market expert!</p>
<p>E-mail icon2013@ephesians.ph for inquiries</p>
<p><img class="alignleft" alt="" src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/randellt/Marvin_Germo_zps90e6d275.jpg" width="640" height="480" /></p>
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		<title>What we need to hear from Suze Orman</title>
		<link>http://www.randelltiongson.com/hear-suze-orman/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=hear-suze-orman</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2013 04:21:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Randell Tiongson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Investment Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BPI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[finance education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[suze orman]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Suze Orman is considered a force in the personal finance world. She is probably the most recognized personality in the world when it comes to personal finance and for a good reason as she has sold millions of books and &#8230; <a href="http://www.randelltiongson.com/hear-suze-orman/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft" alt="" src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/randellt/SuzewithRandellTiongson_zps2b32aec8.jpg" width="302" height="302" />Suze Orman is considered a force in the personal finance world. She is probably the most recognized personality in the world when it comes to personal finance and for a good reason as she has sold millions of books and has a long running &amp; award-winning T.V. show. There is one more thing you should now about Suze Orman – she loves the Filipinos.</p>
<p>In 2012, Suze Orman visited the Philippines as part of BPI’s personal finance advocacy campaign and I was given an opportunity to meet her up close and personal. A few days ago, this force in personal finance was back in the country again with even more events lined up by BPI.  What was the message of Suze Orman this time around? Well, it’s virtually the same message she gave last year; a message that Pinoys need to hear again.</p>
<p>Having employed many Filipinos for years, Suze Orman is well aware of our culture of providing for family members. She has coached many Pinoys working for her and this is what she always says “it’s ok to take care of others but you also have to take care of yourself too.” She believes that there must be a limit to how we help our kin and that the nation should not be too dependent on the 11 million OFWs abroad. She also encourages us to “do the right things, not what the culture say” – referring to the social pressure of financial dependence.</p>
<p>“The greatest thing you can do for yourself is to pay your debts.” Suze Orman reiterates her concern about how much people are now in debt and she is aware that Pinoys are becoming more attracted to borrowing than before. She advices on paying debts first as against buying stuff and she cautions us to be prudent with how we manage money especially now that our economy is growing &#8211; &#8220;If you don&#8217;t have money saved, spend your money just on needs. All the things you buy are really worthless.&#8221; She notes that Asians in general have very good work ethics and her exposure to many Filipinos reinforces that observation. They are always working hard and they are willing to work longer than everybody else but they must also learn how to save and invest more.</p>
<p>Ms. Orman admits that she is very direct with her message even if it’s really not what people would want to hear. &#8220;I speak with much force because of what I have seen and been through. I don&#8217;t wonder if what I say works, I know it does.&#8221; Her personal experiences fuel her passion to make people financially educated. Philippines is a place for her to give back and not to make more money – “I already have all the money I need, I don’t need more” and &#8220;my goal is to create financial education for free for Filipinos.&#8221; Given the opportunity, she would love to work with the Philippine government and the financial institutions as an advocate and not as a business person. Like her first trip, this trip is also a non-revenue endeavor for Suze Orman. &#8220;I&#8217;m here in the Philippines for the right reason and with the right message.&#8221;</p>
<p>On investing, Suze Orman gives this advice &#8220;the best lesson in investing is to listen to my own heart, listening to the voice of God.&#8221; While there is value with what experts tell you, you must know for yourself what is best for you. She is very bullish with the Philippines, she says that investing in the Philippines is a very good idea and what we are experiencing now is reminiscent of the U.S. in the early 80’s where their stock market and economy broke out. She recommends investing in the stock market through an index equity mutual fund as against a managed equity fund. However, I believe she needs to be advised that as per local experience, managed equity funds (mutual funds and UITF) have consistently outperformed the index for many years. She also advocates on regularly investing using the Dollar (Peso) Cost Averaging method. She also likes investing in high dividend stocks and exchange traded funds (ETF). She also said “forget Dollars, stick to Pesos!”</p>
<p>On a personal note, Suze Orman encouraged me to push more and more financial education for Filipinos and to help as many as I can to be empowered because they are financially secured. Suze Orman’s message is not only timely; it’s something we should hear over and over again.</p>
<p><em>Learn how to invest properly at the iCon 2013: The No Nonsense Investments Conference at the SMX on June 22, 2013. Features Efren Cruz (Investment Planning), Chinkee Tan (Entrepreneurship), Marvin Germo (Stock Market), Dennis Sy (Stewardship) and me. Presented by Sunlife Financial. For inquiries, send email to icon2013@ephesians.ph</em></p>
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		<title>My book will be out soon!</title>
		<link>http://www.randelltiongson.com/my-book-will-be-out-soon/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=my-book-will-be-out-soon</link>
		<comments>http://www.randelltiongson.com/my-book-will-be-out-soon/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 May 2013 00:23:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Randell Tiongson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Investment Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finance book for Filipinos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[No Nonsense Personal Finance Book]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Randell Tiongson Book]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[It took me a very long time to write a book but it is done. Production work (editing, layout and printing) on the way and I am excited to launch this soon!]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It took me a very long time to write a book but it is done. Production work (editing, layout and printing) on the way and I am excited to launch this soon!</p>
<p><img class="alignleft" alt="" src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/randellt/Randellbookcover11_zpscb9ad3d1.jpg" width="531" height="800" /></p>
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		<title>Growing your wealth through Entrepreneurship</title>
		<link>http://www.randelltiongson.com/growing-wealth-entrepreneurship/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=growing-wealth-entrepreneurship</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2013 01:03:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Randell Tiongson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Investment Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chinkee tan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[icon 2013]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marvin germo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[No Nonsense Investments Conference]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[How can you grow your wealth, by investing or by entrepreneurship? Can you be both? Learn from the Wealth Coach, Mr. Chinkee Tan on how to grow and invest through entrepreneurship at the iCOn 2013: The No Nonsense Investments Conference &#8230; <a href="http://www.randelltiongson.com/growing-wealth-entrepreneurship/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>How can you grow your wealth, by investing or by entrepreneurship? Can you be both? Learn from the Wealth Coach, Mr. Chinkee Tan on how to grow and invest through entrepreneurship at the iCOn 2013: The No Nonsense Investments Conference this June 22, 2013 at the SMX.</p>
<p>Chinkee Tan is one of the most sought after speakers and coaches in the arena of growing your wealth. He is a best-selling author, award-winning radio show host and a true mentor to thousands of Filipinos including me.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.randelltiongson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ChinkeeTan.jpg" rel="lightbox[2576]"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2577" alt="ChinkeeTan" src="http://www.randelltiongson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ChinkeeTan.jpg" width="640" height="480" /></a></p>
<p>To join the <strong>iCon 2013</strong>, please click <a href="http://www.marvingermo.com/portfolio/i-con-2013-the-no-nonsense-investments-conference/">HERE</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>5 Finance things to do before you hit 30</title>
		<link>http://www.randelltiongson.com/5-finance-hit-30/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=5-finance-hit-30</link>
		<comments>http://www.randelltiongson.com/5-finance-hit-30/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 May 2013 02:36:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Randell Tiongson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[30 years old]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[5 things to do before 30]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[There’s something about hitting 30. Somehow, you are still considered young at 30 and yet not that young anymore. Many things happen when you cross the 30 mark in the many aspects of your life. Your career should be taking &#8230; <a href="http://www.randelltiongson.com/5-finance-hit-30/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There’s something about hitting 30.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.randelltiongson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/30-year-term-life.jpg" rel="lightbox[2564]"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-2565" alt="30-year-term-life" src="http://www.randelltiongson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/30-year-term-life-300x217.jpg" width="300" height="217" /></a>Somehow, you are still considered young at 30 and yet not that young anymore. Many things happen when you cross the 30 mark in the many aspects of your life. Your career should be taking off at this age, you may have started a family or contemplating on starting one, you may have started accumulating wealth and you may have also started accumulating debt.</p>
<p>I have crossed the big 30 many, many, many years ago, I felt there were many things I should have done before I hit 30. I was listening to my friend and colleague <a href="http://www.marvingermo.com/">Marvin Germo </a>(of Stock Smarts) on the things he has been doing for financial readiness and he is not even 30. Marvin mentioned many things he has done which I only started on much later. If ever I get to do things over again, here are the finance things I will definitely be serious about before hitting 30.</p>
<p>1)      <b><i>Ensure you have a very healthy cash flow</i></b> – Folks in their 20s have started to earn and have begun to appreciate enjoying their income. The problem is, they enjoy their income too well that there is a tendency to spend every peso of it. This is a fun season to many as they now have freedom to do what they want and have the means to finance what they want. This is also a time of exploration to many especially for those who had parents who were a bit restrictive (like me as a parent), however, these explorations costs a lot of money. Accumulation of stuff also begins at this season and lifestyle upgrades becomes a social pressure.</p>
<p>Way before hitting 30, make sure you have a good grip on your money management. Working on a written budget is the best place to start. Learn how to allocate your income between needs and wants and make sure that at the end of the month, there is savings left. For those in their 20s, it’s best to have 30% to 40% savings left from income which is very possible if you have the discipline to stick to a budget. The money behavior you will have during this period will a have a lasting impact on your financial future so better start doing things right.</p>
<p>2)      <b><i>Minimize or resist from borrowing</i></b> – Credit card companies and financial institutions are always targeting this age group because they understand that people in their 20s loves to accumulate stuff, see the world and enjoy life in general &#8212; the perfect setting to lure people into debt! Not all debt is bad but you need learn how to discern a good debt from a bad one. Generally speaking, a good debt is one that will allow you to grow your assets and/or add income like a loan to finance a business or to purchase a real estate property. Any other debt that will not grow your asset base or add on to your income would be considered a bad debt like using your credit card to finance your new Samsung or iPhone smart phone, a Michael Kors bag, or your dream vacation to Bali.</p>
<p>People in their 20s begin to accumulate credit debt and other consumer loans which are grossly disproportional to their incomes. The bad credit decisions you will make during your 20s will have severe ramifications up to your 40s and 50s. Your credit standing will also be made or broken during this time so learn how to use credit responsibly.</p>
<p>3)      <b><i>Start investing</i></b> – The best time to begin investing is whey you are young! When you have a lot of time, you can have more options on how to grow your wealth and even take in more risks. Taking in more risks will mean that there is a better chance of growing your wealth faster and you can ride the ups and downs of the economic cycles. If you lose money and you are young, you still have a lot of time to recover. The good investments for long term would be investments in the stock market or Mutual Funds or UITFs that are invested in equities. While they are volatile, they are bound to generate the best returns over a long stretch of time. My friend and investment trainer <a href="http://www.rickysogood.com">Ricky So</a> said “take risks when you are young, if you lose your money, you still have your parents to run to” – funny guy!</p>
<p>Start learning how to invest and act on it. There are a lot of seminars and training for the public on how to invest but don’t linger with making that first investment. A good way to start would be putting some money in a mutual fund or the UITF of your bank. Equity laced funds like stock funds or even balanced funds are ideal for young investors. You may also consider some on-line trading if you want to have a say over your stock market investments. Just a note, if you will not have the time and the competence to trade your own stocks, stick to mutual funds or UITFs. Make your investing automatic by regularly adding to your funds or buying more shares. In your 20s, you probably don’t have sizeable investment funds yet but small amounts done regularly will also produce great results. If you started investing only P2,000 every month at the age of 21, you would have accumulated over P1 Million by the time you hit 41 (assuming a yield of 8% p.a.). Have an auto-debit arrangement for your investing; making things automatic does the trick. Remember, invest early, invest wisely and invest regularly.</p>
<p>4)      <b><i>Buy life insurance</i></b> – This is not a pitch for life insurance agents but I encourage you to listen to one. If there are people already depending on your income, do not delay in buying a life insurance policy. Premiums are much cheaper if you buy it before you hot 30 and I also notice that premiums rise sharply when you hit your 30s and 40s. Just remember to buy a policy you can afford. There are many kinds of life insurance policies but I would probably stick to either a term insurance or a Variable Universal Life insurance or VUL. Term insurance if you want to maximize your coverage and keep your premiums low – the downside is that you do not earn from this kind of policy. I suggest that you buy term and also invest in mutual funds or you can buy a VUL which is a term with a mutual fund. Just make sure you chose a reputable provider and one who has a good record on after sales service. For your peace of mind, you may want to limit your choices among the top 10 life insurance companies.</p>
<p>5)      <b><i>Learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others</i></b> – For sure, you will make a lot of mistakes in your 20s – and your 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. Along with many other mistakes you are bound to make, some of them are financial mistakes &#8212; bad investment decisions, wrong borrowings, wrong purchases, etc. But that’s life and the best way to respond to our mistakes is for us to learn from it and not repeat it anymore. As you make those mistakes, always look for the lesson behind those mistakes and learn to avoid them in the future.</p>
<p>Experience is your best teacher but we don’t always have to learn from our own experience. You can also learn much from other people’s experiences and in this case, other people’s mistakes. Look for mentors who can help you and learn from their experiences and their mistakes as well.</p>
<p>Hitting 30 is a big thing and somehow, it’s a passage rite to many of us. It is a time to learn from the past but be hopeful for what the future will bring.</p>
<p><b><i>“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”</i></b> &#8212; 1 Timothy 4:12, NLT</p>
<p>Attend<a href="http://www.randelltiongson.com/i-con2013/"><strong> iCon 2013</strong></a>: The No Nonsense Investments Conference</p>
<p><img class="alignnone" alt="" src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/randellt/iCon2013_zpsd39c9d2d.jpg" width="565" height="799" /></p>
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		<title>What I picked up from the RFP Financial Fitness Forum</title>
		<link>http://www.randelltiongson.com/picked-rfp-financial-fitness-forum/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=picked-rfp-financial-fitness-forum</link>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 04 May 2013 16:31:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Randell Tiongson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Investment Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aya Laraya]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[efren cruz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Henry Ong]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marvin germo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RFP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RFP Financial Fitness Forum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ricky So]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rienzie Biolena]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Salve Duplito]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[I had the honor of hosting the first RFP Financial Fitness Forum earlier and it was such a good program that I learned and re-learned much from the best minds of the Registered Financial Planner Institute. Kudos to Henry Ong &#8230; <a href="http://www.randelltiongson.com/picked-rfp-financial-fitness-forum/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.randelltiongson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/RFP-Financial-Fitness.jpg" rel="lightbox[2558]"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-2559" alt="RFP Financial Fitness" src="http://www.randelltiongson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/RFP-Financial-Fitness-300x300.jpg" width="300" height="300" /></a><em>I had the honor of hosting the first RFP Financial Fitness Forum earlier and it was such a good program that I learned and re-learned much from the best minds of the Registered Financial Planner Institute. Kudos to Henry Ong and the RFP team for enlightening over 300 participants of the forum.</em></p>
<p><em>Instead of doing a summary of the forum, I will re-post below all the posts I made through my twitter which highlights a lot of the learning I picked up. I used the hash tag #rfpfinancialfitness as well. Here goes!</em></p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;</p>
<p>Efren Cruz cites dangers of all the euphoria in our investments environment, too much hot money vs. low foreign direct investments.</p>
<p>&#8220;Stocks cannot continue to defy gravity.&#8221; &#8211; Efren Cruz <a dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23rfpfinancialfitness&amp;src=hash" data-query-source="hashtag_click"><s><br />
</s></a></p>
<p>&#8220;Nobody is brilliant in a bull market.&#8221; &#8211; Efren Cruz</p>
<p>&#8220;Our stock prices are now overpriced.&#8221; &#8211; Efren Cruz</p>
<p>&#8220;Pag mas malaki ang discretionary income, mas better ang life.&#8221; &#8211; Efren Cruz</p>
<p>&#8220;Before investing your money, start financial planning first.&#8221;</p>
<p>Efren Cruz talks about his free personal finance app, now available at symbian and android and soon for iOs. Exciting!</p>
<p>&#8220;Giving a financial plan is serious business.&#8221; Efren Cruz</p>
<p>@pesosandsense Aya Laraya gives #rfpfinancialfitness participants an update of the investment markets.</p>
<p>&#8220;It will take years before we will feel the benefits of our economic growth &amp; investment grade.&#8221; Aya Laraya</p>
<p>&#8220;Invest in businesses you understand.&#8221; Aya Laraya</p>
<p>&#8220;Before investing in a fund, you should read the prospectus.&#8221; Aya Laraya</p>
<p>&#8220;Long-term is a strategy, not an excuse to delay a bad decision.&#8221; Aya Laraya</p>
<p>&#8220;Price and earnings will ultimately meet.&#8221; &#8211; Aya Laraya</p>
<p>&#8220;Re BLOOM, after all the pr and hype, can they deliver?&#8221; Aya Laraya</p>
<p>&#8220;PLDT as a stock is still cheap.&#8221; Aya Laraya</p>
<p>Banking is good business, making them good stock picks.</p>
<p>Banking stocks are good because they benefit from strong inflows plus low interest rates as consumers may be encouraged to buy more.</p>
<p>The investment grade will most likely attract Foreign Direct Investments.</p>
<p>&#8220;If you want to enter the stock matket for short term gains, don&#8217;t.&#8221; Aya Laraya</p>
<p>&#8220;Aral muna bago invest.&#8221; Aya Laraya</p>
<p>&#8220;Only 1 out of 10 Filipinos enjoy their retirement.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Before investing, know your investment goals first.&#8221;</p>
<p>Some people spend a lot of time &amp; energy trying to find the best investment; ignoring the more fundamental issues in finance.</p>
<p>We need to upgrade our financial education because we are now in a new world &amp; a new world requires new solutions.</p>
<p>&#8220;People spend faster today.&#8221; &#8211; Noel Arandilla</p>
<p>&#8220;Everything is changing except our financial strategies.&#8221; Noel Arandilla</p>
<p>&#8220;We are expecting to see about 40,000 OFWs in Singapore to lose their jobs this year.&#8221; Noel Arandilla</p>
<p>&#8220;2 problems in life: We live too long or we die to soon.&#8221; &#8211; Noel Arandilla</p>
<p>&#8220;Poverty is not lack of time, it is mismanaged time. It is not lack of money, it is mismanaged money.&#8221; Noel Arandilla</p>
<p>&#8220;A credit card is not an emergency fund, it&#8217;s only for convenience.&#8221; &#8211; Salve Duplito</p>
<p>&#8220;The stock market earned 32% in 2012 &amp; 24% in 5 months in 2013.&#8221; &#8211; Marvin Germo</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s never too late to invest.&#8221; &#8211; Marvin Germo</p>
<p>&#8220;My goals are more important than my investments.&#8221; &#8211; Marvin Germo</p>
<p>&#8220;Your wealth should also last in bear markets.&#8221; &#8211; Marvin Germo</p>
<p>&#8220;Stay in the market until you hit your goal.&#8221; &#8211; Marvin Germo</p>
<p>&#8220;When investing, stick to your own conviction.&#8221; &#8211; Marvin Germo</p>
<p>&#8220;Aanhin mo ang pera kung wala ka namang love life.&#8221; &#8211; Marvin Germo</p>
<p>&#8220;I always put a specific amount on regular intervals.&#8221; &#8211; Marvin Germo</p>
<p>&#8220;I pick stocks both for short term and long term.&#8221; &#8211; Marvin Germo</p>
<p>&#8220;If the stock is making money, price will always follow ultimately.&#8221; &#8211; Marvin Germo</p>
<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t diversify too much, 4-7 stocks in any given time.&#8221; &#8211; Marvin Germo</p>
<p>&#8220;Where the money is flowing, follow it.&#8221; &#8211; Marvin Germo</p>
<p>&#8220;Pag umaakyat ang market dapat umaakyat din economy.&#8221; &#8211; Marvin Germo</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m bullish on bank stocks like BDO &amp; EastWest Bank.&#8221; &#8211; Marvin Germo</p>
<p>&#8220;Will the stock market crash? My answer is no.&#8221; &#8211; Ricky So</p>
<p>&#8220;Why invest in the Philippines? Because it&#8217;s our country. When we invest here, our market will be less dependent on hot money.&#8221; &#8211; Marvin Germo</p>
<p>&#8220;Hope without analysis won&#8217;t get you anywhere.&#8221; &#8211; Marvin Germo</p>
<p>&#8220;The worst thing that you can do is buy something just because someone told you.&#8221; &#8211; Marvin Germo</p>
<p>&#8220;BSP sees a moderate &amp; benign inflation of about 3 to 3.5% for the Philippines.&#8221; &#8211; Rienzie Biolena</p>
<p>&#8220;When you&#8217;re young you can invest in equities because if you lose money, you still have your parents.&#8221; Ricky So &#8211; funny guy!</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;</p>
<p><em>There were so much more learning but it was hard listening, taking down notes, tweeting, taking photos and hosting all at the same time so this will do for now. </em></p>
<p><em>The next event you should not miss is iCon 2013: The No Nonsense Investments Conference on June 22 at the SMX! Click <a href="http://www.marvingermo.com/portfolio/i-con-2013-the-no-nonsense-investments-conference/"><strong>HERE</strong></a>.</em></p>
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		<title>The RFP Financial Fitness Forum</title>
		<link>http://www.randelltiongson.com/the-rfp-financial-fitness-forum/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-rfp-financial-fitness-forum</link>
		<comments>http://www.randelltiongson.com/the-rfp-financial-fitness-forum/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:10:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Randell Tiongson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial Fitness Forum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RFP]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Join the RFP Financial Fitness Forum May 4, 2013 (10:00 am &#8211; 9:00 pm) / SM Megatrade Hall, Mandaluyong City, Philippines Get Informed and Get in Shape Financial Fitness Forum is a one-day personal finance event that answers everything you &#8230; <a href="http://www.randelltiongson.com/the-rfp-financial-fitness-forum/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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<h1>Join the RFP Financial Fitness Forum</h1>
<p><strong>May 4, 2013 (10:00 am &#8211; 9:00 pm) /<br />
SM Megatrade Hall, Mandaluyong City, Philippines</strong></p>
<h1>Get Informed and Get in Shape</h1>
<p>Financial Fitness Forum is a one-day personal finance event that answers everything you need to achieve your financial goals! Regardless of your situation in life, whether you are salaried employee or entrepreneur, this is your opportunity to get valuable personal finance advise you can&#8217;t afford to ignore. Get fresh ideas on investing, learn powerful insights about wealth building, apply new strategies in growing your money. Plus, interact with Registered Financial Planners (RFP®) for free counseling and advise at Financial Planning Clinic sessions.</p>
<p>Catch the RFP Experts! <em>Efren Cruz, Aya Laraya, Alvin Tabanag, Noel Arandilla, Salve Duplito, Edwin Suson, Kendrick Chua, Marvin Germo, Atty. Ariel Martinez, Rienze Biolena,  Jeff Gonzales, Ricky So and Randell Tiongson </em>in one mega event!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Some Commandments in Stock Investing</title>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:54:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Randell Tiongson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Investment Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[efren cruz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[finance speakers philippines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[icon 2013]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal finance philippines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Philippine Stock Market]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[So honored and blessed to be featuring a guest blogger whom I respect and admire so much. Efren and I have been friends for quite some time now and he remains to be a role model to me and many &#8230; <a href="http://www.randelltiongson.com/some-commandments-in-stock-investing/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;" align="center"><em>So honored and blessed to be featuring a guest blogger whom I respect and admire so much. Efren and I have been friends for quite some time now and he remains to be a role model to me and many ways. More than a colleague, Efren is a great mentor. More than an investment expert, Efren is a genuine advocate who practices more than what he preaches.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;" align="center"><em>In this installment, Efren puts some wisdom on stock market investing. With so much attention and curiosity in stock investing, Efren’s wisdom is so timely and his balanced view is something that he is really known for — I take his insights and advise very seriously. </em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;" align="center"><em>Efren will be featured in iCon 2013: The No Nonsense Investments Conference this June 22, 2013 at the SMX. He will tackle the very important topic of investment planning. Check out the conference <a href="http://www.marvingermo.com/portfolio/i-con-2013-the-no-nonsense-investments-conference/"><strong>HERE</strong></a><br />
</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;" align="center">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-</p>
<p style="text-align: left;" align="center"><b>Some Commandments in Stock Investing</b></p>
<p style="text-align: left;" align="center">by Efren Ll. Cruz, RFP</p>
<p><b><i><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Question</span></i></b><i>:</i>Are there any rulesthat I should strictly follow in stock investing?– <i>via email</i></p>
<p><b><i><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Answer</span></i></b><b><i>:</i></b>To be sure, there are many rules to follow.  But here are some that immediately come to mind.</p>
<p>1) <b><i>Do not make money a graven image</i></b>.  Money has always been and will always be just one of the tools to achieve the more important things in life. The same goes for stock investing. Don’t get me wrong though. Money and stock investing are important tools. Just don’t let your life revolve around them as if they were the reasons for being. And when you make money, don’t forget to whom the glory belongs.</p>
<p>2) <i style="font-weight: bold;">Forget about buying at the bottom and selling at the peak</i>. Your chances of buying at the lowest point and selling at the highest level is as slim as winning the 6/55 lotto (about one in nearly 29 million). Why? Because you will only know that a particular price is either the lowest or the highest after the fact. Worse, you may not have even placed your order before then.</p>
<p>3) <i style="font-weight: bold;">You </i><b><i>beta</i></b><b><i> watch out, you </i></b><b><i>beta </i></b><b><i>not cry</i></b>. Stock prices tend to move together.  It’s just that some move faster than others.  A way to measure this relative movement is to measure a stock’s beta.  Usually, a stock’s beta is measured against a broad market indicator like the Philippine Stock Exchange Composite Index or PSEi. Operationally, if a stock’s beta is 1.5, and the PSEi made a 2% return, that stock should make a 3% (i.e. 1.5 x 2%) return.</p>
<p>A higher beta would mean a stock with a more volatile and, therefore more risky behavior vis-à-vis the PSEi. This is not to say that stocks with high betas should be totally avoided.  You just need to match your risk tolerance with that of the stock you are buying. In other words, buy with eyes wide open. You don’t need to perform the computations for deriving beta as you can simply ask for them from your stock broker.</p>
<p>4) <i style="font-weight: bold;">Investment decisions have manufactured and best before dates.</i> Do not cry over spilled milk as they say.  If you are truly diligent in studying your options before investing, you would always make the best decisions given the information available to you at the time.  However, the only thing that is constant in life is change itself. Your investment decisions will have a shelf life as many factors can change with the underlying companies you bought.  So make it a habit to review your investments periodically.  Once a quarter should be good enough.</p>
<p>5) <i style="font-weight: bold;">Do not covet your neighbor’s allocation</i>. Even if someone comes up to you to brag about the tons of money he made from a certain investment allocation,that is his allocation and not yours.  You will need to come up with your own according to your own return objectives and risk preference.  How else will you be able to tell your own story?</p>
<p>6) <i style="font-weight: bold;">Do not get too excited with breaking news</i>. Stock investing is manic-depressive.  Keep your cool when you come across exciting news. In the first place, if it wereexciting news about a certain stock, it would already be a time to sell that stock and not to buy it. You are supposed to buy before the news breaks. More importantly, it is the long-term earnings and growth prospects of the underlying companies you boughtthat you should focus on.</p>
<p>There are much more stock investing commandments to write about.  But the foregoing should give you enough to chew on for a while.</p>
<p>Thanks to Randell for allowing me to post this guest blog.  More power to you my dear friend.</p>
<p><em>Efren Ll. Cruz is a Registered Financial Planner of RFP Philippines, personal finance coach, seasoned investment adviser and bestselling author. Questions about the article may be sent by SMS to 0917-505-0709 or emailed to </em><a href="mailto:efren@personalfinance.ph"><em>efren@personalfinance.ph</em></a><em>.</em></p>
<p><span style="color: #999999;"><em><b>Copyright 2013 Efren Ll. Cruz, RFP.  All rights reserved. This material should not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written of the author. </b></em></span></p>
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		<title>Invest in yourself</title>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:01:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Randell Tiongson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Investment Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[best investment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[investing in yourself]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[randell tiongson]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;d like to share an excerpt of the book I am writing. I hope that you will find this excerpt helpful. &#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212; Invest In Yourself I believe the best way to earn is to first invest on your best performing &#8230; <a href="http://www.randelltiongson.com/invest-in-yourself/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>I&#8217;d like to share an excerpt of the book I am writing. I hope that you will find this excerpt helpful.</em></p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;</p>
<p><strong><i></i></strong><strong><i>Invest In Yourself</i></strong><strong><i></i></strong></p>
<p><img class="alignleft" alt="" src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/randellt/invest-in-yourself_zps7a89e09e.gif" width="292" height="232" />I believe the best way to earn is to first invest on your best performing asset—You! Improving yourself will be the best way for you to earn better. Have you ever honestly asked the question, &#8220;Am I investing in myself?&#8221;</p>
<p>When was the last time you read a good book? When I say good book, I am referring to good reference materials and not those fictional stories of vampires in love or some fantasy magical school.  I noticed that many Filipinos are not in the habit of reading, and I was one of them until my friends from church started giving me books and encouraged me to read more. When I started to read books, I realized that I started getting better at my writing, my teaching, and I was even becoming to be an interesting conversationalist. There were many new things I picked up that were directly or indirectly related to my profession. I did not limit my reading to finance materials. I started to read many books on leadership, marketing, digital media, economics, business and others. Of course, part of my daily reading is the Bible where I get much wisdom, especially for financial matters.</p>
<p>I try to read foreign and local books. The foreign writers that I love to read are Andy Stanley, John Maxwell, Dave Ramsey, Seth Godin, Larry Burkett among others. I’ve also found some local books insightful such as Efren Ll. Cruz’ Pwede Na! A Complete Pinoy Guide on Personal Finance, Chinkee Tan’s Till Debt Do Us Part, Jayson Lo’s YOUnique, Josiah Go’s Marketing Plan, Yeng Remulla’s Productive Pinoy plus a couple of books of Francis Kong.</p>
<p>I don’t limit myself to reading just books; I regularly follow some columnists like Efren Cruz, Cito Beltran, Wilson Lee Flores, John Mangun among others. I also devour a lot of stuff from the internet, reading many blogs by Carlo Ople, Dennis Sy, Noemi Dado, etc. I spend about 1 to 2 hours daily reading, researching and studying materials. I even go through a lot of Twitter posts; picking up potential materials I can use and following the links.</p>
<p>Podcasts are also something I like listening to especially when I am travelling. I make it a point to periodically listen to the podcasts of Dave Ramsey and Ravi Zacharias.</p>
<p>I also converse heavily with a lot of people and my mentors. Coffee or lunch sessions with them have always been a huge learning opportunity for me.  Most notable are my sessions with Francis Kong, Cito Beltran, Josiah Go, Efren Cruz and Rex Mendoza. Sessions with my peers are also great learning opportunities that have truly helped me learn, apply and teach.</p>
<p>I must confess that I still have a lot of unread materials, un-played podcasts, un-opened links and un-served coffee that I need to work on but I will get to them sooner than later.</p>
<p>It is always a good idea to invest on learning. Many Filipinos are not big fans of trainings and seminars—a big mistake if you ask me. The more I learn from trainings and seminars, reading books, talking to great mentors, and reading columns, the more productive I get.</p>
<p>When I was a young insurance professional, I took a special program being offered in the industry. Many of my peers felt it was a waste of money and a waste of time. Instead of being encouraged, many were actually discouraging me from spending hard-earned money (which I didn’t have much of) and giving the seminars the time of the day. While the program was far from perfect, the learning I picked up was able to make me a better insurance professional and gave me a thirst to learn further. I saw myself becoming more confident and competent because of the learning, and my investment definitely paid off because I was able to improve my revenue as a direct result of the program I took. Years later, I rose to become a manager of insurance agents in the company I used to represent. I stumbled upon an imported program for agency leaders but the enrollment cost was quite steep. If I remember it right, the cost was more than P50,000 for me to enroll in the program. Many of the agency managers in my industry were not investing in the program, and most of them cited cost and time as a reason not to. Being the learner that I am, I reviewed the program and knew I could benefit from such a program even if my peers thought otherwise. True enough, I became a better agency manager as a result and my income reflected a rise in multiples of what I paid for the training. I took many more programs and invested in dozens of seminars in a span of 2 decades—some of those carried a hefty price tag like the conference I attended in Singapore once you factor in plane fare, hotel and other incidentals on top of the pricey conference fee.</p>
<p>I have lost track of how much money I spent on my learning but it was all worth it. While there were a number of conferences or books that weren&#8217;t really as helpful as I wanted them to be, I’d say that I have learned much from them and contributed to who I am today. The returns are quite difficult to compute but it has really paid off in exponential ways. In fact some of the programs I took, I ended up teaching them myself as the organizations behind them would often ask me if I can teach the programs, for a fee of course.</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-</p>
<p><em>The excerpt from the book I&#8217;m writing echoes a strongly held belief of mine &#8212; the best investment you can ever make is investing in yourself.</em></p>
<p>Catch this year&#8217;s most exiting and insightful investments event: iCon 2013 &#8211; The No Nonsense Investments Conference on June 22, 2013 at the SMX. Check out <a href="http://www.randelltiongson.com/i-con2013/">http://www.randelltiongson.com/i-con2013/</a></p>
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