Sharing an article used for UCC’s Beacon of Change program….

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What to Do With P 100,000: Three Goals to Fulfill Before Investing

If you had P 100,000, what would be the best way to invest it—assuming you have an emergency fund for crisis situations and no debt? How do you ensure your financial well-being?

“You must determine your investment objective,” says Personal Finance coach, Randell Tiongson. “What is your time frame? What is your tolerance for risk? These are some of the questions you have to ask yourself.”

What you do will depend on whether you see yourself as a low-, moderate-, or high-risk investor.  “Whatever your goals are, you have to become a no-nonsense investor.

If you are not too keen on risks such as loss of capital, (in other words, you are a low-risk investor) you could look into time deposits, special deposit accounts, treasury bills, or mutual funds/ Unit Investment Trust Funds (UITFs) that are invested in fixed income securities or bonds.” These investments, Tiongson says, are low-yield investments but they are highly recommended for those who want to play it safe.

For moderate-risk investors, he has this advice: “You can look at mutual funds/ UITFs that have both bonds and stocks in the fund, popularly referred to as ‘Balance Funds’.”

For high-risk investors, Tiongson recommends investments that have higher yields— the stock market or going into business.

It is good to set short-term and long-term goals, says Tiongson. He suggests three financial goals you can set for yourself for 2011. Your first goal, he says, is to aim to have a positive cash flow. “Balance the budget and ensure there is a surplus. Everything starts from here. In simple terms, that means you must earn more money or spend less money. It’s actually best if you do both.”

Secondly, you should set savings goals. Foremost, aim to set up an emergency fund equivalent to at least three months’ worth of monthly expenses. Once this has been set up, set savings goals for your short-, medium-, and long- term needs.  Dedicate yourself to generating the amounts you have set as your savings goal.

Your third goal should be to start building your capability to invest. Tiongson suggests that after an emergency fund has been set aside, one should create a separate investment fund, set up solely for the purpose of investing. “Build on it peso by peso. Wait for good investment opportunities.”

Once you have set your financial goals, you may feel that you do not have the resources or the sufficient know-how to achieve those goals. Tiongson outlines specific steps that you can take to ensure your financial well-being. “Budget well,” he says. “Itemize all your expenses and arrange them according to priority. Knowing what you need to spend on helps your budgeting process. Adjust your budget accordingly to ensure you will have a surplus. Be prepared to cut on spending for your wants (as opposed to spending on your needs).”

Finally, Tiongson says that you should also make sure you pay close attention to building your skills, whatever the job or position you hold. “Education is an investment. Build on your competence. In fact, education could be what sets you on the road to earning more money.”

Tiongson wrote “The Twelve Easy Steps to Financial Wellness” as an add-on to the UCC Vision Logbook, available at UCC Coffee Concept stores. Building on the theme “Positive Change and Planning for Change,” the UCC Vision Logbook aims to deliver to loyal UCC customers a blend of motivational and practical information to bring about positive change.

The UCC Vision Logbook was put together by Tiongson, visionary restaurateur and UCC owner Hubert Young, motivational speaker Francis Kong, mind mapping expert Raju Mandhyan, and entrepreneurship advocate, Jay Bernardo, for Let’s Go Foundation.

UCC customers can avail themselves of the basic vision logbook by presenting an accumulated P5,000 in UCC Coffee Concept Store receipts. A customer may claim the logbook by presenting receipts issued within the promo period (December 15, 2010, to February 28, 2011). More add-on modules designed by the Beacons of Change are also available for every P 1,500 single minimum receipt purchase at UCC Coffee Concept Stores within the promo period.