Peso Smart PH: Investing in the Philippines

In this episode: We discuss the history of SeedIn briefly, the amount of money it has raised, the alleged mishandled and misappropriated funds of the company by its former president, the suspension of withdrawals and payouts, the inactivity of their website, and the latest updates from their Facebook page.

In this episode: We talk about the price of rice, how the standard serving will eventually be changed to a half cup, how rice is a staple part of the Filipino diet, and how we can continue eating rice without demonizing it.

In this episode: We discuss the dividend paying stocks from the Philippine stock market this December 2024.

In this episode: We discussed Neri Naig's arrest which was related to the Dermacare investment scam, Chito Miranda's defense that she's only an endorser, Luis Manzano's involvement to a similar Ponzi scheme with Flex Fuel, the advisory of the SEC against Dermacare, and tips on how we can avoid these types of investment scams.

In this episode: We discuss Bitcoin potentially hitting $100k over the weekend, the current strong Bitcoin dominance, the potential of an alt season in 2025, and the continuation of the crypto bull run next year.

In this episode: We discuss the follow-on offering of DITO, its lackluster stock performance the past couple of years, the possibility of it trading at 1k per share, its current retained deficit and the most recent profitable quarter.

In this episode: We discuss the new feature from GCash, GBonds, its planned released date this December, the recent security issue with GCash last week, and the possible effects of democratized investments to retail investors.

In this episode: We review the email reminders from eToro about the closure of accounts here in the Philippines, the important dates you need to take note of, and the alternatives that you may use in place of eToro.

In this episode: We explore what the Maharlika Investment Fund and Maharlika Investment Corporation are, its purpose and goal, and Chel Diokno's take on the MIF.

In this episode: We discuss the basics of Pagibig MP2 Savings, its dividend payout rate the last 5 years, and how to open an MP2 account online.

In this episode: We discuss the recent rally of Bitcoin to $80k, some of the indicators that signals we're probably still early in the market cycle, the charts from Benjamin Cowen's Into the Cryptoverse and his YouTube channel.

In this episode: We compare the performance of the PSEi and the S&P 500 in the last 35 years, how many up and down years they both have, and how much an investment of 1 million Pesos would've gained today if you invested it back in 1990.

In this episode: We discuss the security breach on GCash, some of the people who reported they were affected, and the official statement of GCash about this incident.

In this episode: We went through the indices from the US stock market and how they performed after the presidential election results, checked the performance of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Algorand, and Ronin, and lastly, we also looked into the performance of local stocks here in the Philippines and why the market reacts negatively on uncertainty.

In this episode: We reviewed the new trading platform of BPI Trade, discussed the new features, it's advantages and disadvantages, and the features from the old platform that will be missed.

In this episode: We discuss the models from Mark Hulbert and LBL Financial that predict the outcome of U.S. Presidential elections, the accuracy of these models, how the market performs if a Democrat or a Republican wins, and the current poll results for the candidates.

In this episode: We discuss the list of dividend paying stocks from the PSE with ex-dates this November 2024. A couple of the companies paying dividends are Ayala, Cirtek, Double Dragon, Security Bank, EEI, RFM, and many more.

In this episode: We discussed the importance of defining your investing goal, the plan you can follow to achieve an investing goal, and actions and strategies you may adapt to become a successful investor.

In this episode: We discussed the history of Seabank, its parent company, Sea Limited, its association with Shopee, and the advantages and disadvantages of using its online savings account.

In this episode: We'll discuss IPOs or initial public offerings, the SEC and the PSE's desire to ramp up IPOs in the Philippines, and our conclusion if investors should participate in IPOs.

In this episode: We review the performance of the theoretical portfolio we've build back in 2020. We discuss the dividend yield of each of the stocks and the difference in performance or gains when dividends are reinevsted.

In this episode: We discuss the various lessons that can be learned from the book, the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. We go in depth about 7 key lessons from the book and how it can be applied in our day-to-day life.

In this episode: We talk about the importance of consistency when it comes to investing. We also try to understand how compounding interest works. These are all insights and lessons from the book, the Psychology of Money, by Morgan Housel.

In this episode: I share the lessons I've learned from reading the Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday. These lessons are essential to live a full life and it can also be applied to become a better investor.

In this episode: We'll discuss how risk and luck are interrelated. Luck plays a big role in our successes. And when we're exposed to risk, we often get blindsided if we don't have any margin of safety.

In this episode: The inflation rate in the Philippines from September 2024 was discussed, how it dictates the next actions of the BSP, and how this affects the PSEi.

In this episode: We discuss alternative online brokers for eToro and their potential risk of being banned by the SEC, options to invest in UITFs locally that tracks international funds (and their high fees), along with the SEC's advisory about multiple investment scams that we need to avoid.

In this episode: We discuss the notice sent by eToro to account holders in the Philippines that they will be exiting the Philippine Market.

Headline Inflation Report from the PSA: - The Philippines' headline inflation or overall inflation slowed down further to 2.8 percent in January 2024. This is the lowest inflation rate since the 2.3 percent inflation rate recorded in October 2020. Inflation rate was recorded at 3.9 percent in December 2023, while it was 8.7 percent in January 2023. - The downtrend in the overall inflation in January 2024 was primarily brought about by the slower annual increment of food and non-alcoholic beverages at 3.5 percent in January 2024 from 5.4 percent in the previous month. Also contributing to the downtrend was housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels with slower annual increase of 0.7 percent during the month from 1.5 percent in December 2023.

RON is the native coin of Ronin, an EVM blockchain specifically forged for gaming and developed by Sky Mavis. It was initially designed for running the Axie Infinity (AXIE) game. Ronin optimizes for near-instant transactions and negligible fees that enable millions of in-game transactions to occur seamlessly, making it the leading choice for Web3 games.

Market capitalization (Investopedia): refers to the total dollar/peso market value of a company's outstanding shares of stock. The investment community uses this figure to determine a company's size instead of sales or total asset figures. In an acquisition, the market cap is used to determine whether a takeover candidate represents a good value or not to the acquirer.

Company Description of SGP (PSE Edge): - Synergy Grid & Development Phils., Inc. (SGP) was originally incorporated on June 1, 1970 as Mankayan Minerals Development Company, Inc. On February 22, 1994, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the Company's change in corporate name to UEM Development Phils., lnc., and the change in primary purpose from engaging in mining activities to general construction and other allied businesses. - On March 28, 2011, the SEC approved the change in corporate name to the present one, as well as the change in primary purpose to engage in power, energy, utilities, infrastructure and allied businesses. - On December 20, 2019, SGP entered into a share swap transaction with the stockholders of OneTaipan Holdings, Inc. (OTHI) and Pacifica2 Holdings, Inc. (P21). As a result, SGP owned 67% of the outstanding shares of each OTHI and P21. OTHI owns controlling shares in Monte Oro Grid Resources Corporation (MOGRC), which holds 30% plus one share in National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). P21 owns controlling shares in Calaca High Power Corporation (CHPC), which in turn owns 30% minus one share in NGCP. The share swap transaction was undertaken to formally consolidate the two major shareholders' ownership and control of NGCP through a common corporate structure. Accordingly, the effective ownership of SGP in NGCP will be 40.20%, with control of 60% voting rights through subsidiaries MOGRC and CHPC.

In today's episode, we'll discuss how to place buy and sell orders using BPI Trade. It's UI is clean and easy to use. You can familiarize yourself with it in a couple minutes. Although it might not be the best online broker for day traders but it can be a good choice for long term holders and investors.

It has been a while since I posted the dividend paying stocks from the PSE. Today, we'll start compiling it again. Just a reminder, you need to buy or hold the stock ONE DAY before the ex-date to get paid for the dividends that particular period.

Earning ₱100k per month in the Philippines places you in the upper middle class or upper class income earner. The question is, would it be possible to earn that much purely from stock dividend income? We'll answer that in this episode.

First Metro Philippine Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. (FMETF) is an exchange traded fund that tracks the PSEi (Philippine Stock Exchange Index). The fund has been underperforming in the last 5 years as the PSEi is underperforming international markets as well during that period. It also has a high management fee or expense ratio (compared to VOO and VT) at 0.50% per annum. VOO is an exchange traded fund by The Vanguard Group, Inc. and it tracks the S&P500, representing the 500 largest companies in the United States. It has an average total return of about 12% per year (last 10 years) and 15.66% (last 5 years). It also has a low expense ratio at 0.03%. VT is Vanguard's Total World Stock ETF which tracks the FTSE Global All Cap Index. The fund invests in U.S. and international stocks. The country with the biggest weight on this Index is the U.S.A. with 60.94%, followed by Japan at 6.16%, United Kingdom with 3.75% and Canada at 2.80%. You'll also be exposed to the magnificent 7 of stocks: Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, Alphabet (parent of Google), Meta (formerly Facebook), and Tesla. Lastly, VT has an expense ratio of 0.07%.

PSB's stock has been trading sideways since 2021. The company consistently posts a net income quarter after quarter and year after year. It's also a dividend paying stock. This is one of the stocks that you may want to consider buying if you're acquiring dividend paying stocks on your portfolio.

Today's episode is a change of pace from the usual investing, stocks, mindset, self-improvement and philosophy content that we post on this channel. Let's talk about Tywin Lannister, my favorite character from George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire universe.

Bitcoin is currently down 19% from its local top of almost $49k 2 weeks ago. The dump is probably caused by traders closing their positions after the Bitcoin ETF approval hype cooled down. We are still around 5% away from touching the bull market support band and if BTC's price action goes that way, it might be a good time to deploy some capital. DCA is still the best strategy for most long term crypto investor. DCA into the market while it's down and DCA out of the market while it's high.

Your temperance or temperament is an important factor to consider as an investor. You need to have a good temperament in order to become successful with investing. And it's a good thing that Stoicism, a branch of philosophy, is readily available to be studied and used as a tool to help you in your investing journey. I'd highly recommend reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius if you're interested to dip your toes into philosophy.

I'm not much of a book reader for majority of my life (I'm 28 btw). However, this changed when I committed to the habit of reading back in 2022. From 1 book read in 2021, to 10 books in 2022, and eventually 34 books last year. This is the power of habit and compounding.

Trading and investing in the crypto market can be intimidating and frustrating at times. However, there are simple tools you may use and simple strategies you may practice to navigate the cryptoverse. I hope this video helps you out!

The PSEi is on its fourth year of negative returns since 2020. While the S&P 500 is up 19%, the NASDAQ up by 46% and the Dow is up by 8.96%, the PSEi is currently down by 5%. It's not a good sight for Filipino investors, especially the ones who exclusively invest in PH stocks. And it seems like foreign capital inflow won't help the PH market anytime soon, given the bullish sentiment in the US market and crypto market.

The PH SEC is currently working with the NTC to block the website and app of Binance, a centralized crypto exchange. It also warned the public not to invest in Binance as the exchange is not authorized to trade securities in the country.

In today's episode, we talk about the different ways you do to improve your negotiation skills. Various topics like human psychology, tactical empathy, calibrated questions, leverage and much more will be discussed. You may get a copy of Never Split the Difference from National Bookstore here: https://invl.io/clkeh97

Charlie Munger was a legendary investor. His wisdom in life, personal finance, happiness, and investing are invaluable. He lived his long life doing what he loves and what he does best. He's an inspiration to many and a role-model to aspiring investors around the world. May he rest in peace. Thank you, Charlie!

Will you buy a tool or a product to help you save money? Or will you refrain from spending money on something trivial to jumpstart your saving habits instead?