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3 ways to increase retirement fund in addition to SSS pension

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Last January 14, 2016, President Benigno Aquino III released a veto message in response to House Bill No. 5842 which proposed a Php2,000 across-the-board increase on the SSS pension. Around two million Filipino pensioners would have benefitted from the approval of this bill.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHziZs5tKNMG6dxtu1IrRLL5z1HHAd15BrmWkou3504CssOy_enPhavc3WkxxPxCYMNItqp0gvO7KyqQd5GEBRxTcgrG2ICG6ssV50UllPJb_vzqlStFxKOhIJ0091EAoVbm9Rs1wnomy/s1600/no-sss-pension-hike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="3 ways to increase retirement fund in addition to SSS pension" border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHziZs5tKNMG6dxtu1IrRLL5z1HHAd15BrmWkou3504CssOy_enPhavc3WkxxPxCYMNItqp0gvO7KyqQd5GEBRxTcgrG2ICG6ssV50UllPJb_vzqlStFxKOhIJ0091EAoVbm9Rs1wnomy/s640/no-sss-pension-hike.jpg" title="3 ways to increase retirement fund in addition to SSS pension" width="560" /></a></div><br /><br />However, a Php 2,000 increase will cut the fund life of the SSS by 13 years, according to SSS officers Marissu Bugante and George Ongkeko Jr. This means that those who will be retiring after 2029 could have faced the risk of receiving no pension at all.<br /><br />The highest monthly pension an employee can receive is around Php 13,000; the lowest being Php 1,200. The Php 2,000 hike will be beneficial to pensioners but even the highest monthly pension won’t serve as a sustainable retirement fund if you take into consideration the inflation rate in the country.<br /><br />SSS pension serves as extended financial assistance. It is not meant to be a person’s entire retirement fund. As early as now, it is best for Filipinos to look for multiple streams to fund their retirement.<br /><br /><b>Here are 3 income supplements to SSS pensions:</b><br /><br /><b>1. Savings Accounts</b><br /><br />The greatest benefit a savings account provides is liquidity. Liquidity is the measure of the amount of cash a person or organization has to meet short-term obligations. In simple terms, it’s how easy an entity can convert its assets into cash. Unlike real estate where it can take years to sell a property and earn money, a savings or checking account provides outright cash, thus being highly liquid.<br /><br />It is important that come retirement, Filipinos have a well-padded savings account to meet immediate and emergency expenses. However, too much of everything can also be bad, and it is suggested to only store around 6 months’ worth of living expenses in highly liquid accounts. If the bulk of your money is in liquid investments, you run the risk of losing money due to inflation since Philippine savings accounts only provide an annual return between 0.25 and 1%.<br /><br /><b>2. Real estate properties</b><br /><br />Filipinos prefer to invest in real estate than stocks and bonds. 70% of Filipinos own their homes, according to a survey conducted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. <br /><br />Real estate is another source to generate income, be it from renting, buying-and-selling, and long-term investing. Since real estate is a big-ticket item, earnings from property renting and selling can be a good source of income come retirement. Compared to the Php 13,000 monthly pension limit, earnings from real estate can surpass said pension. <br /><br /><b>3. Paper Assets</b><br /><br />One basis that most Filipinos do not leverage the potential income from paper assets is that as of 2014, there were only 640,645 investor accounts in the Philippine Stock Exchange according to Atty. Roel Refran, its Chief Operating Officer. <br /><br />Paper assets include stocks and bonds, and they are one of the best ways to reach one’s retirement goals. Unlike savings account when annual returns are limited to 1% or less, returns on investment (ROI) from paper assets can vary from 3% (lower-risk investments such as bonds) to as high as 40% or more (higher-risk investments such as stocks). Paper assets enable investors to beat inflation and grow their net worth at a faster rate. However, it’s best to note that the most profitable investments pose high risks, and investing blindly can lead to losses. It’s also worth noting that stocks and similar investments are best for the long-term, which make them ideal for stashing away your retirement funds.<br /><br />Marvin Germo, author of the Stock Smarts series of books, advises investors to “never invest money they cannot afford to lose” because investments are not guaranteed. While this is the case, you can reap high returns if you put make informed investments based on data and situational analysis.<br /><br />To maximize your retirement fund, it’s best to leave your money in investments for a minimum of 5 years, and not to touch it until your retirement. This allows you to ride out any market fluctuations and keep growing your money over the long term.<br /><br /><b>The importance of a retirement fund</b><br /><br />Many look forward to retiring because that’s the perfect time to pursue their hobbies and simply enjoy life. Retirement is when you have free time in your hands. But with more free time, you run the risk of spending more, and so you need a healthy retirement fund.<br /><br />Having a retirement fund allows retirees to live their dreams, whether it’s retiring on a beach or enjoying daily lunches with amigas at the nearby mall. With the Php 13,000 monthly pension limit, it can be difficult to live out one’s dream retirement, so it’s important that one starts saving and investing early on using the three alternatives above.<br /><br />This article is an updated version of a post at <a rel='nofollow' href="http://www.moneymax.ph/blog/3-alternatives-to-sss-pensions-to-fund-your-retirement/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MoneyMax.ph</a>. - <b><i>Kyle Kam/The Summit Express</i></b></div>

3 ways to increase retirement fund in addition to SSS pension

MANILA, Philippines - Last January 14, 2016, President Benigno Aquino III released a veto message in response to House Bill No. 5842 which proposed a Php2,000 across-the-board increase on the SSS pens…

28 Jan 2016

VP candidate Leni Robredo meets husband’s look-alike

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines- Camarines Sur 3rd District Congresswoman and vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo has finally met her “long-lost son” during a visit to Asingan, Pangasinan.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz700RFPDGtogxBedmhFonR0sF_UWdNZV99EvfLGsHmdHUaWQffQA9is7Hf-KufU5k1V9E0OhYKUDPmE2N9l6RWHuTAc-Kn7TPOz4PHAdq_rrhv5IyuntzNgDxMJYhsgxz04mMYX9Gm1VU/s1600/leni-robredo-long-lost-son.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Vice Presidential candidate Leni Robredo and her "long-lost son" Tyrone Lopez" border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz700RFPDGtogxBedmhFonR0sF_UWdNZV99EvfLGsHmdHUaWQffQA9is7Hf-KufU5k1V9E0OhYKUDPmE2N9l6RWHuTAc-Kn7TPOz4PHAdq_rrhv5IyuntzNgDxMJYhsgxz04mMYX9Gm1VU/s640/leni-robredo-long-lost-son.jpg" title="Vice Presidential candidate Leni Robredo and her "long-lost son" Tyrone Lopez" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vice Presidential candidate Leni Robredo and her "long-lost son" Tyrone Lopez</td></tr></tbody></table>Leni posted a photo of her with her late husband Jesse Robredo’s look-alike Tyrone Lopez on her Facebook on Wednesday, January 27. In the caption, she wrote: “Found my long lost son in Asingan, Pangasinan.This is Tyrone and they call him Jesse Robredo in school. And with very good reason.”<br /><br /><center><div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) {  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;  js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3";  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/leni.robredo/posts/10206661520429009" data-width="500"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/leni.robredo/posts/10206661520429009">Found my long lost son in Asingan, PangasinanThis is Tyrone and they call him Jesse Robredo in school. And with very good reason<br />Posted by <a rel='nofollow' href="https://www.facebook.com/leni.robredo">Leni Gerona Robredo</a> on <a rel='nofollow' href="https://www.facebook.com/leni.robredo/posts/10206661520429009">Wednesday, January 27, 2016</a></blockquote></div></div></center><br />With almost 4,000 likes and more than 100 shares on Facebook, several netizens couldn’t help but point out the uncanny resemblance of Lopez with former Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo. Well-loved by the public and known for his “tsinelas” leadership, the late public servant was a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service in 2000, which is Asia’s equivalent of the Novel prize.<br /><br />In 2012, Jesse tragically died in a plane crash while on his way to watch his daughter’s swimming competition in Naga City.<br /><br />On October 5, 2015, Leni announced her vice-presidential bid in a gathering at Kalayaan Hall of Club Filipino. President Benigno Aquino III, Liberal party standard bearer and presidential candidate Mar Roxas, Leni’s three daughters as well as party supporters attended the historical event.<br /><br />Although Leni and her three daughters were initially against a vice presidential run, she revealed that she can’t refuse the call to serve.<br /><br />"We asked ourselves what Jesse would do if he were the one facing this challenge. We knew what Jesse's answer would be. No matter how difficult, he won't say turn down pleas for help,” Leni said in a statement. <b><i>-Mini/The Summit Express</i></b></div>

VP candidate Leni Robredo meets husband’s look-alike

MANILA, Philippines- Camarines Sur 3rd District Congresswoman and vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo has finally met her “long-lost son” during a visit to Asingan, Pangasinan.Vice Presidential c…

28 Jan 2016

VIDEO: Customer allegedly finds dead mouse in her Starbucks coffee

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines- A Starbucks customer was horrified after discovering a lifeless mouse in a coffee she purchased from a Starbucks Coffee shop in Addition Hills branch in Mandaluyong City on Tuesday, January 26.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzJaq1wyhX9KrDlSLkFcWMB9P5shmOeck0y3HnE9MQOHPb-CtYo8gI199DqoOcJl5xzjELxWPifra5AbDdh2rDK3lI9Z7adrvp2C9d4x6gGUgBRv5a6SqvFcrsHw411jphpPUqsDwFf2m/s1600/mouse-starbucks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="mouse-starbucks" border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzJaq1wyhX9KrDlSLkFcWMB9P5shmOeck0y3HnE9MQOHPb-CtYo8gI199DqoOcJl5xzjELxWPifra5AbDdh2rDK3lI9Z7adrvp2C9d4x6gGUgBRv5a6SqvFcrsHw411jphpPUqsDwFf2m/s640/mouse-starbucks.jpg" title="mouse-starbucks" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Starbucks customer allegedly found a peculiar ingredient in her coffee. <br />PHOTO CREDIT: <a rel='nofollow' href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsNdPyySgLE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Screengrab from YouTube/Juicy Minds</a></td></tr></tbody></table>According to the complainant under the alias Jessa, she and her friends ordered food and beverage from the said branch at around 9pm. After a few hours, the group decided to leave the store and head home. Jessa opted to take her drinks out since she hadn’t finished it.<br /><br />On her way home, Jessa noticed a hard object in her drink and opened the lid to see what’s inside. To her surprise, Jessa found a dead mouse floating in her drink.<br /><br />“Pagka-stir ko, doon ko nakita yung daga,” she told ABS-CBN News.<br /><br />(After I stirred it, that’s when I saw the mouse.)<br /><br />This prompted Jessa to call her friends who then accompanied her to report the incident at the said branch. However, the branch manager reportedly denied that the lifeless mouse came from their store. The branch manager insisted that the store is clean since they have a sanitation permit. They were even told to just come back if something happens.<br /><br />Because the issue wasn’t resolved, Jessa then proceeded to file an incident report at the Mandaluyong Philippine National Police (PNP).<br /><br />The Health and Sanitation Office of the City Health Department of Mandaluyong immediately took action and sent their staff to conduct an investigation at the said branch the next morning. Although the staff had a mission order, the management of Starbucks branch didn’t allow them to inspect the kitchen of the store. <br /><br />In a statement, Starbucks Philippines revealed that they are currently conducting an investigation on the incident.<br /><br />“We want everyone who visits our stores to enjoy their visit, and we take such claims very seriously. Ensuring all our products meet Starbucks high quality assurance standards is a top priority, and we are actively investigating this customer’s concern, “ Starbucks Philippines said in a statement.<br /><br />Watch the video report below.<br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TIqZ_WLkHsA" width="560"></iframe></center><br /><b><i>-Mini/The Summit Express</i></b></div>

VIDEO: Customer allegedly finds dead mouse in her Starbucks coffee

MANILA, Philippines- A Starbucks customer was horrified after discovering a lifeless mouse in a coffee she purchased from a Starbucks Coffee shop in Addition Hills branch in Mandaluyong City on Tuesda…

28 Jan 2016

Hit-and-run incident in BGC now settled - report

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines- A video of a hit-and-run incident involving drivers of a Kymco scooter and a Toyota Innova (ACA-9130) at the Bonifacio Global City at around 10 am on Tuesday, January 26 went viral on social media after it was shared by Nic Uyliapco on the Facebook page of Top Gear Philippines.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbD-6QdFTxVW2Ck2KZjvPNIbbQN1Nb2fQA4T7LPYeP-L4B9hlD4KQde417rNsDljT_30zqy1vVf5UBWLftxEUT0Bf2m0nNYO0ZyPzBXYV1g0XawIqQsCmHSIKk-MC5ksgnAfmGhKlpnCVK/s1600/bgc-hit-and-run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A video of a hit-and-run incident at BGC" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbD-6QdFTxVW2Ck2KZjvPNIbbQN1Nb2fQA4T7LPYeP-L4B9hlD4KQde417rNsDljT_30zqy1vVf5UBWLftxEUT0Bf2m0nNYO0ZyPzBXYV1g0XawIqQsCmHSIKk-MC5ksgnAfmGhKlpnCVK/s640/bgc-hit-and-run.jpg" title="A video of a hit-and-run incident at BGC" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A video of a hit-and-run incident at BGC went viral on social media. <br />Screengrab from Facebook/Top Gear Philippines</td></tr></tbody></table>In the video, the driver of the Innova vehicle was spotted hurriedly leaving the scene and failing to give any kind of help to the driver of the scooter he allegedly hit.  As a result, social media users slammed the driver for not taking responsibility for his action.<br /><br />According to an article by TopGear.com.ph, lawyer Haydee Chavez, the owner of the Innova vehicle, has contacted them to shed light on the incident. Chavez said that their family driver Edgardo Hurna, 53, was driving their vehicle when the incident occurred. Hurna informed the family about the incident as there were visible scratches on the bumper of the vehicle.<br /><br />However, it was only after they saw the viral video of the incident that they realized the severity of situation. <br /><br />Speaking to TopGear, Chavez said: “After seeing the video, we immediately went to the police station with the vehicle and our driver to report the incident. We are willing to face the consequences of what happened, and settle with the motorcycle rider.”<br /><br />Although Hurna was described by Chavez as a “seasoned” driver, the former panicked and escaped the scene as a knee-jerk reaction since it was the first time for him to be involved in such incident.<br /><br />Hurna voluntarily surrendered to the Taguig Traffic Bureau (TTB) on Thursday, January 28.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the victim identified as Vijay Nagale sustained swollen knee and ankle as well as multiple abrasions. The Indian expatriate who is a director at Alcatel-Lucent revealed that he has no plans of filing a complaint against the Innova driver.<br /><br />"All I wanted was for the driver to get out of the vehicle and help me lift my motorcycle, as I had a hard time doing so because of the injury,” Nagale said. <br /><br />“I wasn't really looking to file a formal complaint or whatever. I'm a foreigner here, and I don't really want any trouble,” he added.<br /><br />Nagale also clarified that he wasn’t hit by the Innova vehicle.<br /><br />“I wasn't hit by the Innova because the moment I saw that it was about to hit me, I let go of my bike, which slid and hit the front part of the vehicle,” he explained. <br /><br />Police Officer 3 Antonio Sinampan of the TTB said that Hurna would only get a traffic violation ticket due to reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property since the victim hasn’t filed a complaint. <br /><br />Watch the video of the incident.<br /><center><div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) {  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;  js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3";  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><div class="fb-video" data-allowfullscreen="1" data-href="/topgearphilippines/videos/vb.110345575679186/1028973580483043/?type=3"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/topgearphilippines/videos/1028973580483043/"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://www.facebook.com/topgearphilippines/videos/1028973580483043/">HIT AND RUN</a><br />Check this out. This is how shameless and irresponsible drivers are these days. Hitting someone and fleeing in broad daylight. Driver of TOYOTA INNOVA with plate number ACA-9130, we hope you get to watch this video and read all the comments. Not only did you hit one motorcyclist, you sideswiped another one as you escaped. Shame on you. (Video from Nic Uyliapco)<br />Posted by <a rel='nofollow' href="https://www.facebook.com/topgearphilippines/">TOP GEAR PHILIPPINES</a> on Tuesday, January 26, 2016</blockquote></div></div></center></div>

Hit-and-run incident in BGC now settled - report

MANILA, Philippines- A video of a hit-and-run incident involving drivers of a Kymco scooter and a Toyota Innova (ACA-9130) at the Bonifacio Global City at around 10 am on Tuesday, January 26 went vira…

28 Jan 2016

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