It’s now July! The first half of the year has already passed.  Time does fly so fast, doesn’t it?  So many things have happened and I am still amazed at how this blog has grown steadily over the past 6 months.  Before we welcome the next half of the year, I’d like to take this time to reflect and give you an update on my 3 financial goals for this year 2010. 

Financial Goal #1 – Buy a House!

My first goal for 2010 is to Buy a House.  The short update is…NO we have NOT bought a house yet.  But maybe soon.

My wife and I actually invested in a house…but only for a private lending deal.  Besides, we won’t actually own the house, so that doesn’t count.  That deal, however, introduced us to great friends doing business in real-estate whom I am learning a lot from.  In the next months I will also be spending some time to learn investing in real-estate myself. 

We’ve also been looking at buying a nice 2-bedroom unit on a pre-selling mid-rise condo.  But this one will NOT be ready for occupancy until April 2012.  We actually paid the reservation already so hopefully, if everything is in order, my first goal for the year could actually be within reach (at least technically).  

Financial Goal #2 – Invest 20% of my money

The second goal I have is to invest 20% of my money.  I’ve started investing in the Philippine Stock Market.  I’ve tried the cost-averaging method via CitisecOnline’s EIP and even Bo Sanchez’ SUPER EIP way! The experience has been an eye opener for me. 

Apart from that, I also got into a private lending deal on real-estate.  While I haven’t gotten my money back yet, I’m confident this will lead into more investing opportunities in the future. 

Just last week, one of my friends also asked me to invest in her Travel Agency business.   Normally, I don’t lend money unless I’m very sure I will get my money back.  However, since I know her and the money (including interest) will be returned in just 7 days, I thought it was worth a try.  If this deal goes well, I might be encouraged to invest again in the future and probably open it up also to dear readers of this site.

I’ve also been investing heavily on my personal development these past months.  I’ve just attended the Money Summit and Wealth Expo last weekend to learn more about money, business and investing.  The 2-day seminar was a blast!  The energy from the speakers as well as the attendees was simply amazing!  Up to now, I’m still digesting everything.  I’m really excited to share the lessons I’ve learned from that seminar to our dear readers.  So, watch out for that in the coming weeks.

Financial Goal #3 – Be Consciously Alive

The 3rd and last goal I have is to be consciously alive.  This goal has more to do about my desire to live a healthier lifestyle than anything else.  This is the reason why I think your health is more important than your money. 

While I’m not sick at the moment, my health has not been ideal the past few months.  It is not where it is supposed to be.  My lifestyle is not very good.  I still drink coffee a lot.  I am also having a hard time getting enough sleep.  As a result, I’ve easily gotten a cold every now and then.

I’m always in a hurry. Most of the time, I go for fast food.  My weight has increased so much that my pants now hardly fit.  Oh well, it’s a good thing fitted pants are the “in” thing these days.  I don’t have to feel so out of place.

One good news is that I finally used our condo’s gym.  Finally.  Just today.  And I liked it.  I’ll probably go to the gym more often now.

Quite honestly, this goal is a little bit vague to measure and be actually effective.  So, to make this goal more specific, measurable and make me accountable , I’m revising it to say “my goal is to weigh 80 kilograms by December 31, 2010”.  I only have less than 6 months to go so I better get started right away!  Wish me luck!

P.S.  Dear Readers, what financial goals do you have for the year?  How have you made progress on your goals now that the first half of the year has passed?

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What to read next?

1. My Financial Goals for 2010: Get Into the Money Game
2. Bo Sanchez’s Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program (Day 1)
3. Goals for the year 2009
4. Online Stock Market Investing in the Philippines
5. Rich Money Habits Carnival – Frugality and Success

Jomar Hilario is widely regarded as Bo Sanchez’ internet marketing guru and the “Tim Ferriss” of the Philippines.  I’ve been a member of Jomar Hilario’s Online Internet Marketing Club since last year.  I wanted to do a review of his online mentoring club for quite a while now, but because of busy schedule I have been putting it off lately.  This time, I want to get the review out ASAP so readers of this blog can take advantage of the huge discounts being offered only until June 29, 2010.

I first met Jomar while attending Bo Sanchez’ Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program.  During the seminar, Jomar shared his experiences on how he got started pursuing financial freedom through various ways.  He animatedly described his adventures struggling to make money through multi-level marketing, taking pictures of houses from one end of Metro Manila to the other by trying to sell/invest in real-estate properties, as well as his initial successes promoting a huge concert through the internet in just 30 days!

In that same seminar, Jomar offered his invitation for a 1-year online mentoring program to those serious about learning internet marketing.  The price is definitely NOT cheap if you compare it to the numerous ebooks about internet marketing out there.  But when you compare it to similar internet marketing coaching programs, which can run up to US $1,000, it is low priced.

Besides, 1-year mentoring offers something else that cannot be found in reading ebooks alone, or even a 2-day workshop.  The 1-year online mentoring program allows you time to digest everything you need to learn about selling and marketing through the internet.  You can ask Jomar to review your blog, ask him questions on any of the online lessons, you even get some special discounts to his other seminars.  As an added bonus, you also have the opportunity to learn from and interact with the other online internet marketing club members through the forum discussions.

In all honesty, when I heard the price, my initial thought was that “it’s too pricey!”  While pondering whether to sign-up or not, I tried to browse through Jomar’s site @ jomarhilario.com.  To my surprise, I saw a birthday promo being offered that time, which gave a whopping 50% discount!  I immediately emailed Jomar to sign-up and the rest is history.

Here’s an actual feedback I shared in the Online Mentoring Club forum discussions a few months ago about my experience with the club.

Reply by Allan Inocente on March 25, 2010 at 10:19pm

Before IMW Club, I earned a measly $1.08 from Google adsense in 10 months of aimlessly trying to learn how to make money from blogging. Since joining the club, my Google adsense earnings have steadily climbed up to reach the all time high of $32.23! That is 30X earnings in less than 5 months of applying the lessons learned from the IMW club.

The great thing about being in the club is that you can go back to the online lessons over and over again…if you still don’t understand, you can post your question in the forum, and someone will always be willing to share a thing or two to help you out with your problem. This is on top of Jomar’s very useful and straight to the point suggestions and recommendations, of course.

Be warned though, the club is not for the impatient nor is it for the half-hearted. The lessons may be simple and easy to learn but finding the discipline and willingness to apply those lessons will definitely play a crucial role in helping you achieve your goals.

Cheers!

Allan Inocente, IT Team Lead
Rich Money Habits @ http://www.akosiallan.com

Who should sign-up for this online mentoring club?

• if you are tired of waiting for your next paycheck or promotion
• if you are constantly frustrated with your measly income
• if you are not a techie but willing to learn how to earn money online
• if you have an existing brick-and-mortar business you want to take online
• if you want to have more time to be with your family
• if you want to work whenever and wherever you want, even from home

Who should NOT sign-up for this online mentoring club?

• if you are living in debt or on a tight budget and it’s all the money you have
• if you are looking for a get rich quick scheme, this is definitely not for you
• if you are not really planning to follow the lessons
• if you are afraid of the internet and don’t want to learn anything related to it

It’s been months since I signed-up and I’ve learned a lot since then.  But there is a lot more to learn.   If you do decide to sign-up for a 1-year online internet marketing mentoring program, congratulations and see you at the club!

P.S. I wanted to get this review out ASAP so readers of this blog can take advantage of the huge 50% discount to Jomar Hilario’s Online Mentoring Program!  Unfortunately, this promo is being offered exclusively to Truly Rich Club members until June 29, 2010 only!  So hurry, sign-up to the Truly Rich Club now so you can take advantage of this amazing offer.  Once a member of the Truly Rich Club, you can go to http://www.Bit.ly/truediscount to avail of the 50% discount to Jomar Hilario’s Online Mentoring Program.

P.P.S. If you’re curious, my Google adsense earnings has already reached US $49.81.  Not much, but if you’re like me who didn’t expect to earn anything at all, earning that amount of money “passively” is definitely a huge boost to my confidence!

DISCLOSURE: If you sign-up for a 1-year online internet marketing mentoring program, I get a little affiliate commission.  If you buy through the above link, send me an email with the receipt and I will give you a surprise gift.   If you don’t buy or or you buy from other links, that’s perfectly fine.  I still thank you for taking the time to read this article until this point.  Dont’ hesitate to contact me if there’s anything I can help you with.

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What to read next?

1. Why having a coin purse can make you rich
2. Bo Sanchez’ Truly Rich Club Review
3. Bo Sanchez’ Truly Rich Club Review: Problems?
4. #1 Financial Coaching Site in the Philippines
5. Bo Sanchez’s Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program (Day 1)

It’s been more than a year since my wife and I signed-up to the Truly Rich Club. While it has been an amazing journey, there were also some logistic problems we encountered along the way. 

A few months ago, my wife and I had to renew our membership.  Since our credit card issued in Malaysia already expired, we renewed the membership using our BPI credit card here in the Philippines.  However, 3 months after renewing the membership, the DVDs and Audio CDs have NOT been delivered to our home yet. 

That’s when I tried to search for any support contacts in the Truly Rich Club member’s site.  To my surprise, I couldn’t find any support contact number. 

Thankfully, my wife was able to save an old email from the Truly Rich Club when we were still starting out as a member.  We emailed the address right away, and in 3 days, the DVDs and Audio CDs arrived in a bright red LBC package.

If you’re having the same problem or  you ever encounter any problem with your Truly Rich Club membership, you can email the following address:

P.S. Do you want to solve your financial problem?  Join Bo Sanchez’ Truly Rich Club NOW!

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What to read next?

1. Bo Sanchez’ Truly Rich Club Review
2. Jomar Hilario Internet Marketing Workshop Club Review
3. Bo Sanchez’ Truly Rich Seminar and Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program this June
4. Bo Sanchez’ How To Become Truly Rich Seminar this coming August 7, 2010
5. Re-confirm Your Email Subscription to Rich Money Habits and get a FREE e-book by Bo Sanchez

Be part of the Money Summit & Wealth Expo 2010, the BIGGEST wealth building and income opportunities super conference and expo in the Philippines, this coming July 2-3, 2010 at RCBC Plaza, Makati City.

Learn the best money secrets to grow and invest your hard-earned money from 16 of the most successful entrepreneurs, real-estate investors, best-selling business authors, sales superstars, and money experts in the country today.

Hurry!  Early bird discounts & BIG bonuses available until June 12 ONLY!

Reserve your seat/s NOW!

Who is this seminar for?

If you are an employee…

• who want to quit your job?
• who want to get out of the rat race?
• tired of your 8 to 5 job?
• tired of paying too much in taxes?
• who want unlimited income?
• who want to earn extra income without quitting your job?

If you are a professional, freelancer, or self-employed proprietor…

• frustrated with self-employment?
• who want to grow into a real business?
• tired of working 24/7?
• who want cut back on your time working?
• overworked with non-stop servicing of clients?
• who want to tap new markets?
• interested in new sources of income?

Today, I’ve signed up to the 2-day event and got the PhP 1,000 early bird discount as well as the extra bonuses worth a whopping total package value of more than PhP 15,000.

How about you?  Get your early bird discount and lots of bonuses NOW!

Hurry!  Early bird discounts and huge bonuses available until June 12 ONLY!

Reserve your seats TODAY!

See you there!

P.S. If you refer your friends, you earn a 5% referral fee.  If 10 of your friends sign-up for the VIP package, you get a whopping PhP 2,247.50!  And yes, I earn PhP 224.75 too if you sign-up as VIP now and indicate me (Allan @ Rich Money Habits by akosiallan.com) as your referrer.   Let’s continue learning rich money habits to achieve our dream of financial freedom!  Cheers!

P.P.S. Of course, I will still share whatever I learned from the event through this blog for the benefit of those who are unable to attend the Money Summit & Wealth Expo 2010.  Watch out for that in the coming month/s.

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What to read next?

1. Money Summit and Wealth Expo Series: Real-Estate Investing
2. Rich Money Habits Carnival – Summer Edition
3. Financial Goals 2010 Mid-Year Update
4. Increase Your Financial IQ Book Review – Part 3: Budgeting Your Money
5. Bo Sanchez’ Truly Rich Seminar and Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program this June

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What to read next?

1. Rich Money Habits Carnival – The Psychology of Money
2. Rich Money Habits Carnival – Frugality and Success
3. Be featured in the 1st ever edition of Rich Money Habits Blog Carnival
4. Rich Money Habits Carnival: First Edition-Best Money Stories To Jumpstart Your Year!
5. Increase Your Financial IQ Book Review – Part 4: Leveraging Your Money

For the past few months, I’ve been investing in the Philippine Stock Market using Citiseconline’s EIP (Easy Investment Program).  In a nutshell, it’s an investment program where you invest a fixed amount on a regular basis to take advantage of the cost averaging method.  I plan to do this for at least 5 years for the most stable stocks that I feel have the most probable chance of being profitable in the next 5 to 10 years.

The Super EIP of Bo Sanchez

I mentioned in my Truly Rich Club Review that Bo Sanchez recently launched his Stocks Updates Newsletter along with his e-book “My Maid Invests in the Stock Market”.  Through the Newsletter, Bo aims to share his stock investment advise.  He plans to tell you what stocks he is buying, what stocks he recommends people to buy and when to sell those stocks.

This very helpful information is available only to Truly Rich Club members.  Since you’re an avid reader of this blog, I’ll give you a sneak peek on what Truly Rich Club members are getting.

In the first issue of Bo’s Stocks Update Newsletter, he introduced the SUPER EIP investment program. The strategy is to search for “undervalued” companies with proven track record and buy them at a low price.  For example, if a stock is valued at $2 $1.50 and it is currently being sold at $1, you have a 50% potential profit once the market aligns with the stocks’ true value.  After the stock reaches $2, you can then sell your stocks and get 50% profit.  Keep in mind that this may happen after weeks, months, or even years.  For Bo’s case, his PhP 148,000 actually increased to PhP 441,000 when he sold his stocks after more than 1 year!  That’s a profit of around 200%!

At this point, I need to mention that the results will definitely vary from case to case and some people may even lose money.  In the end, you should still be responsible in making your own investment decisions.  Citiseconline, Bo Sanchez or even this blog may tell you what stocks to buy and when to sell but the reality is that it is still YOUR OWN MONEY.  There’s no one more concerned on how to make your money grow than you.

In an attempt to try out the SUPER EIP investment strategy, I’ve invested some of my money into 2 stocks (one valued at 47% upside profit, and the other one a 42% potential upside) starting this month.  As with Bo’s strategy, I also plan to take advantage of EIP cost averaging for these 2 stocks.  Every month, I plan to invest a fixed amount and once it reaches the target price, I will sell the stocks to take my profits.

I am really excited to see how this strategy will fare out in the future.  I can’t wait to share to you whether the money I invested will grow to its potential or I end up losing money.  Watch out for that in the coming months.

How about you?  What investment strategies are you using when investing in the Philippine Stock Market?

P.S. If you want to know the 2 companies I invested in for the SUPER EIP and other undervalued stocks in the Philippines, you can contact me or join Bo Sanchez’ Truly Rich Club and read Bo’s Stock Updates Newsletter.

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What to read next?

1. Online Stock Market Investing in the Philippines
2. How to Invest in the Stock Market in the Philippines in 3 Easy Steps
3. Bo Sanchez’s Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program (Day 1)
4. Bo Sanchez’ Truly Rich Club Review
5. The Most Important Lessons about Investing

I’ve been wanting to do a review on Bo Sanchez’ Truly Rich Club for quite some time but I’ve been putting it off due to busy schedule at work.  When I read about Bo’s recent article “How To Be a Billionaire”, I thought people need to find out more about this.

Before I say anything else, please bear in mind that I am (well, technically I am not, but my wife is) a member of the Truly Rich Club, and if you sign-up to the Truly Rich Club by clicking the link at the upper right side of this site, I (or my wife) earn a little income as an affiliate commission.

That being said, this review is not to persuade you to do something you don’t want to do.  My hope is that by sharing my personal experiences with the club, it will help you decide if joining the club will be of help in achieving your financial goals.

How did you find about the Truly Rich Club?

A couple of years ago, I was an OFW working as a Mainframe Test Lead for a credit card company in Malaysia.  When I came home to the Philippines for a 2-week vacation, I came across Bo’s 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich book.  At that time, I was really trying to find out ways on how I can grow my hard earned money.  After reading the book, I realized he was actually holding Truly Rich Seminars in the Philippines.   Since I only had a few days left in the country before going back to Malaysia, I was not able to attend the seminar.

A few months after, I learned that Bo created the Truly Rich Club.  Because I wasn’t able to attend the seminar – I was very eager to try out the online club!

Since my wife was the one who has a credit card, I talked my wife into joining the club.  I am very blessed to have a very supportive wife.  She agreed to join in. The next month, we received the 2 months worth DVD videos and Audio CDs we ordered from the club.

Why did you join the Truly Rich Club?

I was in a foreign country.  My options were limited.  I couldn’t attend any seminar in the Philippines because I was out of the country.

I didn’t know anything about investing in mutual funds, stocks or internet businesses, especially in the Philippines at that time.  Yes, I learned a thing or two from various blogs and personal finance sites.  In most cases the specific advise on these sites were only applicable to other countries such as the U.S.  I didn’t know if the same thing can be done in the Philippines.

So when I came across the Truly Rich Club, it was like a dream come true.  Joining the club allowed me to learn how to grow my money in the Philippines! Moreover, through the monthly DVDs, I got to watch Bo Sanchez’ interviews and talks.  It was like attending the Truly Rich seminars virtually.

What did you like about the the Truly Rich Club?

The content is simply amazing.  When I started, I was looking forward to the next month’s issues.  My wife and I would always checkout the mail box just to see if the DVDs for the month have already arrived.

What I really liked are the very specific information shared through the various interviews on very successful businessmen.  You can see how they view money, their mindset in terms of relationships and on building businesses and character.

The club products are full-packed with information.  I can’t keep up.  There’s a lot of information to learn.  I’m still catching up with the rest of the power talks.

Bo also sends out a weekly Newsletter where he provides stocks update, business advise, and more.  The content is really overflowing, I only wish you could also learn from those DVDs and Audio CDs and get the financial information first hand.

One thing I really appreciate was the smooth transition of delivering the DVDs after my wife and I finally decided to come home to the Philippines last year. We wanted to have the audio CDs and DVDs delivered to our home in the Philippines instead.  We only had to email them our new address and voila! We received the products to the new address.

What I didn’t like about the the Truly Rich Club?

When we first started with the club, there were times when the DVDs arrived late.  Since we were always very eager, waiting for the next issue was a torture.

It would also be a great idea to have a forum exclusive to club members where lessons can be discussed or shared with each other.  The feeling of being in a community would certainly help boost members’ confidence when they start to struggle in taking action on those valuable financial tips.

Why I recommend joining the Truly Rich Club?

I honestly believe that in today’s world, information is king.  If you are not informed, you will be left out.  You will always be wondering how come others are getting financially ahead while you’re still stuck working at a dead-end job you really hate.

There were a lot of times when I wanted to share the incredible products I’ve watched or heard from the club, but it’s hard because there are copyright issues.  I don’t want to go into the business of piracy.  More importantly, I don’t want to profit from stealing other people’s products.

Thankfully, there’s one “legal” way to help share these products to you.  That is, if you decide to be a member of the club as well.  The Super Gold Package (DVD video +  Audio CD) costs PhP 997 ($37 for International Membership) monthly at the time of this writing.  The Gold Package (Audio CD only) costs PhP 497 ($39 for International Membership) monthly.  The Audio CD is basically a recording of the same DVD video so if you are interested only in listening to the presentations, you can take the Gold Package.  What I do is I copy the audio over to my iPod and I listen to it while working.  The great thing about it is that I can listen to it over and over again.

Bo Sanchez is a preacher so a lot of his talks contain references to passages in the bible.  While I don’t mind since I am a Catholic, others may not be as forgiving.  So if you don’t like hearing the word “amen”, please bear this in mind when you join.

How has the club helped you so far?

After my wife and I finally came home to the Philippines to settle for good, we immediately attended Bo’s Truly Rich seminar.  Even though he was discussing the same basic concepts from his book and the club, it’s still refreshing to see Bo presenting the ideas with my own eyes.  It’s a bit surreal. You can learn more about my experience on the seminar here.

My wife and I also attended the financial coaching program a few weeks after.  After the seminar, I was really excited to finally get started.  Here are 3 things I’ve been exploring since I started taking action on the many lessons from the club and the seminars:

• RTBs – my wife and I finally started investing in RTBs.  You can learn more about how we opened an account. Here’s an update after we received our first interest income.  And, only a few days ago, we already received the 2nd quarterly interest income.  Yey!
• Stocks – I’ve started investing in stocks.  I’ve invested through EIP for a couple of months now.  These are small (PhP 5,000) monthly investments on the most stable companies listed in the Philippine Stocks Exchange.  My basic strategy is to take advantage of the dollar cost averaging.  I’ve also learned another strategy from Bo’s Stocks Update that I may try out soon – that is, Super EIP (I think this was coined by Bo himself).  If you want to find out, you can sign-up to the Truly Rich Club or wait for my updates by subscribing to this blog via RSS or Email. Subscription to Rich Money Habits blog is FREE!.
• Internet Marketing – I am a techie. Having spent the last 8 years of my life working in IT, I am very fluent in more than a dozen languages. Unfortunately, only 3 of them can be understood by human.  No, I am not an alien.  Most of the languages I know, only computers are able to understand.  I can communicate (i.e. program) in Visual Basic, C, Mainframe Languages, Assembly Language, and more.  Which brings me to my point.  I want to be able to communicate to fellow human beings as well as computers.  I want to find out how to present an information product on the internet in a way that the other person will be able to know exactly what he is getting into.  If it is something that will solve his problem, well and good!  If not, at least he doesn’t have to waste his time digging deeper, seeking clarification on that specific product.

What will you get when you join the club?

While reading Bo’s newest book “Choose To Be Wealthy: 8 Habits of the Happy Millionaire” which was launched last Saturday at SMX Convention Center, I got the most updated list of the 11 Big Blessings you will receive if you decide to join the Truly Rich Club.  The list is so much more now than when we signed-up more than a year ago.  It’s really great that Bo is giving away so much.

Here’s a sneak peak of what you will receive:

2 Powertalks every month (instant access via MP3)

Bo’s Success Mentors Collection every 3 months

4 Wealth Strategies newsletter every month

Daily God’s Whispers email

How To Be Truly Rich Seminar

How To Conquer Your Goliaths Ebook

How To Turn Thoughts Into Things Ebook

My Maid Invests in the Stock Market Ebook

Monthly update of what Bo invests in

Earn passive income by becoming Bo’s affiliate in the Truly Rich Club

Earn passive income with Bo’s other internet work

There’s even an amazing “wow experience” guarantee. Here’s how it works.  Should you decide to cancel your membership during your first month of membership, after receiving the stuffs above, the money will be returned to you no questions asked.  You even get to keep all the stuffs that have already been sent to you – an amazing $251.50 value.

That’s all I can share for now.  If you do decide to join the Truly Rich Club, congratulations to you!  My hope is that you become Truly Rich in every sense of the word and share your blessings to other people!  Good luck!

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What to read next?

1. Bo Sanchez’ Truly Rich Club Review: Problems?
2. Bo Sanchez’ Truly Rich Seminar and Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program this June
3. Bo Sanchez’ How To Become Truly Rich Seminar this coming August 7, 2010
4. Jomar Hilario Internet Marketing Workshop Club Review
5. Bo Sanchez’s Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program (Day 1)

Welcome to the third edition of Rich Money Habits Carnival – The Psychology of Money.  The top picks of this edition all share the same common theme – discovering the psychology of money.

How is Warren Buffet, one of the richest people in the world, different from the rest of us?  Why is it that some people make excuses and others continue to blast their way to success?  How can you get what you want by also giving someone else what he wants?  Find the answers out by reading through our top picks for the month of March.

Rich Money Habits’ Top 5 Picks

• Your Best Library presents 10 Signs You’re a Financial Disaster posted at Your Best Library, saying, “If you show these 10 signs, the chances are high that you’re a financial disaster.” [RMH] Hilarious! I couldn’t stop myself from nodding my head at the 10 signs of being a financial disaster.  Witty, funny and definitely spot on.
• Silicon Valley Blogger presents Basic Business Advice from an Accidental Entrepreneur posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “My own story on how I became an online entrepreneur.” [RMH] This article is an honest take on the life of an accidental entrepreneur.  The author said it best in “it’s (NOT) enough to say that your business is filling a need…you should actually be good at filling that need.”
• Joe Plemon presents Are You An Opportunity Seizer or an Excuse Maker? posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, “Some find opportunity when it seemingly doesn’t exist. Others make excuses when opportunity knocks. A great rich money habit is to learn how to seize those opportunities.” [RMH] Great article on why we need to stop making excuses and take advantage of opportunities that come our way.  While reading the post, I remember the movie “Yes, Man” starring Jim Carrey.  It’s a feel good movie about saying yes to opportunities that life has to offer you.“
• Writers Coin presents Warren Buffett’s Investment Advice: Why It’s So Hard to Follow | Wise Bread posted at Wise Bread, saying, “I almost made a ton of money and then almost lost a ton of money in the stock market. Just goes to show you how hard it is to follow Warren Buffett’s advice on being greedy when others are fearful and fearful when others are greedy.” [RMH] Great article on why it’s so hard to invest like Warren Buffet.  I totally agree that investing is more than money – sometimes it is also about handling your own emotions.  As Warren Buffet said ’be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.’  Unfortunately, working with these 2 emotions is precisely the reason it is not easy to invest and go against the crowd.
• Learn Save Invest presents Know your position posted at Learn Save Invest, saying, “A personal story of how I saved money on truck repairs just by realizing my position, and asking for a break.” [RMH] Inspiring story on how it pays to know what the other person wants when you try to ask for a discount.  In the end, the goal should be to have everybody win.

Other interesting articles in this edition

On Taxes

• BackTaxesHelp.com presents When you Should File a Late Tax Return of Request a Tax Extension posted at Back Taxes Help.
• Wenchypoo presents Your Tax Bill Would Need to Double to Close the Deficit posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo’s Mental Wastebasket.
• Praveen presents Free Ebook: Capital Gains Tax Tips for Traders and Investors posted at My Simple Trading System, saying, “Capital gains tax tips for traders and investors”
• Alex presents What can I deduct on my Taxes? posted at Claiming Tax Back, saying, “This post highlights some uncommon tax deductions which people fail to claim back from the IRS.”
• PeakPersonalFinance presents Are You Eligible for These 5 Tax Breaks? posted at Peak Personal Finance, saying, “Five tax breaks you may not be aware of.”

Investing

• BWL presents Should You Convert To A Roth IRA In 2010? posted at Christian Personal Finance, saying, “A look at some of the great benefits of converting to a Roth IRA this year…”
• Jen E. presents How to Analyze a Stock posted at Stock Tips, saying, “Learn how to analyze stocks by using an easy stock analysis test.”
• ABC presents Reasons For A Roth Conversion From 401K Or Traditional Roth posted at ABCs of Investing, saying, “Reasons for and against doing a Roth conversion.”
• Patty Pedersen presents eBook Readers: Stock Investing Strategy to Profit from Disruptive Technology posted at AlphaProfit MoneyMatters – Investing Blog, saying, “The number of eReaders sold is expected to ramp to 6 million this year and grow exponentially from hereon. To profit from eReaders with growth and value ideas, read eBook Readers: Stock Investing Strategy to Profit from Disruptive Technology.”
• Larry Russell presents Evaluating Roth IRA Conversions posted at Best Personal Financial Planning Software, saying, “The Roth puzzle for asset conversions, as well as for annual Roth contributions during working years, is one of the most complex decisions that the ridiculously complex US taxation and retirement planning system forces upon individuals.”
• Hussein Sumar presents How to Calculate Return on Invesment (ROI) posted at Accounting, saying, “Return on Invesment as the name suggests is a financial valuation method that determines the percent of return investors are getting from their portfolio of investments. Return on Investment is probably one of the most important ratios that companies need to keep track of in order to determine the viability & continuity of their business.”
• BeaBu presents Cut Profits Short and Ride Losses posted at BeaBu.com, saying, “One often quoted investing and trading rule is “Cut your losses short and ride your winners”. While this is a good thing to do in most situations, there are some kinds of market conditions when it’s not as simple as it seems. With finance, no rule is 100%.”

Banking and Credit Cards

• BankShout presents Health Savings Accounts Q & A posted at BankShout.
• Nathan Bishop presents HECM Reverse Mortgages posted at Online Banks Blog, saying, “The home equity conversion mortgages or HECM Reverse Mortgages is a way a senior can have an income if they have enough equity in their home. There are US federal governmental backing for these loans if a FHA approved lender is used.”
• chuck machado presents Medical Bills Lower Credit Scores posted at Raise Credit Score, saying, “The biggest obstacle to raising credit report scores is the lack of credit card debt management. Your credit report shows not only how much you’re spending, but how much you’re paying toward reducing your debt. If you are making minimum payments, lenders can see this and they figure your are either not too bright or are struggling.”
• The Dough Roller presents Chase Freedom Credit Card | 0% APR 12 Months | 3% Cash Back posted at The Dough Roller.
• The Dough Roller presents Does Canceling An Old Credit Card Hurt Your Credit Score? posted at The Dough Roller.
• Four Pillars presents Use Your Cell Phone Apps To Manage Your Money posted at Quest For Four Pillars, saying, “Some cell phone apps to help track your finances”
• PT Money presents Best Online Checking Accounts posted at Prime Time Money.
• LivingInVol presents Fixed versus Variable Loans posted at Living in volatility.
• Bruce presents Government Mortgage Help for First Time Buyers posted at Government Mortgage Help, saying, “Mortgage Help from the Government to assist you in keeping your home from mortgage foreclosure during this recession.”
• Control your Cash presents Let’s see how he does with Other People’s Money posted at Control Your Cash, saying, “This is about spending money – a finite resource for most of us – in the right places. Brown, or at least Brown’s garage, represents something we like to style controlled frugality for lack of a better term.”
• Billeater.com presents Use Twitter to Save Money posted at Billeater.
• David presents American Express Preferred Rewards vs. Premier Rewards Gold Card posted at Credit Card Offers IQ.
• Aaron presents Green Dot Prepaid MasterCard® posted at Prepaidcards123.

Personal Finance

• nissim ziv presents How to Negotiate a Salary: Negotiation Tips, Questions & Expectations posted at Job Interview Guide, saying, “Negotiation skill is a skill that not many people possess. In general, negotiation is an art. Every word you say is important in the end results And when it comes to negotiating the salary offer, things become even harder .”
• Tisha Dotson presents 100 Best Blogs for Women in Business posted at Accounting Degree.com.
• Money Infant presents My 2010 Personal Finance Goals posted at Money Infant, saying, “Goal setting is a necessity if you want to get where you need to be financially. Here’s my plan for 2010.”
• Debra Jacobson presents How To Be Frugal: Saving Money on Eating Out posted at All Things Frugal, saying, “In lean economic times, eating at restaurants is generally avoided. However, there are ways to eat out without breaking the bank.”
• Jerry Rogers presents Easy, Key Phrases to Impress Business Clients Abroad posted at Online Colleges.net.
• Mariana Ashley presents 100 Business Experts You Should Follow on Twitter posted at AccreditedOnlineColleges.org.
• PT Money presents Affordable Auto Insurance: How I Saved posted at Prime Time Money, saying, “How I saved on my auto insurance.”
• KCLau presents Bad Debt and Good Debt posted at KCLau’s Money Tips, saying, “How do you distinguish between good debt and bad debt?”
• Erel Kiko presents The Secret To Attracting Money With Affirmations posted at Law of Universal Attraction.
• Nash Dadameah presents Top 5 Ways To Save On Life Insurance posted at nil2million.com, saying, “Let’s save money by having our life insurance premium cheap”
• Elaine Murphy presents 100 Personal Finance Posts Every College Student Needs to Read posted at Career Overview.
• Zach Scheidt presents Home-Based Healthcare is Good Business posted at ZachStocks, saying, “The healthcare reform bill will affect industry for years to come. LHC Group Inc. (LHCG) continues to expand and could be a takeover target in the next few months.”
• Stephen Dean presents Secrets To A Champagne Product Launch posted at Copywriting Dean.
• Heidi presents Saving Money with a Cheap Designer Wedding Dress posted at Budget A Wedding.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Rich Money Habits Carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: rich money habits carnival, blog carnival.

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What to read next?

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2. Rich Money Habits Carnival – Summer Edition
3. Be featured in the 1st ever edition of Rich Money Habits Blog Carnival
4. Rich Money Habits Carnival: First Edition-Best Money Stories To Jumpstart Your Year!
5. Increase Your Financial IQ Book Review – Part 4: Leveraging Your Money

First of all, THANK YOU very much to all those who participated in the first-ever Rich Money Habits Readers’ Survey. 

Your inspiring life’s stories, financial goals and dreams and suggestions on how Rich Money Habits can be of help to you are very much appreciated.  Rest assured, we’ll definitely keep them in mind as we aim to constantly improve the Rich Money Habits blog to be more relevant to your financial needs.

Without further ado, I am very delighted to finally announce the winner of the FREE Rich Dad Poor Dad book as part of our first ever Rich Money Habits Readers’ Survey promo. 

And the winner is… Lunining Arabiran! 

I was so amazed at the personal finance tips and stories Lunining shared that I want the readers of this blog to learn from and be inspired by it as well. 

Here’s her answer to the question “What are your money habits and how they have affected your life?”

I’m earning a little over minimum wage and I was "awakened" that after 3 years of working I had so much less than what I was hoping for. I cleaned up my act….

1. I love Manga (Japanese animation) so much so that a large chunk of my money goes here. I curtailed the Manga-buying impulse. (I still do buy but occasionally).
2. I don’t use my credit card except when buying groceries twice a month.
3. I bring lunch to the office.
4. I had my mom invest my money that has a 12% APY.
5. I read about how to invest in the stock market.
6. I built up and completed my 1 year emergency fund.
7. I am building up my retirement plan. I’m also looking into consulting someone who works for the SSS. So I can compute the actual amount of pension I’ll be receiving when I’m 60.
8. I am taking up my Master’s degree so I can go ahead and get side jobs. (This wasn’t really necessary to get the jobs but understanding more concepts and theoretical background would help) and I’m almost done, just the thesis left.
9. Next time I get to be in another country, will be saving my per diem like crazy. Last time I was in the US, I spent my money on a lot of souvenirs.
10. I created a budget.

All of those things are the stuff that I’m doing, have done and will be doing. There are a couple things more but I think this is getting too long.  Basically, knowing and being conscious of how money is spent has taught me that when you spend money now, you’re not only giving up that money in that instant but you are also forfeiting the right that, that money can earn in the future.

How about you?  What are your money habits and how have they affected your financial life?

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What to read next?

1. Re-confirm Your Email Subscription to Rich Money Habits and get a FREE e-book by Bo Sanchez
2. Be featured in the 1st ever edition of Rich Money Habits Blog Carnival
3. RMH Reader’s Survey-It’s time YOU get heard and get a chance to win Robert Kiyosaki’s bestselling book, Rich Dad Poor Dad
4. Rich Money Habits Carnival – The Psychology of Money
5. Increase Your Financial IQ Book Review – Part 4: Leveraging Your Money

This is part 3 of the “Where to Invest in 2010” series which tries to compare the two investment vehicles with tax incentives: PERA and CTRP.  Part 1 dealt with the Filipino investor profile while part 2 discussed the 5 stages of Life Cycle Investing.

In your journey to financial freedom, one inevitable expense that you would have to deal with is taxes.  It is not enough that you make a lot of money.  It also matters how much you keep. 

Who is richer? A person who makes $100,000 a year and pay $50,000 in taxes?  Or someone who earns only $70,000 and only pays $5,000 in taxes?  The answer is simple.  The one who keeps the more money (after taxes).

Investment w/ Tax Incentives: PERA vs CTRP

According to Efren Cruz, the author of the book “Pwede Na! The Complete Pinoy Guide to Personal Finance”, there are two investment vehicles that offer tax incentives.  There is PERA (Philippine Equity Retirement Account) and CTRP (Comprehensive Tax Reform Package). 

Here are the main differences between PERA and CTRP:

As you can see there is a LOT of tax advantages for both types of accounts.  Having a tax exempt investment is like saving at least 20% of your income.  It’s money that you keep. 

Rich Money Habits Thoughts:

To be honest, I haven’t given much thought about retirement until I learned about the tax incentives from the seminar.  I understand that there’s a mandatory SSS or GSIS in the Philippines.  I also read about 401K and Roth IRA accounts in the US but I am not sure if there’s anything similar to it in the Philippines. 

There’s still a lot more to learn about retirement accounts in the Philippines, but the tax incentives definitely caught my attention. The tax benefits from PERA and CTRP are incredible. 

Unfortunately, for reasons I still don’t understand, PERA is still not available in the Philippines.  I guess I’ll have to wait until it becomes available.  As for CTRP, it was my first time to hear about it during the seminar, so I really don’t have any clue. 

My only hope is that I’d be able to learn and take advantage of both financial vehicles and share it to readers of this blog some day.

How about you?  How are you planning for your retirement?  Have you taken advantage of any tax incentives for your investment accounts?

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What to read next?

1. Where to Invest in 2010 Series: Part 2 – Life Cycle Investing
2. How to Invest in Retail Treasury Bonds in the Philippines – Interests and Fees
3. Increase Your Financial IQ Book Review – Part 4: Leveraging Your Money
4. Rich Money Habits Carnival – The Psychology of Money
5. How to Invest in the Philippine Stock Market the Super EIP Way