Previously, I wrote a comprehensive introduction on how to invest in the Philippine stock market. The basic principles that each prospective investors should understand was extensively discussed. Here, the advantages of investing in the stock market, will be tackled.

As I said in the previous articles, the stock market is just another vehicle of investment. You might be asking yourself why would you want to invest in the stock market? What are the advantages of investing in the stock market.

The following reasons could probably answer the above question. Take note, examples given refer to Philippine based companies and currency. If you wish to view the entire article please visit my blog.

1.) The allure of great returns – Most financial expert would tell you that in a bull run the market really goes up. Average returns could be as low as 30 % and as high as 200 %+ per annum or even more. Profit is always expected when you invest in the long term. For example, In 1997, the Globe Telecom Inc. (GLO) stocks price per share was only P152.00. during that time you only spend P 1,520.00 to buy the minimum board lot which is 10 shares. Currently the price per share of Globe is P 1,620.00+. The value of those 10 shares that you previously bought is right now P 16,200, meaning in ten years time your money has grown ten times. This is translated to an average of 30 % return per annum. This is far better than putting your money in a time deposit account at less than 4 % per annum. It is interesting to note that the Philippine stock market is at its highest these days. For the next 2 to 3 years, they say the market will still be in a bull run. Make the best out of this situation.

2.) You become “part owner” of the company that you are investing in. – You might probably be thinking of franchising a Jollibee outlet. However doing so would cost you somewhere between 20 to 25 million pesos add to the fact that you have to put in time and effort to run the store. Why not buy stocks of Jollibee instead of franchising a Jollibee outlet in order to own your “own” Jollibee. You get to own 100 JFC shares (Jollibee Foods Corporations – JFC) for only P 5,000+. In so doing you “indirectly own” the more than 1414 stores in the Philippines and 175 in other countries including Red Ribon, Chowking, Deli-France, A popular fastfood chain – Yonghe King in China and popular teahouse chain from Taiwan called Chun Shui Tang including Jollibee’s pilot restaurant “Tio Pepe’s Karinderia.” Now that is so cool! The next time you eat at Jollibee you could proudly say to your friends and relatives that you like to eat there because you “own” part of it. You more be more prompt in paying your telephone bills if you own stocks of PLDT or Globe telecoms.

3.) Belonging to a “special group of people” -

When somebody will ask me to join a multi-level marketing scheme I always ask when the company started. The reason is that because if it started a long time ago, then my chances of recruiting other people will be slim because almost everybody I know has already been recruited.

Investing in the stock market may not be the same as engaging in mutli-level marketing as it does not matter whether the market is saturated or not. However it is always so much better to have the knowledge that we are among the first people to “mine” out the gold in the stock market.

Most of those who invest in the stock market are from the class A and B segments of the population. An Asian Development Bank study done in 2005 revealed that only 600,000, out of the of the country’s 87 million population, invest in the stock market. This means that only 0.7 % of the population are involved in stock market trading.

Would you like to know more about investment strategies ? Visit the blog of Zigfred Diaz where he writes about several interesting topics such as investments, money management, business, making money online and Stock market investing

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It may be easy to talk about saving money, the hardest thing about it is the doing part.

I do not claim to be the best when it comes to saving money, but I do have some trick up my sleeves. Here is some money saving tips that I have personally experienced and applied throughout the years:

1.) Be electric consumption conscious – Considering that electricity cost is very expensive nowadays, this is probably one of the best money saving tips I could offer. By simply monitoring your electricity consumption, you could save a lot of money. All it takes is turning of appliances and lights that are not in use. Other measures include shifting to energy saving light. What we personally do is that we turn off our electric water dispenser and our refrigerator during the night time. Buying new home appliances certainly helps reduce electric consumption. It is a well known fact that new home appliances are more energy efficient than old appliances which enables you to save electricity in the long run. Our bill went down by almost 25 % when we started becoming more electric consumption conscious.

2.) Save loose change – My mom has taught me a lot of money saving tips, but this is one that really stuck in my mind. Loose change may seem insignificant. I started collecting my loose change and after more than a year when my piggy bank was full, I saved more than P 10,000.00. ($200.00 U.S plus)

3.) Recycle – I have just started to implement this program. Instead of throwing away plastic, glass bottles and containers I started collecting them. Currently I have 4 sacks of recyclable materials that I am planning to sell at the end of the year.

4.) Not buying from the convenience store – Filipinos have commercialized “convenience stores” but there are also neighborhood convenience stores which we call as “Sari-sari” stores. This is where most Filipinos go to when they run out of shampoo or cooking oil. If you badly need the stuff and you do this once in a while, that may be all right. However buying your everyday needs in the sari-sari store might prove to be more expensive. Sari-sari store are definitely more expensive than the grocery stores because they buy their stuff from the grocery stores.

5.) Eating out less – This is one of the money saving tips that most financial experts agree upon. I think nobody would argue with me bringing lunch from home to work is definitely much more cheaper than buying lunch outside. Frequently eating outside especially in restaurants will surely make a dent in your pocket book. If you are a “leisure eater” and would like to satisfy your gastronomic cravings by trying out new restaurants, just try to schedule and limit your restaurant visits to once a week or once a month.

Do you like to know moremoney saving tips ? Visit the blog of Zigfred Diaz where he blogs about several interesting topics such as investments, money management, business, making money online and Stock market investing

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Buying a new home costs a lot of money, however some of that outrageous expense can be reduced if you research and do your homework.

When you apply for a home loan, make sure you have a high credit score. This is common sense in the world of home loans. Poor credit equals either a rejection of the loan or a very high interest rate.

Check your credit report before you apply. This is also common sense. The credit report will inform you on how good your credit score is and if there are any mistakes in the report. Remember, credit reports are the primary way banks can decide if you are responsible and trustworthy or not.

Pay down your credit card balances and make your payments on time. This behavior will improve your credit score and help you maintain a high score so you can get the best home loan rates.

Always shop around and gather more than one insurance quote. This may sound like a nuisance, but it really helps you save money in the long run. Lending is a competitive business, which means lenders will compete against each other for your service. Competition equals lower rates for you, the home owner.

It’s always advisable to ask the seller to pay your closing costs. Selling costs are expenses paid when you obtain the home loan. The selling costs can range between 3-7% of the total home’s value, including points, taxes, title insurance, financing, and other settlement costs.

If the seller will not cover the closing costs, inform the bank and discuss lowering the closing rate. The bank will likely work with you, so do not be afraid to ask.

While buying a home and obtaining a home loan can feel overwhelming at times, there are ways to cut costs and save money on your home loan. You have to do your homework, negotiate and be willing to ask for discounts. Talk to a qualified home loan provider. They can look at your situation and determine what home loan is right for you, helping turn your dream of owning a home into a reality.

Tom Martens is the content coordinator for South Arica?s leading Homeloans portal which amongst others offers Bond origination services for all major banks.

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The entry of housing into the Meridian MLS database, which is a central pool of housing information available on the market at any particular time, is a great tool for buyers. This is why the MLS is extremely useful and important for real estate agents and brokers. Brokers who have paid for membership are allowed to input properties they are marketing into the database.

Now many home buyers are starting to gain access through Realtors websites, to look for their homes directly. Each home listed on the Meridian MLS is placed there by a cooperating broker so that any potential party interested in the home can find the information. Not only is this service helpful but it is also cost free. The MLS is a free service that is sponsored by the Realtors who are advertising their current available properties.

When using the MLS a buyer is not limited to choosing among a few available properties. Any home that matches your search criteria will be presented for your approval. Given that prior to the modern online MLS system, buyers were limited to black and white print copies for their description of homes. In those days buyers absolutely had to have a Realtor to access the rest of the information regarding that particular home.

Today, the online Meridian MLS offers all the information a home buyer typically desires to know about a home, plus the occasional photo tour. There are even more advanced implementations that have surveying tools which are quite helpful when deciding which property you would like to invest in. The search criteria in the MLS today include; price, size, bedrooms, bathroom and even lot size.

Contacting Realtors has even become easier with today’s Meridian MLS. Buyers can always learn more by contacting the listing agent directly so they get the inside scoop on their target property.

The author enjoys writing articles about christian realtor in boise idaho & boise id real estate. Click on the above links to learn more about these topics!

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Term of the Day for Monday, December 21, 2009

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