Chocolates Or Investments

What you spend 5,000 PHP on says a lot about who you are and where your life will go.

If you have 5,000 PHP, what will you choose—chocolate or investments? I was surprised by this Toblerone (4.5 kg) for 4,499.00 PHP! It is cute, but is it worth it?

Did you know that you can open an investment account and start investing with just 1,000 PHP to 5,000 PHP? Believe it or not, there are many possible investments in the Philippines. It is up to money-savvy Filipinos like you to find these investments and take advantage of them.

Here are some of the investment options that you may consider:

Mutual Funds
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It is a pooled fund with affordable investments, invested in a basket of securities, professionally managed, and instantly diversified. You can choose where to invest your funds: Equity Funds, Bond Funds, Balanced Funds, and Money Market Funds.

Unit Investment Trust Fund (UITF)
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​A UITF is an open-ended pooled investment fund handled by a fund manager. It is quite similar to a mutual fund; the only difference is that UITFs are offered by banks and are thus regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

You can invest for as little as PHP 1,000. UITF investments in BDO are made easy with their popular BDO Easy Investment Plans.

Stocks
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Stock is a type of security that signifies a share or ownership in a corporation. History has proven that investing in quality stocks can provide greater returns than most investment instruments. You can make money in stocks through "Price Appreciation and Dividends."

You’ll need at least PHP 1,000 to open a stock trading account. COL Financial offers one of the most affordable stock market investments in the Philippines with their COL Starter Program.

Pag-IBIG or SSS Investment Program
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How about investing in government-regulated programs like the Pag-IBIG MP2 Savings Program and the SSS PESO Fund? They work like savings accounts from banks, only with higher interest rates. You can start investing for as little as PHP 500 to PHP 1,000.

Your PHP 1,000 can easily grow to any amount you want. If you’re feeling lucky, you can even combine these investment vehicles to form a diversified portfolio and minimize risks.

Don’t be discouraged by your low capital. What matters more is that you’re already taking the first step towards financial freedom. Do it as soon as you can—right after you read this, even—so you can make the most out of your investments.