It is time to invest in the Stock Market



The years before, I was so skeptical joining and investing in the Stock Market. I thought it was only for the rich. I thought it would be very difficult to read the charts.

But after watching the videos of Pesos and Sense in Youtube (the whole season 1); I was encouraged to know more about investing in the Stock Market. 

It was easy to open an account for us OFW's:

1.) Print and fill-up the forms (available here)

2.) Prepare your valid ID's, i.e. valid government issued ID's or your passport (I used my Voter's ID, Passport and Singapore issued pass)
3.) Billing Statement - Recent, no later than 3 months past

4.) Scan and email the forms to colfinancial's customer service representative. This is for them to check if you have filled the form correctly and completely.

5.) If your form is complete, they will advise you to send them the form. I send mine by Singapore Post's registered mail.

6.) Once they received your application form, they will email you to fund your account. Once your account is funded, you can already start to be a business partner of big companies like SM, BDO, BPI, Jollibee, and a lot more.

Timeline when and how I started:

     - Friday, June 08, 2012: Emailed COL (see email below) if I can use my Singapore address when opening an account

     - Monday, June 11, 2012: COL representative replied and instructed me to provide the latest billing statement 

               with a Singapore address and advised me to send in the form first by email for pre checking before 
               sending it by courier.

     - Sunday, June 24, 2012: I send the form to COL for pre checking.

     - Monday, June 25, 2012: COL replied and advised me to send the forms through courier

     - Tuesday, June 26, 2012: Mailed the form through SingPost (receipt here).

     - Friday, July 06, 2012: COL emailed and notified me that they received my forms and my account was already 

              aproved and ready for funding. They provided me my Account number also in the email and instructions

              how to fund my account.

     - Sunday, July 08, 2012: Added COL Financial Group Inc to BPI Bill's Payment.

     - Sunday, July 08, 2012: Funded my COL account through BPI Bill's Payment.

     - Monday, July 09, 2012: Forwarded to COL copy of my payment. COL acknowledged the receipt of my email, 
                                         informed me that my account is processed and ask me to wait for my log-in details
                                         within 24 hours. In the same day (afternoon), my COL account was activated already.
     - Tuesday, July 10, 2012: I received my "Notice of Deposit" from COL.
     - Monday, July 16, 2012: I bought my first stock, SMPH.
     - Tuesday, July 17, 2012: I bought my second stock, BDO.

Happy Learning and Earning Everyone!

 

BPI - Let's Make It Easy

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) will really make it EASY.

I have been banking with BPI since college. And now as an OFW in Singapore, I still enjoy banking with them. Everything is really "very easy", except for the queues in their ATM machines back home. :)

I do most of my transactions online. To save on my remittance charges, I only remit once to my personal account and transfer funds online to my parents, my wife and to my sister's brother-in-law. And since you are remitting your money on your personal account, you can also save funds for yourself before sending them to your family.

How did I applied for my parent's ATM card from Singapore? I just emailed BPI and requested them to assist me. EASY!

You can pay your credit cards online and you can transfer funds also to third party institutions, like funding your COL account (for investing in stocks).

Though I have not yet tried paying third party bills from my account, I think it should be hassle-free also.

Aside from emailing them for your concerns (which gave me 100% satisfactory replies and assistance), BPI's Facebook page is also very helpful when you have questions on their products and services. What I LIKE MOST (the reason why I write this post) is their app called "BPI Bankers Online".  With the app, you can Ask, Talk and Connect with BPI financial advisers. I tried the service because I just don't want to spend expensive overseas call to get their help. After a few conversations with BPI in the app, a phonebanker called me and helped me on my concern , THE SAME DAY. I just gave my details they required from me. EASY! I just don't know if they usually call their customers abroad, or maybe depends also to the customer's concern.

With the services I enjoyed from BPI, I am planning to have additional products from them in the very near future. Maybe, I will start a conversation with them again by their app, "BPI Bankers Online". :)

You can also contact them at BPI Contact Us.

Back to work...

Sacrifices, sometimes are essential in life. I fly away from home to work and earn a living, leaving my wife and son back home. Today starts living alone and away from family, it's sad, indeed very sad. To my fellow OFWs, cheers and mabuhay!