ADVICE NI TITA LITA

Advice ni Tita Lita
by Isabelita Manalastas -Watanabe

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Tita Lita shares with you her yen for living. Send your questions to Tita Lita at jeepneymail@yahoo.com
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Bago ko po sagutin ang mga katanungan ng readers ng Jeepney Press, hihingi muna ako ng paumanhin sa maling title ng aking isinulat sa New Year edition ng JP.

Ang tama pong formula na aking inire-rekomenda ay:

EARNINGS – SAVINGS = EXPENSES
EARNINGS – EXPENSES = SAVINGS

Sa unang formula, kaagad ng ibubukod ang target amount of savings na gusto natin, at pagkatapos, iba-budget ang natitirang pera from the earnings.

Sa pangalawang formula, walang target savings. Kung ano na lang matira after expenses, e iyon ang savings. Kapag ito ang ating ginamit na formula, karamihan talagang wala ng matitirang pang-savings.

Para maging epektibo at talagang magawang magkaroon ng savings, start very modestly. Kahit ilang thousand yen na savings lang sa isang buwan, basta’t consistent tayong mag-ipon, lalaki at lalaki din iyon. Sabi nga ng isang colleague ko sa SPEED, “Ang piso, nagi-ging libo; ang libo, magiging milyon din ito.”

Heto naman po ang aking mga sagot sa katanungan ng ating mga readers:

Dear Tita Lita,
Meron pa akong konting savings at gusto ko pong mag-invest sa Pinas. I am not sure whether to buy a house and lot, or condo, or townhouse. Please help me know the diffe-rences. Salamat po.
Louie

Dear Louie:
Kapag house and lot ang binili mo, wala kang babayarang monthly association dues, na karamihan ay required sa mga may ari ng condo or townhouse. Ang amount ng association dues ay depende sa laki ng iyong condo or townhouse (number of square meters). Mas malaking floor area, may malaki ang monthly association dues mong babayaran. Hindi mo pag-aari ang lupa sa iyong condo or townhouse – joint ownership iyan ng lahat ng nakabili ng units sa building ng iyong condo or townhouse.

Kapag house and lot, siyempre sa iyong pangalan naka-registro ang bahay at saka ang lupa. Pwede kang magkaroon ng iyong sariling garden. At siyempre, walang monthly association dues. Sa condo, wala kang private garden. May posibleng joint green space to be shared by all unit owners.

Ang titulo ng townhouse ay katulad ng condo sa klasipikasyon (CCT – Condominium Certificate of Title). Pwede mong ibenta kahit sa foreigner (non-Filipino citizen) ang townhouse or condo. Pero ang house and lot, hindi pwedeng ibenta ang lot. Ang bahay, yes, pero ang lot, Filipino lang ang pwedeng mag-acquire. Ang mga former Filipinos na naging citizen na ng ibang bansa, ay pwedeng bumili ng lupa sa atin, pero limited to 1,000 square meters lang ang maximum na pwedeng bilhin.

Kung absentee owner ka, like nandito ka sa Japan, at nasa Pilipinas ang iyong real estate property, mas exposed ka sa mga magnanakaw kapag house and lot ang iyong property at walang nakatira/ nagbabantay doon. Ako, ninakawan ang aking bahay, pati toilet seats, hinakot! Kapag condo or townhouse, dahil nga may nagma-manage at may security generally (kaya nga may bayad kang association dues), mas safe sa akyat bahay.


Dear Tita Lita,
More than 20 years na po ako sa Japan. Isang beterana na. Gusto ko po sanang kumuha ng life insurance. Sabi ng isang friend ko, waste of money lang every month. Ano po sa palagay ninyo?
Myrna

Dear Myrna:
Kung nag-iisa ka lang sa buhay, at walang inaalala kapag ikaw ay tinawag na ng Panginoon, siguro hindi mo na kailangang kumuha ng life insurance. Pero kung may anak ka, at inaalala mo paano sila kapag ikaw ay yumao ng maliliit pa lang sila, or hindi pa tapos sa kanilang edukasyon, siguro magandang mayroon naman silang makuha from your life insurance. Pumili ka lang ng stable at reliable na insurance company. At maraming klaseng mga insurances ang pwede mong pagpilian. Ako, ang kinuha ko ay “Sure Dollar 10.” Dollar denominated siya, at siyempre dollar din ang monthly premium kong binabayad (Note: Swerte tayo ngayon dahil Endaka – Yen Takai – Strong Yen, kasi we need less Yen for the same amount of US dollar). Ten years lang ang aking commitment na magbabayad. After 6 years of paying monthly premium, entitled na akong makatanggap ng dibidendo. At kapag ako ay nagkaroon ng grabeng sakit, like terminal cancer (huwag naman sana!!!), the insurance company can pay me the full coverage na in advance, kahit hindi pa tapos ang 10 years. Ganito rin, kapag namatay ako at hindi pa tapos ang 10 years. Nakapag-loan din ako ng mabilis against my insurance policy’s proceeds. And of course, after 10 years, pwede kong i-cash in na ang insurance policy ko, plus dividends earned. Siyempre, hindi ko makukuha total kong binayarang monthly premium for 10 years, dahin ininsure naman nila ako during those 10 years. So fair na rin, di-ba?


Dear Tita Lita,
Bumababa ang value ng dollars. What’s the best way to do with my dollar savings account? Should I use the money now sa mga travels ko? Or shouldn’t I touch the money? Or change them to yen or peso?
Christopher

Dear Christopher:
I assume that you live and work in Japan, and you earn in Yen. For your travels, best for you to use your Yen, dahil it is very strong right now. You will need less Yen for the same amount of US$, for example, that you will need to do your shopping and dining in your travels to the USA. For example, you can convert your US$ savings account into a Time Deposit Account, so that you can get better interest earnings (although ang liit na rin din ngayon ang interest earnings kahit ng mga time deposits). Kapag back to good economic health na ang US, Uncle Sam’s currency will become much stronger. So if you have the patience (and the funds) to wait for a little while, when the US economy gets strong again – at least 2 years? - the US$ can again become very strong. And then, you can consider converting your US$ savings into Yen or Peso.


Dear Tita Lita,
I would like to invest in stocks which my friend is doing. Pero I don’t have an idea what they are. Can you explain to me more about investing in stocks and would you advice me to go into it?
Fe

Dear Fe:
Some people go into stocks, as long-term investment; some go for quick profits. Kapag bumili ka ng stock ng isang kumpanya, ibig sabihin, part owner ka ng company na iyon. Kapag tumubo ang company, pwedeng maka-receive ka ng dibidendo. Kapag hindi kumikita, siyempre walang dibidendo. Kapag maganda performance at prospects ng company, tataas ang balor ng iyong stocks, at pwede mong ibenta na at magtubo. Kapag pangit naman, siyempre, papangit din halaga ng iyong stocks. Either ibenta mo at a loss, or maghintay ka, hoping gaganda ang performance ng company. Those who go for long term will invest in blue chip companies (these are supposed to be reputable and stable companies which are expected to be there for the long haul, and will not close for business after just a few years). It means, you have to wait for years before you cash in. Some enter the stock market for short-term gains. Ito iyong buy and sell kaagad ang ginagawa, basta’t tumaas na ang value ng stocks. But you will need to monitor palagi ang price ng stock mong binili. You will need to have a stock broker who will also require you to open an account with them which will be your settlement account for the stocks which you order your broker to buy or sell for you. Your account can be automatically debited/ credited for the total amount of your stock purchase/sale). Kung nasa Japan ka right now, and you want to buy stocks in the Philippines, mahirap to go short-term dahil hindi ka makakatutok mabuti sa galaw ng price ng stocks doon. Kung feeling mo, ang isang blue chip company (kunwari, San Miguel Corp) ay stable at kikita talaga, kahit hindi kaagad, but in the medium or long term, pwede kang bumili. Ang mga banko sa atin, mayroong may securities company/subsidiary which can help you buy and sell stocks. Sa Japan, medyo mahirap – pwera pa sa malaki normally ang minimum number of shares na pwedeng bilhin at i-trade sa stock market, hindi kadalian ang pagbubukas ng settlement account. Ang rule of thumb: kapag hindi mo intinding mabuti ang isang bagay or isang business, or hindi mo linya ang gusto mong pasukan, huwag pumasok.


Dear Tita Lita,
I am now 45 years old. My daughter graduated college. Now, kami lang dalawa ng asawa ko. Parang gusto ko tuloy bumalik sa school to study. Hindi pa ba nakakahiya at my age?
Cora

Dear Cora:
By all means, go for it!!! Walang age limit ang pursuit of knowledge. Surely, you will find it fulfilling to go back to school. I read about one adult foreigner in Japan, who enrolled in a Japanese elementary school, para matuto ng Japanese. Biro mo, elementary students ang mga classmates niya! Pero hayun, that foreigner was very much determined to learn, and it did not matter that parang anak na niya (or apo? he, he, he) ang mga classmates niya.