How to Own Shares of Stock from the PSE

I just have to write this blog.

It is because I've had occasions where I have been asked several times how to buy shares of stocks or how to open an account with a licensed broker in order to buy shares of stocks for investment or trading purposes.

Take note also that I am not a financial expert but I am just taking action so I can also fulfill my own dream of being financially free one day.

The following are the steps to open a brokerage account:

1. Decide which licensed brokerage company you would like to open an account with. Choices range from traditional brokers that you can call on the phone to execute your orders, to those that have online trading platforms. Since this is already the internet age, having an online platform is a great way to monitor your investments from home. Some of those that have online platforms are colfinancial, bpitrade, utrade and philstocks.ph. Others that I may not have mention, you can google it!

2. Download the application form and submit requirements. You can either download the application form (including the signature cards) or go to the nearest office of the broker of your choice. Rest assured you will be assisted with your application, (in my experience, their services are better than the banks or gov't sorry to say that). The usual requirements would be a photocopy of you 2 valid ID's and your TIN number. If you live further away, LBC will do.

3. Fund your account. When your application is once received, you will then get a call from one of the broker's representatives for account verification (2-3 days). Once your account has been verified, you can already start funding your account. You can do this by personally bringing your check or money to your broker's office, or you can remit your fund through the bank, just like you would when you deposit money. TIP: easier if you have a BPI express online account.

4. Buy shares of your preferred stock or company. Just simply choose a stock or company you think, or you believe will give you good returned for your money. Decide how many shares you'd like to buy, and for how long and you're good.

5. Monitor your investments. Investment experts have this adage, that if you buy growth stocks, or stocks with strong fundamentals can make you SLEEP WELL AT NIGHT. Though this may be true, it is always important to monitor your investments, by reading from the business section of the newspaper or from company disclosures found on PSE edge website. 
   
There you have it! Five easy steps to start your financial freedom and this is just the first step. It would also do some good that while you're at it, attend some Fundamental and Technical Analysis Seminars. There are those that are free like the one that your broker offers. All you need to do is just register to get a slot, because believe it or not, the classes are usually full that you will need to wait for your schedule to come so you can attend.

There are seminars also that are offered for a fee. These classes are full of like minded people whom you can also make friends with and you can talk with while increasing your financial literacy and money.

Good Luck! and Happy Investing!

Caveat!

Disclaimer: 
I posted my financial adventure like this here because I noticed that after the 2,000th mark, nobody reads my posts anyway. This article does not constitute a recommendation or an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any financial product and stocks.I'm an independent trader and not affiliated to any financial institute (Not anymore). I encourage you to do independent research for your judgment with respect to the matter contained from this site. No liability whatsoever is accepted for any loss that may arise (whether direct or consequential) from any use of the information contained herein.

Traders Apprentice

Photo courtesy of TAP FB Thread. Posted by Tony Herbosa
with our Eve as baby Dragon in the making.

It was in the morning of May 10, at 7:30 am I was waiting for my husband to come home from work and be on our way to Makati to attend our long awaited 1pm Overview Seminar on Stocks Trading. We've registered for it a month prior to that and finally my husband got the opportunity to be trained by mentors that had just simply walked the talk.

It was important to me because in the past, whenever I register myself for seminars like these, I am the only one present in our companionship. It was because my husband's work schedule will not let him.This time, he was with me, and so is our baby Eve. We have to take her with us because of breastfeeding issue. Gladly, my husband was on it while we were there at the seminar. He was even taking notes I like the people we are with during that time. It opened both our eyes to all these wonderful possibilities about making money work in the stock market.

Being a stay at home mom, I can't remember when I was able to join this Facebook group Trader's Apprentice Pilipinas. I guess it was on some nights when I was still awake waiting for my husband to come home. I was looking for some kind of group that will help me know what I've been wanting to know, and teach me how, all along that can give me satisfactory result. It was not just a chatting around textbook preaching seminar on stock market trading and investments. It was the real thing.

My new year's resolution has just begun. Since my COL account has just been sleeping, I started pumping it up again on Monday last. Sell a little here, buy a little there, till I get the hang of it and to also to get the feel of the market. I don't know everything yet, but I am learning as I go along in this wealth creation journey.

The Mentor's were Roy Reyes, Atty. Christian Del Rosario, Nikki Yu, and Tony Herbosa, . As you know this blog has been going on a few years now, has slept for some time and been revived for some time. This time I'd like to make it as a keep notes of my take aways and experiences. As they say, "Tuloy Po Kayo, Welcome to TAP!

After College and Office, Now What?

If I look at my resume, I would see that in the span of 11 years, I have been through different Employers and I could say, I would only stay at a workplace from maybe 3 to 6 months. I would say the longest I've been in a company would have to be around 1 year and 6 months at Convergy's. I just don't have the grit to stay in an office.

Sometimes, I feel that being in a office makes me feel really stupid. It's crazy, but it's the way I am. Sometimes or a lot of times colleagues  make me feel like, I don't know what I'm doing. At first I thought something is wrong with me. Well of course as un-perfect as I am. But one thing I know is that, amazingly I still survive after leaving the corporate slavery world. This is I guess, because  I never really stop doing something every time I'm out of job, or just resigned. I just have to be doing something else.

I remember when I was working at the ICT group, I got suspended from work for some stupid reason. It wasn't because I failed to try to do well. Who wouldn't want to do well for their office job just to stay afloat as an employee? It felt devastating during that time. Instead of wallowing at home, the timing was just right for me then to attend a one week Academy for Creating Enterprise Training. I belong to the executive batch which made my office suspension a lot easier to deal with. While at ACE, I learned a lot about Entrepreneurship. The last day of our class was our ACE graduation. Who wouldn't feel so special about this? I just turned my misery into a happy occasion.

Now that I work  from home as a self employed individual and a mom. I like it better. Funny as it may seem but I even have extra blessings in my pocket than I did when I was working for someone else's company. I also like the fact that I was able to do other things. Something always comes up and I was never content. I got more time for myself learning the things I really want to learn about.

Something that I've been learning a lot lately dwells more on the topic of personal finance and investments.

My journey to this so called financial independence started back in 2008 while I was working at Convergy's. It was in response to a friend's invitation to attend a lecture about The Law of Building Wealth and Decreasing Responsibility. I like their concept, so I did join with them in the International Marketing Group. To cut the story short, I am not an active participant to the IMG group. But because I do believe in the concept to strongly. I apply the principles I learned. I took my husband one time with me to attend to two of their lecture series in Makati.

My progress with IMG was slow on the business side. Living now in Pampanga, I am grateful to have bumped into a small business opportunity which helped a lot in my Entrepreneurial path. I am learning a lot working working on the business than working for a business. It is not always easy but I can sense that I'm growing more this way than the other way. 

Two years ago, I opened an account with COL Financial formerly citiseconline. They are now the country's largest online brokerage for stocks trading and investment. So far, I have positive experiences with them. It took me a year to attend their investor seminars. 

The First one I attended was a seminar entitled Investing in the Stock Market Today, conducted by Mr. Aya Laraya, RFP and an Investment Advocate. He is also the host for the show Pesos and Sense The lecture was an eye opener. It's amazing how he can simply explain what stocks are and how to invest in it. Too bad I didn't have my camera that time, I didn't even know he'll be the speaker so I didn't get the chance to have a picture with him.

After attending the lecture with Aya Laraya. I booked for another one the following month. The Fundamental Analysis by Charles William Ang, Research Analyst of COL Financial. I wasn't really happy about my attendance on this one because I slept late the night before going to the seminar, so I was feeling sleepy the entire time. I stayed anyways, the entire time trying to stay awake. I don't want to waste my travel time from Pampanga to Manila. I least I was able to hear lectures about the Fair Value and Book Value of a company and why it is an important consideration when picking stocks. Luckily, I brought my camera that time so I was able to take a picture of him while he was discussing. (I placed his photo with the other two below, I hope this is OK)

The last one I attended was the Primer to Technical Analysis, conducted by Juanis Barredo, VP for Sales and Chief Technical Analyst of COL. I really enjoyed this one! We were taught how to read the charts that will help us decide when to buy, hold or sell the stocks we own and are eyeing on. As he (Juanis) promised, I was even sent yesterday an email of the whole module!

And just last night, I cannot sleep. So I opened my laptop and checked on my dropbox folder. There are e-book files I was able to open, I went to look for a good read. I found this college book looking item. It was entitled. Financial Management Principles and Applications, by Keown, Petty, Martin and Scott, Jr. It was really late when I decided I have to stop doing what I'm doing and head to bed.

After I get to finish this book, who knows what I'll be doing next? Always, I'm at a start!