Debt and Luxury May Not Mix

By Francisco Colayco

Craving luxury is normal, especially in the consumer-oriented world that we have today. But before you even start thinking about luxury, you must get down to the basics on your financials first.

First and foremost, you should prepare your Statement of Assets and Liabilities (SAL), Personal Income and Expense Statement (PIES), and Personal Financial Plan. In this manner, you know exactly where you are in terms of your financial life, and where you want to be at a certain age.

Thereafter, your most important formula is: Income minus Savings equals Expenses. Then work on a realistic budget after this formula.


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An Employee Should be an Entrepreneur

Filipino Entrepreneur: An Employee Should be an Entrepreneur from Illustrado

By: Francisco Colayco

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Sure, any employee can be a passive entrepreneur by earning income from his invested savings.  He can also be an active entrepreneur by having a sideline after office hours and during weekends.

But when I say that an employee should be an entrepreneur, I am talking about mind set.
What makes an entrepreneur different from an employee?  An entrepreneur owns his business and has “placed his money where his mouth is”.  He believes he is good in a specific business and he will run it as the owner.  His success is completely dependent on his creativity, strategy, hard work and determination.

An entrepreneurial employee, to my mind: See full article here on why "An Employee Should be an Entrepreneur" http://goo.gl/PqAaG6

Financial Planning: Investing in the New Year

Financial Planning: Investing in the New Year from Illustrado

By Francisco J. Colayco

Christmas is a time to celebrate and be with family and friends. It also falls on the last few days of the year when everyone is preparing for the New Year also. As Christians, we use this season to improve our spiritual life as we remember the birth of Jesus Christ. But we could also use this time of the year to plan for the improvement of our financial life. My message for your New Year financial planning is: INVEST NOW!

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Investment Literacy Is Key

For the past years, we have been harping on the central message that to build wealth is an obligation. With the bright economic conditions with us today and even brighter economic prospects in the next three to five years, it is imperative that we focus today on investment literacy. The medium-to-long term future cannot be brighter as we have it today. If you, as income earner, miss the opportunity to participate in our capital markets in the next five years, you will be regretting it for the rest of your life.


If you had decided earlier to secure your financial future, you probably would have put away some savings by now. But as we always say, earning and saving money is a prerequisite, not a guarantee, to achieve financial comfort. It is prudent and correct investing that will ensure your financial independence.

Read full article about "Financial Planning: Investing in the New Year"  http://goo.gl/BMII3i