Dapat Tama - GMA News and Public Affair Election 2013 Campaign

I love the advocacy campaign of GMA NEWS TV for the Philippines Election 2013. In deed voters should be educated well enough to choose the right person for the right job. Their votes should be given to the right personality.

If I may say, "our votes would speak for the nations future". I am sure vote buying would be rampant again. I am sure that political promises would be on the air but then again it is us who would decide in the end. We're down for the longest time. We were labelled by many and judged by others. I guess that's part of life and I guess that's part of this countries life. It is us, the people of this country who could change the things and lets start by voting the right person and making the right decision these coming election.

I read an essay of a Korean and what he thinks about the Philippines and I think he is right.

Looking forward to Retire?

Everyone is really looking forward in retiring. I bet everyone aims for a time where they don't wake up rushing to the hassle and bustle of the busy road just to make it to the office on time or maybe a long day playing with their grandchildren or even their kids. I, myself was born not with a silver, gold or diamond spoon in my mouth but I dreamed that one day I will at least reach my retirement days enjoying the fruit of my labor.

So here's what I think one should prepare in order for you to have a fruitful and better retirement.

Never Rely on Social Security alone. You know for a fact that going to government offices is hilariously difficult. Though it is very good to have your Social Security pension or any government institution pension plan. However, I knew that paper works really takes a long time. A friend of mine has a grand father who never had a taste of his own pension through this.Besides, SSS is there to help retiree survive after long years of working and not for the retiree to enjoy his retirement plus it gets into your pocket after a year or so of going back and forth to SSS offices.

SAVE SAVE SAVE. Huge savings is actually what a retiree should have before he/she even think of retiring from work or even quitting for a job. I am a fan of the Suzy Orman Show. Though, there are some information that is not really applicable here in the Philippines but the idea is extremely important. I think there are few things we need to consider in saving before even retiring. 

Here are just a few of them: 

• Save for Medical Emergencies. As we grow old, our body becomes weak and thus we need further medical assistance and we have to make sure that we have enough of it before we even think of retiring from work.
• Enough saving to pay our bills and services. When we retire, we still need to go on with our daily life. Though it would be a lighter life we still have to pay our bills, electric and water consumption, telephone and cable bills, and name it you should add it on your retirement planning.
• Personal Expenses. Of course we still need to eat so we have to add that as well. Make sure that your savings will cover all that. You can't go to your brother or sisters house and knock on their doors to ask for food. Though extended family is totally acceptable for Filipinos it is still worth it to have everything covered.
• Have an extra money to cover in case economy goes pretty bad or economy is facing a very bad inflation.
• Have a separate bank account for Medical emergencies, personal expenses and for city services and bills. In this way you would have an idea as to how far and how well you are 

Loan and Debt Management - Getting a housing loan at retirement age is not a good idea at all. This is one of the many conception of others. Housing loans should have been done on your Thirties and not Sixties. By the time you retire you should have paid all your debt including housing and estate property loans. I just had my housing orientation and I still see people on their late fifties applying for their loans and when you asked them they wanted to have a house when they retire as their savings would suffice the monthly amortization and their SS pension for their needs. You can not enjoy your retirement if you have debts to pay.

Over Spending - is a big NO. Been here too many times already and my spending habits jeopardize every plans I have. See, whenever you spend on something you actually don't need you are sacrificing a day or two of your retirement days. So, I am already on my early thirties and everything that I have done in the past is literally haunting me back. I should have started saving up the moment I started working. A 3% of your monthly salary would be just fine when I have started saving up on my early twenties.

Review your finances - Review your finances once in a while would be a good idea. This would give you an idea if you are on the right tract or if you need to adjust your saving to catch up.

Do you have other information on how we should prepare for retirement? Let me know....