Part 7- Web Preassessment Result

This is my ICDL Part 7 Unit 2 - Messaging Fundamentals preassessment result. I've got (137 of 145) 94%.
Exam Date: January 30,2009

Part 7- Web Preassessment Result

This is my ICDL Part 7 Unit 1 - Web Browsing Fundamentals preassessment result. I've got (37 of 39) 94%.
Exam Date: January 30,2009

Part 6- Powerpoint Preassessment Result

This is my ICDL Part 6 Unit 2 - Powerpoint 2000 Advanced Features preassessment result. I've got (204 of 230) 88%.
Exam Date: January 29,2009

Part 6- Powerpoint Preassessment Result

This is my ICDL Part 6 Unit 1 - Powerpoint 2000 Basics preassessment result. I've got (86 of 97) 88%.
Exam Date: January 29,2009

Part 5- Access Preassessment Result

This is my ICDL Part 5 Unit 2 - Access 2000 Advanced Features preassessment result. I've got (63 of 74) 85%.
Exam Date: January 19,2009

Part 5- Access Preassessment Result

This is my ICDL Part 5 Unit 1 - Access 2000 Basics preassessment result. I've got (47 of 53) 88%.
Exam Date: January 14,2009

Part 4- Spreadsheets Preassessment Result

This is my ICDL Part 4 Unit 2 - Excel 2000 Advanced Features preassessment result. I've got (80 of 87) 91%.
Exam Date: January 14,2009

Part 4- Spreadsheets Preassessment Result

This is my ICDL Part 4 Unit 1 - Excel 2000 Basic preassessment result. I've got (80 of 89) 89%.
Exam Date: January 13,2009

Part 3- Word Processing Preassessment result

This is my ICDL Part 3 Unit 2 - Word 2000 Advanced Features preassessment result. I've got (168 of 184) 91%.
Exam Date: January 13,2009

Part 3- Word Processing Preassessment result

This is my ICDL Part 3 Unit 1 - Word 2000 Basic preassessment result. I've got (93 of 103) 90%.
Exam Date: January 13,2009

Part 2- Computer and File Management Preasssessment Result

This is my ICDL Part 2- Using the computer and managing files Preassessment result. I've got (81 of 86) 94%.
Exam Date: January 12, 2009

Part 1 - Basic Concepts of IT Preassessment Result

This is my ICDL Part 1- Preassessment result. I've got (80 of 84) 95%.
Exam Date: January 12, 2009

Personal Finance

How to Solve Financial Problems

Some Observations:

1. Personal finance or study on personal handling of money is not included in our basic education curriculum

2. Young professionals are left by themselves to discover about money matters when they get their first salaries

3. Many Filipino workers are trapped in 'loan cycle' leaving them no opportunity to save

4. Filipinos generally are not saving

5. New Filipino psyche: get rich quick by working or migrating abroad! (Costly, lots of risk, not
entirely wrong), its hopeless here!

A Personal Finance Road Map:

1. This brief overview will tell you where are you at (financially) and where are you going.

2. We will define 'financial independence' as one of your map's destination.

3. It will tell, what are the elements of your speed in getting where you want to go.


Financial Stages: A road map

Stage 1 Financial Dependence

Stage 2 Financial Sustainability

Stage 3 Financial Stability

Stage 4 Financial Independence

Stage 5 Financial Legacy


Financial Dependence

1. Needs to be supported. e.g. student, pension-less retiree, income-less unemployed

2. Very limited economic choice

3. Lives on the kindness and will of the supporter or lender

4. May have little income not enough to cover for basic needs

5. Money concerns are others'

6. Normal at young age to 18 or 21


Financial Sustainability

1. There is a livelihood to cover basic needs without incurring debts (or loans) e.g. food, shelter,
clothing, education, living expenses.

2. Income may come from work or livelihood business.

3. Income and expenses are break even, subsistence.

4. Not stable; vulnerable to shocks (e.g. sickness, emergencies), may revert back to dependence level.

5. Money is foreground concern.

6. Normal for newly employed young people


Critical Skills needed to move from dependence to sustainability:

1. Ability to create income

2. Ability to balance income and lifestyle


Financial Stability

1. This is characterized by the opportunity and ability to save for the future

2. Some Filipinos have unhealthy belief on savings

3. Savings and investment is a Biblical principle

4. Two types of savings: Emergency Fund and Security savings

5. Accumulating real estate and insurances

6. Money at the background: you are richer than before

7. There is 'cushion' in times of economic shocks

8. Simultaneously start to protect your wealth: insure your money, be a wise steward, be careful
of others taking advantage


Savings:

1. Emergency fund: a good value suggested by financial experts (for minor e-shocks) is 3-month
income level

2. Security Fund: you are beginning to step at stability stage when you have built up 6-month
income level savings

3. Suggested savings: 10 - 20% of income or more!

4. Savings is securing the future, debt is stealing the future


Financial Independence

1. Income from investment is enough to support a chosen lifestyle for a lifetime without working

2. Savings is large enough to put part of it to investments

3. Investments can be passive or active

4.When emergency savings program is completed savings can be broken into wealth building
activities: (1) Long-term pension; (2) Insurances; (3) Real estate; (4) Financial Portfolio (or
more!)

Financial Legacy

1. Perpetual fund to support a cause or charity

2. You have enough money that you want to share 'wisely' with others to build up their lives

3. However, giving is an attitude to be practiced at whatever stage you are, we have a formula
how and why you can do this on the next slide!

4. You use your money to leave this world a better place


Income Balancing: a vehicle to financial road map:

50% needs : Why is 50% level lifestyle a wise one?

20% savings: Aside from the ability to earn, this is the accelerator of your speeding up

How to Solve Financial Problems

20% wants : because we need to live and enjoy life without guilt or worry

10% others (ministry, charity): because giving is an indicator of being rich and secured inside!


Elements of Movements

1. Opportunity and ability to earn (some may be beyond our control)

2. Size of income and lifestyle: Income balancing as vehicle

3. Size of savings: the accelerator

4. Opportunity and ability to invest

5. Stewardship: wise use and wealth protection

6. God's hand


Evaluation:

1. What is your financial stage?

2. Can you start adjusting towards 'Income Balance'?

3. What are your current financial setbacks? How would you solve it?

4. Is this consistent with our need for 'daily grace'?


Conclusion:

1. This is just an overview and simple model

2. It's relevance may vary from person to person

3. It is a hope that you will be encouraged to start personally to study about 'personal finance': be
a student of money

4. It is of the assumption that God is the provider who determines each one's wealth and that
there is a 'unique point' for each one as to where God's provision and one's responsibility meets.

5. Now that you know what stage you are, you can ask for grace and opportunity to move on to
where you want to go.

Credits:

Groups of friends who heard this presentation and shared insights

Sir Roy Ponce

Authors of books where the various ideas came from and gave me opportunity to learn:

Elizabeth Warren & Amelia Warren Tyagi, 'All Your Worth: the ultimate lifetime money plan'

Jerrold Mundis, 'How to get out of debt, stay out of debt and live prosperously'

Tiki Kusternmacher,'How to simplify your life'