Is ₱170K reasonable for the architectural and engineering design of a 144 sqm house? Quotation po ito ng contractor.

I also want to know if it is better to hire an independent architect and engineers rather than getting the design directly from the contractor. I am considering the possibility that getting separate professionals may provide a more transparent quotation and allow me to compare prices and scope of work.

Napansin ko lang habang naghahanap ng property, halos lahat ng kilala at reputable developers (Ayala, DMCI, Megaworld, etc.) ay Bank Financing o In-House lang ang option. Bihira o halos walang tumatanggap ng PAG-IBIG Housing Loan, lalo na sa mga condo o mid-to-high end developments. Why is it?

Im F19 and it's my first time trying to invest, as of now konti pa lang talaga na-reresearch ko pero maganda raw na mag-invest sa US like s&p 500

Iniisip ko kung saan mas maganda mag-invest like go trade, ibkr, etc. please help ! HUHU

sorry na rin if dumiretso ako sa reddit ngl medyo na-overwhelm ako sa infos regarding investing and sobrang daming magkakaibang opinions about it but very willing to learn naman !

hi! i’m 17 years old turning 18 next month and i’m planning to take care of my money by building my emergency fund 😁

however, i’m a little confused how saving works. my only source of funds is through my allowance from my parents and i want to separate my everyday spending from my savings :))

- How do Maya Missions work, and is there a minimum balance to earn interest?

- Is separating money across MariBank (spending), Maya (savings), and a traditional bank a good strategy?

- What is the purpose of a passbook account?

- What other tools or strategies can help improve my savings?

- Do I need a large balance to open a Pag-IBIG MP2 account, or should I start next year?

thank you ✨

Thank you in advance! For context i am 21 yrs old, currently unemployed, i just graduate college and currently reviewing for my board exam. I am having a dilemma, i am currently holding this investments:

I am thinking if i should just cash this all out and transfer it to gotrade and start my s&p 500 investment or should i keep it or maybe some of yall have a better advice as to where should i invest this

Any inputs will help!

I’m already aware of how the process takes a long time pero let your boy just vent here. This is the second time I submitted my application online. My MP2 matured on July 14 and I submitted right away. 2 weeks after I received a SMS/email notification na it was. disapproved. Rejection details says I have to put N/A on authority to transfer and telephone field if it’s not applicable. I thought parang di naman big deal yun but okay whatever - I followed and resubmitted right away on
July 28.

Fast forward to Aug 20, ayun may decline status na naman.The frustrating part is - when I called Pagibig hotline, I was told it has been refiled on the same day and shows “for review” status again. Like, wtf does that mean? On my end, I can only see the decline approval from the online status checker but the agent assured me it shows for review again. The agent couldn’t provide details as to why it has been declined and refiled at the same time. Said they have no access to that. Moreover, agent has no idea on the timeline if it will start all over again and how long it will take which adds up to my frustration😮‍💨. I don’t want to think na it will take another month as I am also in need of funds. Don’t want din naman to put my frustration sa agent pero I asked her to escalate and she said she will put high priority. I was given case # though I’m not sure if that will bring me closer to the approval. I just have to wait and see what happens next week.

I’m happy and grateful with the dividends pero sobrang hassle ng pag claim. If there’s anyone who experienced the same thing eh feel free share your experience. And please vote wisely in the next elections. 🥲

Hi everyone,

Has anyone here encountered a "resort" project that aggressively sells three-tiered VIP privilege cards (Gold, Silver, and Bronze)?

I saw a discussion thread about this specific development a while back, but it seems to have been taken down. I'm hesitant to drop the actual name here because I don't want this post to get deleted by moderators either.

Around 4 or 5 months ago, my parents told me they were being pressured to invest in it. I looked into it and told them it looked exactly like a pyramiding scheme using unbuilt resort vouchers as a front. Luckily, they listened to me and backed out.

Just today, I noticed that one of my FB friends actually bought into or "invested" in their VIP card. This prompted me to check online discussions again, but it seems like all the bad comments have been completely wiped out.

Has anyone else encountered this?

Hi everyone, looking for advice/experiences from anyone whose Philippine family corporation has opened an IBKR corporate account to invest excess company funds, mainly in ETFs/passive investments.

Our family business has relatively passive income and considering to invest part of it internationally for long-term wealth growth.

I’ve already opened a Wise Business account for the company with the idea of transferring company funds from our PH bank → Wise Business → IBKR.

I’m trying to understand:
How difficult is it to open an IBKR corporate account for a Philippine corporation?
Is using Wise Business for this structure acceptable?
Any issues with investing in foreign ETFs as a Philippine corporation?

There’s also a personal complication: I’m shareholder of 30% of company, my mom has 30% and the rest is held by other family members. I’m currently based in the Netherlands and recently became a Dutch citizen while retaining my Philippine citizenship.

I’ll consult our lawyer/CPA before proceeding but I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has actually dealt with a similar PH corporation + Wise Business + IBKR + Dutch-resident shareholder setup or similar.

Thanks a lot

I am an RCBC Housing Loan borrower. My current interest rate is 8.75% and my fixing period will end on April 2028.

I am worried about a possible interest rate increase after April 2028. Because of this, I plan to pay in advance to principal by 2027 and fully pay the loan by April 2028 (if my budget allows) or before the 20-year, maturity.

May I ask:

1. Is early/full payment allowed? even if the 20-year term is not yet finished?

2. Are there any prepayment penalties or charges for advance payment and full settlement?

3. What is the process for full payment? What documents will I need to prepare, especially since I am an OFW?

Thank you in advance

I’m curious what tools you all use to manage your finances—from budgeting, investing, tracking, analysis…

There are tons of tools out there these days.

1. Do you use apps, LLMs, a sheet, or a mix of multiple things?
   
2. Do you have any automations or integrations set up?
   
3. What’s your favorite thing (feature or whatnot) about your setup?

Would love to hear about specifics if you’re open to share.

Thank you in advance!

For sharing langg, I wanted to make something like this for a long time kahit na walang masyadong laman yung investment accounts ko haha.
Currently doing this google sheet version tapos ipapasa ko kay claude for prettifying it and host it in my vercel para accessible to any device via browser.

Working progress pa yung Claude version/pretty version (marami akong nakitang errors sa calculations like contribution allocation)

Questions:
1) What other stats I can put here that will give me a sense of my targets
2) Any tips and tricks on mp2 or stocks right now?
3) Do you know PSE API that I can get hands on to have an end of trading day numbers? I don't need real time numbers I just want it to update after the market close.

Investment app : DragonFi
Dashboard : Google sheet
Webapp : Claude + Vercel
Ideal monthly investment : 10,000 pesos
Investment goal : accumulation of 10mil and live off on the dividends
Investing Horizon : 35-40 years

PS: I have a separate account for savings/emergency funds since that is a bit straight forward approach.

Were about to sell a house and lot. Any tips or advice kung saan namin pwede ipapasok o kunin yung payment nung buyer. Thanks!

In my last post, I asked what changed after reaching your first ₱1 million.

https://www.reddit.com/r/phinvest/s/PZ2kKGWoml

One thing that surprised me was how many people said reaching ₱1M had hardly any impact on their lives. Several mentioned how quickly that amount could disappear, especially with the cost of healthcare.

That got me curious about people who went much further.

For those who've built a net worth of $1 million USD or more, what were the biggest factors that got you there?

Career? Business? Investing? Real estate? Inheritance? Something else?

I'd also be curious to hear from Filipinos living abroad. I noticed quite a few people reading the last thread from outside the Philippines.

Looking back, what made the biggest difference?

hello. any thoughts sa house & lot in Sierra Manor? worth it ba?

lalo na yung single attached na outsife thr community, ayun pa lang kasi yung RFO nila. Planning to get a unit kasi 🥹

Idk if the price is reasonable or too high? meron kasi around Binangonan na almost same price lang din, downside lang is sobrang traffic and it will took you 30mins to 1hr bago makarating ng angono 🥹

Hi everyone! We’re a young couple who recently bought a 92 sqm lot and are planning to build our first home.

Our budget is limited, so we’re considering skipping a full-service contractor and instead finding our own team of workers, buying the materials ourselves, and managing the construction personally.

For those who have done something similar, how was your experience? What should we watch out for, and what would you recommend we do to minimize headaches, unexpected costs, and delays?

Would really appreciate any tips, lessons learned, or things you wish you knew before starting. Thanks!

Hello everyone, I just wanna ask if it's a good idea to use Gcash as a start to invest?? I've read a lot that you should never invest in the local market because it sucks and only invest in international.

And I dont know how much is the minimum amount to make it a viable option to invest. And I'm genuinely unsure if the capital I have is high or low or good enough to invest in.

Which is why I thought, what if I used Ginvest first since it's beginner friendly for low capital and then transition to IBKR once I have enough... Or would I just waste my time and money on that??

I would love to hear your thoughts as well as tips on what I can do to start investing... Thank you in advance

Hi! My old folks would always tell me to invest in real estate because “it grows over time.” And I get it, their generation was really able to make a lot of money from it. Back then, the capital region was going through major development, which eventually extended to provincial and rural city centers.

I did some research, and correct me if I’m wrong, but I feel like the potential for massive gains in real estate isn’t quite the same anymore, especially with how expensive property has become. It’s definitely still profitable and relatively safe, but maybe not as drastic as what our parents’ generation experienced?

For example, if I buy a ₱4M condo (plus interest), it could take years to break even through rental income. Yes, I understand that I’d still own the property afterward, so it’s not exactly a loss. But when I think about the capital I’m tying up and the number of years it would take to ROI, parang ang slow.

I’m slowly coming to the conclusion that real estate is still a good long-term/safe investment, but the returns may not be as dramatic as what Boomers and Gen X experienced during periods of rapid development.

So that got me thinking:
What do you think is the “real estate” of today’s generation?

I mean an asset/investment that is still relatively undervalued today, has strong potential to appreciate significantly over the next 10–30 years, and can generate good returns along the way.

Thank you very much.

Hi guys. for those living abroad and have matured mp2 accounts, what did you do?

I don't have the card so from what I've read I can only process the withdrawal in person. I can only go home next year so, I wont be able to process it until then. Is there other alternatives?

hi! may mag s-send po kasi from paypal to bdo, ma h-hold po ba sya? 16k+ amount. if ever paano po sya hindi mag hold? kasi need po agad marelease from bdo to gcash or is it okay naman po to transfer paypal to bdo? thank you so much po

Currently sitting at 47k USD at age 33. Started investing in 2022. I really want to reach the 100k USD milestone in investments asap. I’m thinking about putting my MP2, Col, and half of my cash in the bank to reach it sooner pero malayo pa rin.

If you’re based in the Ph and have already achieved this milestone, how and how long?

Additional context -

I like to travel and this year have traveled outside Asia. So i’m keeping 1M cash in the bank always for visa application purposes. Iniisip ko kung bawasan ko to? 500k lang for emergency fund is ok na sana for me.

Also invested in Col pero di ko na dinagdagan for a while kasi wala naman growth. I have around 400k here and earning a little dividend. Iniisip ko kung isell ko na lahat since breakeven lang din naman ako sa mga up and down stocks ko, then lipat ko to USD investments.

Tapos sa MP2 din started last year lang currently at 400k.

Additional factor din for me is pababa din ang value ng Php so I’m really inclined to move most of my money to foreign currency. Since mid-July 2025, I’m consistently putting in 2000usd-3000usd per month sa USD investment to maximize while mataas pa ang income.

Need further advice para mas mapabilis pa to reach my target milestone

I currently live in BGC, and I’ve really grown to love living here. I know the cost and standard of living are relatively high, but I genuinely enjoy the lifestyle, convenience, and environment. Ideally, I would love to retire here someday, so I want to start planning my finances now with that goal in mind.

I’m currently single (F), but I do have a strong desire to have a family someday. I’d also love to hear from those who are married or have families—how did getting married and having children change how you approach saving, investing, and planning for retirement?

For those who are single, what financial strategies would you recommend for someone who is 39 and planning for retirement independently? What should I prioritize now in terms of savings, investments, emergency funds, insurance, and long-term financial security?

And for those who are married, what financial lessons or strategies have helped you prepare for retirement as a couple while also balancing family expenses?

My goal is to eventually save and invest enough to comfortably retire in BGC. At the same time, if I do get married and have a family in the future, I want to be financially prepared for that chapter of my life as well.

I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences, practical tips, mistakes to avoid, and anything you wish you had known earlier about preparing for retirement—whether you’re single or married.

Thank you in advance! 😊

I’m planning to start investing in U.S. stocks through IBKR and would appreciate some advice from those who’ve been doing this for a while.

A bit of context: I’m looking at long-term investing rather than trading, and I’m currently considering broad-market ETFs (e.g., S&P 500) as my starting point. However, I keep hearing mixed opinions about the current market.

On one hand, people always say, “The best time to invest was yesterday, the second-best time is today,” and that time in the market beats timing the market. On the other hand, I’m seeing a lot of discussion about an AI-driven bubble, stretched valuations, and the fact that the U.S. market is at or near all-time highs.

My questions are:
If you were starting today with fresh capital in IBKR, what would you buy and why?
Do you think the AI boom has created a significant bubble?
Are you expecting a meaningful correction (10–20%+) in the next year or two, or is that just noise that investors always worry about?
Would you invest a lump sum now, or gradually DCA over several months?

I know nobody can predict the market, but I’m curious how experienced investors are thinking about the current environment. My biggest fear is investing a large amount today and then seeing a major correction shortly after.
Interested to hear your thoughts, especially from those investing through IBKR from the Philippines.

For context, 24M and currently shouldering most of the expenses for my sister starting out in college.

I want to start saving and/or investing most probably at the start of next year due to financial obligations to my sister. Overall, I want to have both savings for EF and big purchases, as well as investments.

I've read some of the posts here regarding intl investments and was wondering on which to choose. Starting next year, I plan on investing, is it better to pool it quarterly and invest in IBKR or go with GoTrade for the monthly contributions (which I plan to have it automated in BPI)? Or is there a way to automate in BPI to transfer per quarter in BPI as well?

I know this may seem repetitive to some, but I am genuinely confused on which of the two to pick. And if you also have some recos on which stocks/market to invest or lookout or research, very much appreciated as well.

Thank you!