November last year, I started shopping around for a comprehensive car insurance even before I bought my first brand new car. My car by the way is a Honda Jazz Vibe-S (Japan-made) - the top-of-the-range. I started with the insurance companies where my employer has some ongoing discounts such as Allianz , and QBE . Both offer 15% discount that time thru my employer. I was amazed that getting quotation from them was so quick thru their websites. However, the premiums seem still high to me. The premiums averaged from $700-900 annually.

Prime Property near Rockwell and Ateneo de Manila Makati City Soon to rise in Makati City...BRIO TOWER  - a resort-inspired development that provides a home for a growing family.  -with 24 hours security with complete amenities. -Down-payment is payable in 68 MONTHS (ZERO INTEREST) Standard units  1BR – 2.07M – 2.9M 2BR – 4.3M – 4.5M Upgraded units 1BR – 2.3M – 3.1M 2Br – 4.7M – 5.03M 3Br – 6M – 6.28M Prime (Considered PH) – higher ceiling 2BR – 5.3 – 5.5M 3BR – 6.6 – 6.9M Launching on AUGUST 28, 2014 Tentative unit types and prices only. May change without prior notice. BIG Discounts for Cash Buyers! Flexible Terms for Instalment Buyers!

Medibank vs Bupa vs HCF - These are the Big 3 players in Australia for private health insurance (PHI). After reading, google-ing in the internet and asking friends and co-workers,  I've got to know these 3 PHI better. As such, I will share the infos I already solicited and summarized. Medibank Medibank perhaps is the biggest player being a formerly owned or part-owned by the Australian government as claimed to those who I have talked with.  They could be found in almost every mall. Highest premium among the 3 PHI Most popular. Clinics, health boutiques and kiosks - most of them probably accepts Medibank Bupa Multi-national. I believe they could be of serviced in UK and in Europe. They could be found in almost every mall. Cheapest among the 3 in terms of premium The least recommended among the 3 in forums

This is a fast-track to the Forex Market. It will only take 30 to 60 minutes of your time per day to trade in Forex. Whether you are university graduate or a housewife, as long as you have this time, you can do Forex trading. It is a complicated topic, but easy if you have the right resources. Anyone can do it! wherever you are - Philippines or abroad! I am also still learning, but I am now earning thru Forex trading. As I go deeper into Forex trading, as a student of this subject matter, I am taking notes as well. You can copy below my notes and hopefully you can kick-start your way into Forex trading. THEORY PART First of, you have to know the fundamentals: What is Forex   Why Trade Forex   Basic Concepts HANDS-ON PART After reading the above articles, time for some lab exercises. 1. Download the FXCM Trading Platform           2. Register for a free practice account .    ...

Apple has determined that a very small percentage of iPhone 5 devices may suddenly experience shorter battery life or need to be charged more frequently. The affected iPhone 5 devices were sold between September 2012 and January 2013 and fall within a limited serial number range. If your iPhone 5 is experiencing these symptoms and meets the eligibility requirements noted below, Apple will replace your iPhone 5 battery, free of charge. Eligibility If your iPhone is in working order and exhibits the symptoms noted above, use the serial number checker below to see if it is eligible for this program. Serial number Checker Replacement proces s As of August 22, 2014, the replacement process will be available in the U.S. and China. In other countries, it will be available as of August 29, 2014. To prepare your iPhone 5 for the battery replacement process, please follow the steps below: Back up your data to iTunes or iCloud Turn off Find my iPhone Erase data and set...

This article reflects my personal experience in inviting my parents-in-laws to Australia. Some things to consider: 1. When do you plan to have them in Australia I and my wife plan ahead as the processing of their visa will take around 1 month after actual lodgement They too, at their end, need to secure some requirements themselves in relation to their application. They       must secure or renew their passport; they validity of their passport must be 6 months or more. I, who invited them also need to prepare some documents 2. The Health of your visitors (Physical, mental/emotional) Physical: Are they healthy enough? not just for the consideration of passing the medical exam but in      considering the cost of medical-related expenses such us health insurance, medicines, hospitalization, etc.    see  Visiting Australia - Medical Costs Mental/emotional: Are they ready to be away from your other relatives? Do they really wa...

I opened my PayPal account and registered my CommBank AMEX credit card. Why AMEX? - AMEX points system is better than MasterCard and Visa cards (at least for the case of CommBank) STEP 1 - Registration - upon registering, paypal charged my card $2 which will be refunded later on once paypal successfully confirm my credit card. I was able to confirm the $2 charge when I accessed by online bank transactions. - paypal also sent me an email like the following: You linked your credit or debit card to your PayPal account on 21 Jun 2014. To make sure the card is yours, we made a small charge to it that you'll need to confirm (and we'll refund the money to your PayPal account when you're done). The charge creates a unique 4-digit code on your card statement. If you don't see the charge right away, don't worry — sometimes it takes a few days to show up. If you can't check your card statement online, check your paper statement when it comes in the mail (t...

Have you ever tried picking your own mandarins? Well, if you are in NSW Australia, you must try Mandarin Picking with your family or friends. It is a nice activity during May-July. One of the famous citrus orchard is Ford's Farm. They have four(4) varieties of Mandarins; they are the Satsuma, Imperial, Emperor and Hickson Mandarins. Other citrus available are Tahitian Limes, Lemons, Cumquats and Kaffir Limes all for picking. Satsuma is a juicy and seedless fruit. My sons love it. In fact, they are eating the fruits while we are picking. The farm also offer sheep feeding. In the entrance, they are selling hay for feeding the sheep. One paper bag costs 50cents. Ford's farm also have other products like honey and jams. http://www.fordsfarm.com.au/home/products Location: 1275 Singleton Road, Laughtondale (via Wisemans Ferry), NSW 2775 Just input the address in your SatNav device and make your setting avoid "unpaved roads" and you will be fi...

Forex trading appears to be intimidating; apart from being high risk, it is also a complicated course/topic. However: What if you will be earning while learning it?  What if the instructor, who is also an expert trader, is trading at your side?  What if you will be given the opportunity to cheat by copying the trades of the expert trader?  Read more

The following are sample computations for Travel Insurance coming from the Philippines and some Private Health Insurance for Visitor visa (subclass 600). AIG Travel Guard They offer 2 plans: Standard Protection - 1M Medical cover Enhanced Protection - 2.5M Medical Cover Standard Protection - amount in Philippines peso - 2,750 for the 1st 30 days and 392 for additional week) - Total payments for: 1 month of stay = 2,750 2 months of stay = 2,750 + (392 + 392 + 392 + 392) = 4,318 6 months of stay = 2,750 + (1,568 x 5) = 10,590 Enhanced Protection - amount in Philippines peso - 3,026 for the 1st 30 days and 430 for additional week) - Total payments for: 1 month of stay = 3,026 2 months of stay = 3,026 + (430 + 430 + 430 + 430) = 4,746 6 months of stay = 3,026 + (1,720 x 5) = 11,626 Do contact AIG Philippines for updated premium prices. Treatment Costs for Visitors in Australia An alternative for...

Medical costs in Australia is expensive. Really expensive! I decided to write this blog since I went digging into this topic myself before when I was a new migrant. If you do not have Medicare or Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCA ) - you better get a travel insurance and/or a private health insurance . Australian citizens and Permanent Residents (PR) have Medicare while visitors from United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Norway, Slovenia, Malta and Italy have Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCA) with Australia.  Visitors from these countries are entitled to some subsidised health services for essential medical treatment while visiting Australia. Travel Insurance Vs. Private Health Insurance A. Which is Cheaper? You can buy a travel insurance from your country you are departing from. This is usually cheaper than buying health insurance in Australia. B. Short Term or Long Term? Some visi...

There are hundreds of circumstances that could cause you to cancel your trip, return home early or force you to seek emergency medical treatment while travelling. To demonstrate the importance of purchasing travel insurance, and emergency travel services, here are 10 common examples of what could go wrong. Treatment Costs for Visitors in Australia It's 10 p.m. and you and your immediate family arrive at the airport for a connecting flight, only to find that your flight has been cancelled. Who can assist you with finding new flights to get everyone home? Your bag was lost with your insulin inside. You need help to locate your bag as soon as possible and have your emergency prescription filled. Who do you call? Your first visit to Europe, and your passport and wallet are stolen. Where do you turn for assistance in obtaining emergency cash, and how will you get your passport replaced? You're involved in an accident and adequate medical treatment is not available. Who...

I don't need insurance!!! - Try telling this to a person who has just been diagnosed with cancer, or terminal illness. - Try telling this to a family who just lost their breadwinner. Many financial planners are insurance agents, multi-agents or brokers for life insurance. This means they can advise on life insurance, trauma insurance, total permanent disablement insurance, income protection and business expenses insurance. Other forms of insurance, including property insurance, professional indemnity insurance, car insurance, professional indemnity insurance, workers compensation and various other products go under the banner of general insurance. Usually these other forms of insurance are handled by general insurance brokers and agents, sometimes financial planners deal in this... but not usually. At least for now I won't discuss general insurance, financial planners are more tied up with life products (those that do insurance anyway) so I'll confine this article ...

TRADE 21 CURRENCY PAIRS ALL AT THE SAME TIME! FEEL THE UNLITRADER DIFFERENCE Discover the system that allows forex traders to exponentially multiply their trade results and provides a practical management tool that calculates all possible profits and losses before trading. Who is Mark So? Mark So hails from the Philippines. He started Investing in Currencies in 1998 when the USD was still at 32 to the Peso (It has gone as high as 56.50 since then) . In 2000 he started building businesses while buying and selling the USD offline. Today Mark is the Founder and Chief Forex Trainer of Forex Club Asia, the trading club of traders across Asia with more than 3,000 members. He is also the Chairman and CEO of Businessmaker Academy, Inc. A Business, Investment, and HR Training Institution that has trained more than 20,000 Alumni since 2003. Mr. So is also a frequent guest on ANC and GNN where he is regularly invited to talk and share his insights on Forex Trading. He is also ...