How to invest your Christmas bonus wisely

Instead of splurging on something this season, why not make your money earn for you?

The calendar finally turning to December brings with it a lot of things, most especially the one thing many people have been waiting all year for: the 13th month pay and Christmas bonus. The yearly windfall often leads people to buy on things they want and need.

But while you do deserve to treat yourself after a long year, you might also want to consider trying something different. What if, instead of spending your bonus right away, you decided to grow it and get more money in return?

This is definitely something you can do now with various investment products made available to you by banks. “Now that you have received your bonus, is actually the best time to start investing in financial instruments that will generate value for your money and are suitable to your personal risk appetite and profile,” said Raul Victor de Guzman, EastWest FVP and Head of Securities, Derivatives, and FX Distribution and Sales. 

GCash sets fintech standard, drives PH economy amidst pandemic

GCash, the undisputed leader and preferred mobile wallet in the Philippines, sets the standard on what fintech should be in the country -- an everyday brand making financial services very convenient, making it as easy as “messaging”, while empowering Filipino individuals, businesses, and the government, to keep running amidst the threat of COVID-19 nationwide.

Filipinos have turned to fintech during the pandemic: more than half a million digital entrepreneurs found a living by selling products online through social media platforms using GCash as a means to transact, all this while at least 26% of MSMEs have shut down in the country, unable to shift their businesses towards an online model. This proves that financial technology isn’t anymore simply a payment platform, but an emerging channel driving various industries forward.

Pru Life UK promotes a money-smart Christmas with Cha-Ching Kid$ at Home

The free webinar taught financial literacy for families to enjoy a more meaningful holiday

Leading life insurer Pru Life UK, in partnership with Prudence Foundation and Junior Achievement Philippines, ushered in a cheerful Christmas season with Cha-Ching Kid$ at Home: Money-Smart and Meaningful Holidays for Filipino Families. The expert-led and fun-filled webinar was attended by about 500 parents and their children.

Historic 15th edition of PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final laurels the best of Asia-Pacific real estate

OUTSTANDING COMPANIES JUBILATE ONLINE AS THEY BEST PEERS ACROSS THE REGION FOR HIGHLY COVETED TITLES FROM LONG-RUNNING AWARDS PROGRAMME 

• Eighty-seven companies compete for 35 sought-after regional titles, including new regional Developer awards
• Developers and projects from Singapore score nine regional wins including Best Developer (Asia) for GuocoLand, while those from Indonesia clinch eight regional honours
• Thailand bags five regional wins, plus the PropertyGuru Icon Award 2020 for former Thailand Real Estate Personality of the Year titleholder Thippaporn Ahriyavraromp (Chearavanont)
• Inaugural Indian and Japanese editions of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards celebrate superlative office, hotel, and green developments 

PropertyGuru, Southeast Asia’s leading property technology company, made history several times over today with the airing of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final as a virtual gala event and awards ceremony. As well as being the first virtual edition of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final, the special broadcast marked the 15th edition of the prestigious, long-running real estate awards programme.

Payments made easy: Home Credit Card users can now buy load and pay bills with My Home Credit app

Over the past three years, Home Credit, the country's leading consumer finance company with nationwide store presence and rapidly growing mobile presence, has been working on bringing financial services closer to its customers through the My Home Credit app. With its latest Home Credit Pay eLoads and eBills feature, Home Credit Card users can now buy load and pay bills anytime, anywhere—making payments easier and more convenient than ever.

For every purchase of prepaid mobile and utility load via My Home Credit app, Home Credit Card users can get a 5% discount. They can also settle their bills payments—water, electricity, internet, cable, and many more—through the app with no additional convenience fees.

Here’s how to make your online Christmas shopping safer

Protect your bank account from fraudsters when you shop online

This year’s holiday season is definitely not like the ones that came before. Due to the current situation brought about by COVID-19, many things have changed.

One big change is the way we have to do our Christmas shopping. For now, gone are the days of spending time in the malls to check off gifts from our Christmas lists. It’s now easier and physically safer to do our gift-shopping online through the various popular e-commerce sites.

But while shopping in person has its risks, that doesn’t mean online shopping is not without its own as well. The dangers of online bank fraud are still all too real. Shoppers should stay alert, especially over the holidays, when bonuses make it more tempting for fraudsters to hit unsuspecting people.

To keep your accounts safe this Christmas, EastWest’s Chief Information Security & Data Protection Officer, Joey A. Regala, has five tips you should follow: