Earning money is no easy task, that’s why we take every chance we get to maximize our hard-earned cash and make it work just as hard as we do.

Many people may be unfamiliar with the term “financial planning”, but it’s really just a matter of putting your money where it counts. Life comes with its occasional uncertainties and it’s better that you're prepared to handle those when they come up so you don't dig into your savings in an emergency.

There are many ways to secure your money nowadays and it’s just a matter of choosing the right one that’s also easy to understand.

If you’re starting to think about making your money work harder for you, you may want to start investing in an insurance plan that safeguards you, your wealth, and your future at a budget-friendly premium.

For beginners in insurance, Life Ready Plus is a great starting policy. It's BPI-Philam's unit-linked product in the Wellness Series for any Filipino looking to get started in securing the future. With it, you'll get a two-in-one protection and wellness solution at an affordable Php 2,100 a month.

Multiplying your money’s value
When talking about value for money, a unit-linked plan like Life Ready Plus is your best bet.

For one, it provides you complete life protection coverage as much as 30 times the annual premium, which can help you and your loved ones in the future during a time of need. You also get the option to add in riders--or additional benefits--to your policy to customize your coverage against life's uncertainties like accidents, hospitalization, or critical illness.

The policy runs for an appropriate term, meaning you have it as long as you need it. The premium's set at a really affordable price too so that in the coming years, as your needs for protection and coverage change, you can easily personalize your policy as your need dictates.

Aside from funding your life insurance, it also allots a portion of your premium into investments so you'll have wealth being built steadily the longer you keep the policy. This way, you get to grow your money without even having to think about how to do it.

You don't have to figure it all out on your own either—BPI-Philam's financial experts are ready to assist you in any BPI and BPI Family Savings Bank branch in the country.

Better health at no extra cost
Another great thing about Life Ready Plus being in the Wellness Series is now, it's integrated with Philam Vitality--a rewards-based wellness program designed to give you perks for being healthy. You can also get an upfront additional coverage of 20% in your insurance plan through the program.

First, you take a health and fitness assessment to determine your Philam Vitality age, or the difference between your actual age from your bodily age--the closer they are, the healthier you are. The program then evaluates your wellness route to help you bridge the gap between the two ages.

From there, you're on your way! As you take steps toward being more active and reach certain goals, your Vitality Status gets higher.

The higher your status, the more benefits you'll have. Getting discounts to medical services, gym gear, memberships, and lifestyle services are all part of the total wellness package of improving both your financial and bodily health. You even get to receive up to 20% additional coverage in your policy in the succeeding years with no additional fee! All that just for being healthy.

Take charge and worry no more about your finances or your future. Being smart about your money doesn't have to be a one-man job, BPI-Philam's got a great team of trusty financial helpers on-site or online ready to help you out!

Want to know more about Life Ready Plus or any of BPI-Philam's products under the Wellness Series? Go to www.bpi-philam.com and click on any of the e-brochures. Don't forget to like and follow www.facebook.com/BPIPhilamOfficial to get firsthand updates on their products and services so you won't miss out!

It’s that time of the year when everyone thinks of #Goals to make or break for the year. Before you get tempted to create a long list of to do’s and must haves for 2018, focus on must do’s. Simple resolutions can bring you a long way if they’re doable, feasible, and impactful.

On your new journey toward living better next year you may come across challenges. But with a strong and dependable partner to lend you a hand, ticking off the must do’s in your list will be an easier and more rewarding experience.

Two For One

Research institute, StatisticBrain ranks healthy living and wiser financial decisions as the two resolutions that regularly top anyone's list, but Time Magazine says they are some of the most common ones to break throughout the year.

Regardless, the secret in successfully ticking off any item in your annual list of goals is to get help – a buddy for an extra boost to hit two targets with one swing!

Fitness and financial plans may be a challenge to keep, but BPI-Philam offers their latest Wellness Series to help you get started and encourage you to lead a life of total wellness. This takes care of both your financial and physical health through four personalized insurance products integrated with Philam Vitality, a science-backed wellness program that rewards your healthy choices.

Through the Wellness Series you get comprehensive life and health protection, and with Philam Vitality you get upfront 20% additional life coverage, and additional lifestyle rewards throughout your wellness journey. Philam Vitality empowers you to take consistent steps toward a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle – as you continuously do more healthy activities, your Vitality status increases and can give you additional life insurance coverage increase of up to 50%!

More rewards await you with every healthy decision you make! When you take steps to know and improve your health, you get exclusive discounts on services and exciting items like: screens from Hi Precision diagnostics and Makati Medical center, gym membership from Gold's Gym, and sports apparel from Garmin or Toby's Sports. Then, enjoy rewards like discounted air fare on your next Philippine Airlines trip, hotel room reservation at Seda or Marriot, or tickets to Enchanted Kingdom and SM Cinemas!

Which Wellness Series product is for you?

For your protection and insurance needs, choose among Life Ready Plus, Critical Care Plus, Critical Care Max, and Build Estate Plus--affordable solutions that secure your health and build your wealth.

While each of us may generally have similar health goals, we also have specific financial needs according to which of life’s key moments we are in.

For as low as P 2,100 a month, first jobbers and young professionals can build a protection fund for the future early on with Life Ready Plus. This plan also protects them for as long as needed by providing insurance coverage up to 360x their monthly premium.

Meanwhile, employees looking to maximize their health and life insurance to keep providing for their families, will find a fit with Critical Care Plus and Critical Care Max. Either policy gives them and their loved-ones peace of mind by providing cash benefits upon diagnosis or early stages of critical illness. It also builds a health fund that accumulates over time to support future health needs. This minimizes costly hospitalization and medical fees so they can focus on recovering and enjoying moments with their family.

Finally, people preparing for retirement and continually need protection for their assets can do so worry-free and with ease through Build Life Plus. With its life insurance benefit, estate taxes can be covered to secure their legacy, wellness, and their family’s future through health.

Every product also offers riders you can add to the policy to add peace of mind by maximizing protection and customize your cover to make sure it fits other needs you might have.

With your top two, yearly concerns efficiently out of the way, you can focus on accomplishing the things you love doing for the rest of the year without hassle or holding back.

Make nothing but the best life choices as you enter 2018 with BPI-Philam and get ready to live better and healthier not just for the new year but for the many fulfilling years to come.

Partner up with BPI-Philam in planning for a vibrant future today by visiting www.bpi-philam.com or any BPI branch across the country. Want to know more? Send us your inquiries at www.facebook.com/BPIPhilamOfficial .

What’s the perfect gift to get your loved ones? The one they need....

  How many bottles of lotion and perfume, stuffed animals, wall calendars, snow globes, or cutesy pajamas do you get (and maybe forget) every year?

  It’s always a thrill to receive a gift so might as well make it meaningful and more importantly useful. Finding a perfect gift for someone you care about is challenging, but there are unconventional options you can look at, especially for those who are about to enter a key moment in their lives.

  While a nice house-warming present is appreciated, why not help them jump start a more secure and protected future?

This is where insurance comes in. It’s something everyone knows they need but are not always willing to get, all they need is a gentle nudge from you.

  While you can’t wrap life insurance in gift wrappers and ribbons, all it takes is for you to bring your loved one to any BPI branch in the country. The process is quick, easy, and you would spend just as much in helping them with the first month (or more if you’re generous) of premium payments as you would with any other fancy gift. More importantly, it will result in savings and security for their future way beyond any gift-wrapped item can give.

Here are five people in your life that you can help build a bright future for with a gift of BPI-Philam insurance policies.

1.The Fresh Grad

The sitch: Fresh out of the cradles of college and taking the first step toward #adulting and independence. Without financial help from mommy or daddy, saving for the future on a budget may be a challenge. What now?

The gift: For as low as Php 2,000 for the first month, Life Ready Plus covers as much as 30 times the yearly payment while optimal benefits are definitely included. That means no matter what they go through, they are protected while they set aside funds for rainy days. More importantly, it’s easy enough for any first-jobber to set aside Php 2,000 per month and keep up the insurance plan for as long as he wants.

Affordability? Check. Convenience? Check. Financial security? Check!

2.The Newly-Weds

The sitch: It's for them that the wedding bells toll and having a helping hand with finances is great. But building a family is no piece of wedding-cake. There's a home to mind and a baby on the way. This may be a challenge that’ll get their hands full.

The gift: As future parents with growing careers, life will only become more hectic for the couple. When they’re busy making sure the kids are alright, sometimes they forget about themselves.

  Critical Care Max is an affordable and flexible protection plan that makes sure that the family’s future is secure no matter what happens. Even when life hits them with unexpected sickness or early stage critical illness, the plan eases the burden with cash benefits. Even better, now that the policy is charged with Philam Vitality, living healthier gives them additional life coverage aside from exclusive perks and privileges the whole family can enjoy!

  3.The Startup Guru

The sitch: Your best friend has finally transformed her Instagram store into a full-fledged business. What she didn’t expect is a new team of employees with their own hopes and dreams. While you’re both excited about joining the startup revolution, it’s a different story when it comes to making sure she keeps her team happy and protected to bring out their best performance.

  The gift: In a startup environment where each employee double-triple-quadruple-hats, it’s almost too easy to overlook one’s safety. With everyone making deliveries, moving from one meeting to another, manning bazaars and buying supplies, one accident big or small can have a huge impact on the business and on the employee.

Help your friend secure her most important asset: her people. For as low as one peso per day for each employee, BPI-Philam’s flexible Group Accident policy provides employees a plan that will suit their protection needs. Whether it’s making sure road accidents are covered during deliveries or personal injury is attended to during day-to-day operations, a small seed money for your friend’s Group Accident policy goes a long way.

4.The OFW Member
  The sitch: We all have that relative, whether it’s a parent, a sibling, or your favorite aunt or uncle, working doubly hard than anyone in another country. They may be all alone, but they continuously work hard to keep sending help back home. Until they can come back for good, why not help them save up for themselves and their own families, too?

  The gift: Getting close family members and relatives insured is as easy as signing them up as a dependent of your own. Instead of having them put all their investments in through the local currency, Invest Dollar Max breathes life into their hard-earned money. The plan also helps them prepare and build for the future by allowing them to participate in the financial market to help them achieve their goals while providing life insurance coverage. Should they decide to send their children abroad to school or travel with their family, the policy also helps protect their dollars so their families can enjoy their wealth with them.

  5.Your Parents

  The sitch: Your parents aren’t getting any younger, and they’ve given you everything you need to help you be the most successful you can be. With the many sacrifices they’ve made for us, our parents certainly deserve our appreciation and gratitude. It’s time their hard work paid off as you help them take it easy with their preparations for retirement.

The gift: Helping with the family’s finances is a wonderful idea. Now you can help your parents by protecting their assets even as they retire, with Build Estate plus. As your dependents, help them guard their future and secure their legacy through a plan that can look over their assets and cover their estate taxes. By helping them plan their estate, you’re also helping your parents feel burden-free, as if they’ve lived beyond their lifetime.

  Whether it’s Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, or graduations, help your loved one build a good future for the next 5, 10, 15 years and beyond. All it takes is a visit to any BPI branch nationwide to get you and your loved one started.

  Show them you care. Know which BPI-Philam products best suit you and your loved ones by visiting:www.bpi-philam.com.

Financial planning is a topic most millennials rarely consider. This is often seen in behaviors of impulse purchases—using their hard-earned money in things that are temporarily meaningful, that at times lead to a feeling of regret, or what is simply called a grudge purchase.

A Goldman Sachs study revealed that generation "ME ME ME" would rather save up for vacations and leisure activities to enjoy their life now than invest in their future--marriage, a home, their own business, retirement plans. This despite financial institutions constantly encouraging them to favor savings and investments.

  For Surendra Menon, CEO of BPI-Philam, millennials can choose to have the best of both worlds.

  “They can live their present life to the fullest and have a secured future at the same time,” said Menon. "It's a misunderstanding that has to be clarified—protecting your future is simply making sure you can enjoy the lifestyle you have now and for the years to come."

  Hierarchy of needs

For Menon, gone are the days when insurance is seen as a contingency plan for sickness and death. BPI-Philam now offers themselves as a partner for total wellness – securing both physical and financial health, providing better value for money.

He mentions BPI-Philam’s comprehensive health products that lend a hand in living a better life all throughout, and not just when illness strikes.

  "Millennials have been hailed as the most health-conscious generation," Menon attests.

"For them, wellness is a priority. They are willing to spend money to exercise regularly and eat healthy. Our priority is the same, that's why we've integrated ways for them to maintain that lifestyle with our products."

One of the ways BPI-Philam does this is by providing Philam Vitality with their policies—a wellness program designed to reward the policy owner for being and staying active.

“Through Philam Vitality, we’re encouraging them to take that first step to wellness and keep at it by giving them unparalleled rewards and exclusive access to partners like gyms and medical facilities,” said Menon.

The Adultier Adult

He understands that taking the first step to financial planning through insurance might be a big leap from what millennials are used to. Menon assures them that they are on the right track of independence, or simply put, getting better at adulting.

"This new generation of consumers is just wary of where they put their money. They aren't ignorant of insurance," he said. "They just want to be assured that they are getting the value in return of what they pay for. Convenience and customizability are also a factor. We have all of those, but what we truly offer is peace of mind and a way to the wellness of the body.”

To make it simpler for millennials to step out, BPI-Philam eases them into planning forward through platforms that will keep up with their mobile lifestyle.

"These products are available and offered in all BPI branches across the country," Menon enthused. "Whether offline or online, we are prepared to serve.”

Aside from a bancassurance team ready to assist them anywhere in the Philippines, getting a hold of the most fitting policies have been made easier online through their website as well.

Menon also urges them not to look at these plans with the future as an ultimatum to get adulting done but to look forward to an assured future and live a life of total wellness.

"These plans aren't short nor long-term," he adds. "one should always look at what’s an appropriate term for yourself to ensure you get the best value for your money. Our products are based on the appropriate term for your needs.”

Menon hopes informing this generation better of what financial wellness plans are available would align them to the direction they dream their lives would go.

  He believes that with the right financial mentor encouraging them, they will surely gain and win in each key moment in their lives.

  "I think they are done hearing what they could do," he said. "It's time we show them that we believe what they can do." To take the first step in living life to its fullest, visit: https://www.bpi-philam.com/en/our-products.html