Tag Archives: IMG

Look at Everything as Training

IMG is on a mission to help 30M Filipino families achieve financial freedom through education by 2030.

We have the best good-hearted mentors, like Joen delas Penas, Noel Arandilla, Bart Borja, and Rex Mendoza,  to inspire and provide directions in this mission.

But Brother Bo Sanchez is perhaps our most inspiring mentor, who “pushes” us to excel and be the best we can be, so that we can be blessings to more people. In our 2015 RISE Convention, he started by saying “Jesus was a businessman!”

He noted that Jesus

  • spend 17 years as a businessman/entrepreneur,
  • spent only only 3 years in preaching, healing and driving out demons.
  • was an apprentice carpenter at age 13
  • apart from his trade, did accounting, collected payments, entertained customer complaints

Jesus sanctified business! Look at everything as training!

He told IMG members:

  • “Your service, your product, is the financial freedom, and financial well-being of your customers.”
  • “Go out there with pride, go out there with joy. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
  • “You do not win the battle in the battlefield.”
  • “You win the battle, before the battle begins.”

Bo Sanchez related the story of David and Goliath. David said:
“I fought and defeated the bear and the lion when I was the shepherd.”

David saw the bear and the lion as training.

Bo added:
Look at everything as training! You are facing your lion, you are facing your bear right now. If you see this as training, and you endure, and you persevere, and you don’t give up, it is training you because the Goliath is coming.

And when you defeat the lion and the bear right now, you will have all that you need to defeat the Goliath. And when you defeat the Goliath, you are going to become King.

“I fought and defeated the bear and the lion when I was the shepherd.
— David”

Bo Sanchez ended with two short messages

Always choose growth over money.
If you choose growth, the money will follow.
If you choose money, the growth will not follow.

Grow in your personal life
Grow in your intellectual life
Grow in your relational life
Grow in your spiritual life

Look at everything as training.

See everything as training because bigger things are going to happen in your life.

Live a fantastic life.

If you want to be a part of IMG:

  • to learn about financial concepts and strategies
  • to have access to hundreds of financial products
  • to save money on products, and your own financial transactions
  • to help family and friends learn about money
  • to learn and earn, while helping others

then we invite you to attend our membership orientation seminars:

In Quezon City (JIAO Bldg. Timog Ave cor Quezon Ave)

In Makati (World Center Bldg, Sen. Gil Puyat Ave, in front of Mapua)

In Las Pinas (Palm Square Bldg, Alabang-Zapote Road, beside Las Pinas City Hall, across PLDT)

In Sta Rosa Laguna (Mercury Bldg, Balibago Complex)

In Calamba (Margimel Bldg, National Highway cor Chipeco, Brgy Halang)

In Dasmarinas, Cavite (ALC Bldg, Camerino Drive)

Rex Mendoza on World Class Leadership

Rex Mendoza, founder of Rampver Financials will speak on ‘World Class Leadership‘ at Bo SanchezKerygma Conference 2016Forward.

Class: World-class Leadership
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Leadership can be developed, and world class leadership can be achieved by having the right heartset and mindset forged by genuine commitment. By focusing on the right elements, leadership practice can lead to success beyond the office and business

Rex Mendoza is Founder and Managing Director of his own corporation and holding firm, Rampver Financials, a financial services niche player and the leading non-bank mutual fund distributor in the country.

Rex Mendoza will speak on 'World Class Leadership' at the Kerygma Conference 2016

Rex Mendoza will speak on ‘World Class Leadership’ at the Kerygma Conference 2016

Previous to this, he was Senior Adviser to the AIA Group CEO, for Marketing and Distribution, President and CEO of Philam Life, Director of Globe Telecom, The Freeport Area of Bataan, and Esquire Financing, Inc. Rex Mendoza is one of the best speakers in leadership, motivation, and personal finance in the country.

Join us at the Kerygma Conference 2016 on November 17 – 20, 2016 at the SMX Mall of Asia.

Kerygma Conference has been a source of hope and inspiration to people so they become more blessed and empowered in the different aspects of their lives. It has been gathering thousands of people from all walks of life for powerful talks and learning tracks straight from well-known speakers and industry experts. Throughout those years, Kerygma Conference has been – an instrument of change for so many lives, and a way for lost souls to discover the path towards the love of God. Check out http://KerygmaConference.com

International Marketing Group, TrulyRichMakers and Kaiser International HealthGroup are proud Conference Sponsors of Bo Sanchez’ Kerygma Conference 2016 – Forward.It is our mission to enable Filipinos to attain financial freedom, through financial education.

Attend our FREE seminars in

‘The Secret on How to Let Money Work For You’ by Joen De Las Peñas and Noel Arandilla

Joen De Las Peñas and Noel Arandilla, Certified Financial Educators and co-founders of International Marketing Group (IMG) will speak on ‘The Secret on How to Let Money Work For You‘ at Bo SanchezKerygma Conference 2016Forward.

Class: The Secret on How to Let Money Work For You
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Learn the simple but comprehensive approach to financial planning and investment; how to build a solid financial foundation and secure your financial future.

Joen De Las Peñas & Noel Arandilla will speak on 'The Secret on How to Let Money Work For You' at the Kerygma Conference 2016

Joen De Las Peñas & Noel Arandilla will speak on ‘The Secret on How to Let Money Work For You’ at the Kerygma Conference 2016

Dr. Jose Enrique “Joen” R. De Las Peñas is a Certified Financial Educator (CFEd) in the USA, a Registered Financial Planner, and the President and Chairman of the Board of International Marketing Group (IMG) Insurance Brokers Corp., a Philippine corporation offering financial services and products through international partner providers. Joen‘s advocacy of teaching people how to become financially independent is backed by almost 20 years of financial management experience.

Noel Arandilla is Co-Founder and CEO of the International Marketing Group. He is a Chemical Engineer, a Registered Financial Planner, and a Certified Financial Educator with Heartland Institute of Colorado, USA. He has made it his personal mission to change people’s lives through financial education.


Join us at the Kerygma Conference 2016 on November 17 – 20, 2016 at the SMX Mall of Asia.

Kerygma Conference has been a source of hope and inspiration to people so they become more blessed and empowered in the different aspects of their lives. It has been gathering thousands of people from all walks of life for powerful talks and learning tracks straight from well-known speakers and industry experts. Throughout those years, Kerygma Conference has been – an instrument of change for so many lives, and a way for lost souls to discover the path towards the love of God. Check out http://KerygmaConference.com

International Marketing Group, TrulyRichMakers and Kaiser International HealthGroup are proud Conference Sponsors of Bo Sanchez’ Kerygma Conference 2016 – Forward.It is our mission to enable Filipinos to attain financial freedom, through financial education. NO FAMILY LEFT BEHIND

Attend our FREE seminars in

 

Why Does IMG Recommend Kaiser and Soldivo Products

(Author’s note: I encountered a post in social media which said IMG and Kaiser are owned by the same group of people and that this is the reason why IMG is pushing Kaiser. I quickly wrote a lengthy reply which I polished a little and reproduce below.)

You will note that the Ayala group of companies, the SM group of companies, the Gokongwei group of companies, the Metrobank group of companies and various other groups of companies have many common directors and incorporators in the different companies within the same group. Interlocking directorates are a common facet of the corporate world. It just means multiple companies in the same group are employing synergies to work and cooperate towards attaining interlocking goals.

For the IMG group, the goal is to help Filipino families achieve financial freedom through financial education,  excellent but affordable financial products and powerful business platforms.

Why Does IMG Recommend Kaiser Long Term Health Care?

Most HMO companies today cater to short term healthcare of people who are generally young and healthy. There are very few who cater to senior citizens. Most HMO plans are for employees who are currently working and their dependents. Hence, the moment they resign, or retire, they and their dependents lose their coverage unless the former employee decides to shoulder the substantial costs of premium. In most cases, the resigned or retired employee, and dependent end up with no coverage.

The irony is you get excellent healthcare while you are young and healthy but you do not get healthcare when you are old or sickly or can no longer afford to pay. Most HMOs also have very little life protection coverage for members.

You will note that there are no viable long term healthcare products in the country today, except the Kaiser Ultimate and Kaiser Premium Health Builder products.

The premise of long term health care is very simple and logical.

  • pay for your health care today while you are young, and healthy and productive and can afford to pay, then
  • enjoy healthcare when you are old, or sickly, or can no longer pay.

If later, you need healthcare and you do not have short term healthcare, use your long term health care plan for hospitalization. If the Lord decides to take you home early, the long term health care plan gives your family the proceeds of life insurance. Hence you use your investment to get health and life protection within the maturity period.

And when the plan matures, you have the option to get the balance of your investment plus earnings, or keep it for future healthcare purposes.

In the case of Kaiser Ultimate, you pay for 7 years, to get 20 years of health AND life protection. On maturity, you can opt to get your investments including all profits/interests, or keep your fund growing at 7 to 10% compounded annual growth rate, definitely much more than the current 0.2% growth in savings accounts. You effectively have health care protection until you have “spent” all your health care investments.

If you paid your HMO for short term plans, and pay for 7 years, you will get 7 years of protection, and no more protection after the 7th year. Whatever benefits are unused at the end of each policy year are gone forever. None of the premiums are paid back to you.

One can avail of Kaiser short- and long-term plans whether one is an IMG member or not. IMG considers Kaiser Ultimate as a complete level 1 investment, and very strongly recommends it, especially to its own members.

Kaiser Ultimate Health Builder

Kaiser Ultimate Health Builder is a level 1 product which provides different benefits at different periods

Kaiser Ultimate by itself is difficult to understand.

  • If people compare it to short term healthcare, they will say there are better short term plans.
  • If people compare it to insurance, they will say there are better insurance options.
  • If people compare it to investment, they will say there are better investments.

This is because Kaiser Ultimate is an entry level product designed to give you the most basic and complete initial protection benefits while starting your investment.

  • If you think it does not have enough short term health protection, you can complement it with additional health care of your choice
  • If you think it does not have enough insurance coverage, you can complement it with additional PhilamMOST group yearly renewable term life insurance (available only to IMG members with active Kaiser long term plan)
  • if you think it does not have enough investment value, you can complement it with additional investments in the mutual fund(s) of your choice.

The combination Kaiser Ultimate + Philam MOST + MUtual Funds is unbeatable.

Why Does IMG Recommend the Soldivo Funds?

The Soldivo Bond Fund  (a bond fund) and Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund (an equity mutual fund) were launched only in October 2014, at below P1.00 par value.  As young funds, they have the potential to aggressively and quickly grow.

SSGF is considered a moderate-to-high risk type of fund, investing in shares of the companies listed in the primary and secondary boards of the Philippine Stock Exchange. Recommended for investors with a higher risk appetite who require the growth potential of the equity markets. Its investment objective is capital growth with returns and inflows derived out of investments in equity securities. This is one of the best options for investors who want to access and capitalize on the immense growth opportunities of the Philippine equity market.

The Soldivo funds are managed by respected personalities in local finance, led by Rex Mendoza, former CEO of Philamlife and former adviser to the group CEO of the AIA Group.  Rex Mendoza was also at the helm of Philam Asset Management Inc (PAMI) during the explosive growth years for PAMI mutual funds. We believe the fund management group has the requisite expertise to drive the growth of the funds.

Kaiser International is a major investor in Soldivo funds.  The stronger the Soldivo funds are, the more secure the Kaiser investments are, and thus, the better service Kaiser can provide to its members and planholders.

Soldivo mutual funds are available for retail to IMG members only at this time.

IMG includes Soldivo Bond Fund in its list of recommended bond funds, and Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund in its list of recommended equity mutual funds.  IMG recommends a combination of bond and equity mutual funds as the preferred mode of paper investment.

What Benefits Do IMG Members Get?

IMG members get

  • free lifetime financial education,
  • free lifetime financial checkup,
  • free lifetime training on insurance, mutual funds,real estate and various money topics
    discount/rebates on financial products
  • opportunity to help others, especially family and friends, save and invest,
  • opportunity to earn commission and build a big business

Why don’t you drop by and listen to what we have to say?

Our mission is to help Filipino families achieve financial freedom, NO FAMILY LEFT BEHIND! It starts with learning how money works, then teaching our family and friends how to save, invest and increase cash flow, and then reaching out to extended circles.

Register for our free seminar!

Meet Joen dela Peñas (an Interview by Bo Sanchez)

This article was originally published in Kerygma June 2008 | An interview By Bo Sanchez.
International Marketing Group’s mission to spread literary is most visible via the numerous FREE financial literacy seminars in Makati and major cities in the Philippines.

We met at a most unlikely place – inside an airplane. I was bumped up to business class and he was seated right beside me. Since then, Jose Enrique (Joen) de las Peñas became my mentor in investing.

Bo Sanchez and Joen de las Peñas

Bo Sanchez interviews Joen de las Peñas, whose mission is to grow your money. Save the right way, not the wrong way.


Joen has a mission: to change the adage that “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” He believes that “the average person, even the poor, has an equal chance to become wealthy if given the right information.”

Joen certainly knows what he’s talking about. He is a registered financial planner and has more than 12 years of financial management experience. He sits as the president and chairman of the board of International Marketing Group (IMG) Insurance Brokers Corporation.

Joen is certainly one guy I learn so much from every time I talk to him.

Bo: I still remember your dialogue. You said, “I like your book.” I think you read Simplify and Create Abundance. And then you said, “Can I share some more to you?” In other words, you were trying to say, “You still lack some knowledge.” But I truly appreciate all the financial knowledge that you have shared with me all these years.

Joen: That’s true. I read a lot of your books. It’s always been my dream to meet you so I could tell you a bit more about financial services, about the mission that we do. I know that you can help spread what we know, so it was a good chance to let you know all the things that we know.

Bo: Can you share with us this mission, this crusade in your heart that’s been driving you for the past 10 years?

Joen: It’s about the statement “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” Our mission is to change that. The rich get richer, it’s good. But the average person also has the right to become wealthy and I know that with the right information, he will have the same opportunity as the wealthy people.

Bo: That’s wonderful. So the rich, yeah, they can get richer, so long as they share their riches. But you’re saying now that the average person can become rich as well.

Joen: Yes, if the average person understands what the wealthy people are doing, if he understands the right financial vehicles, then there is no reason to be poor. Sadly, the average person focuses on different things while the wealthy people focus on how to become wealthy and successful.

Bo: Can you give some specifics?

Joen: If I ask the average person, “What is the rate of return on your savings?” most of the time he does not know. But ask him about the rate of return on his debt, he’d know. It’s always at the back of his mind. But the wealthy people – they know the rate of return on their savings, when it will double, how much their money will be in so-and-so years.

Bo: You know, just yesterday I went to my bank and they gave me this leaflet on new interest rate. I was so shocked – it was 0.75% for a year! I thought it was at least 1%.

Joen: And that’s still gross. You still have to deduct 20% withholding tax. What a lot of people do not understand is this: that the bank is a good vehicle for business; but for your own personal savings, there are lots of other financial vehicles that you can use.

Most people think that by saving they’re already doing something right. But the fact is, you couldsave the right way and save the wrong way. And saving the wrong way, at the end of the day, will not change anything.

Bo: That’s a very important point. You know, Joen, my role is to give people the capacity to have a vision. I give them the capacity to dream. I remove their limiting beliefs – that I can’t do it, that I’m poor. So you’re absolutely right. People don’t have a vision of doubling their money.

Joen: A lot of people are like that – they do not understand that with a meager rate of return on their savings, they will never have a chance to become wealthy. But I can show you a way that, even if you save P20,000 for six years with a total of P120,000, over the years as it compounds, it can be P9.5 million.

Bo: Wow. So you’re saying, Joen, that if the average Filipino can save P1000 or P2000 a month, they can become a millionaire over time? But they need to know how to save, where to save.

Joen: Yes and at the same time they should have a vision where their money is going and how exactly their money can grow. All of us work hard for the money. But eventually if we know how to handle money, money can actually work for us. We can be the boss of our money and not the other way around.

Bo: OK, you’re saying, don’t put it in a bank, use the bank for business as loans, maybe business loans. But tell us, what vehicles are you talking about that can make one a millionaire over time?

Joen: One of the widely used financial vehicles right now, even is the US and Europe, is the mutual fund. In a mutual fund, your small amount of money becomes part of a very big fund. If that fund earns 12% or higher, whatever savings you have there will have an equal rate of return as the whole fund. Many people think that the mutual fund is for the wealthy. But in fact it was created for the average persons to earn equally with the wealthy people.

I look at a lot of Filipinos and they’re very focused on how to make money but that’s only 50% of the equation. The other 50% is learning how to let their money go back to them much faster.

Bo: That’s true. Is it safe to invest in a mutual fund?

Joen: A mutual fund is regulated by the government and managed by a professional person to let the money grow. It’s one of the safest vehicles to let your money grow and to have the best rate of return. They have what you call asset allocation. The fund is spread correctly and all that the fund manager does is to think how to let the fund grow. And because of regulation, it’s a very safe vehicle.

Bo: I’m sure we could go on and talking about this wonderful topic. One last thing before we end. You said that in the US, 20% of the people there put their long-term savings in the bank, but 70 or 80% put their money in mutual funds already. In the Philippines, it’s the opposite. Not even 1% of our people invest their money in mutual funds. And so you have a long way to go.

Joen: Yes, there are a lot of things to be done. But I believed that with the right information we can actually become like the US and there will be more money in mutual funds compared to the regular savings in the bank.

This article was originally published in Kerygma June 2008 | An interview By Bo Sanchez.
International Marketing Group’s mission to spread literary is most visible via the numerous FREE financial literacy seminars in Makati and major cities in the Philippines.

Should You Join IMG?

By J3 Patino

Should You Join IMG? Should you Own a Kaiser Plan?

There are THREE ways to look at IMG. You can look at it as a (1) School, (2) Investment, (3) Business Advocacy.

"I really love IMG business, because it is NOT about money, but it is about HELPING people."

“I really love IMG business, because it is NOT about money, but it is about HELPING people.”

IMG as a School

The initial training you attended was just 1 of the many available trainings in IMG about different financial instruments. Also, as a member you will have a chance to network, discuss and consult with other members who are also financially “aware”. IMG is a great community of financial literacy advocates and practitioners.

If want this, then all you have to do is to become a member of IMG. The membership costs about P3,700 (fees may change overtime). This will grant you access to the ‘higher series’, and of course the people would be more gladly help you achieve your goals.

(Insider’s Note: The person who invited you will not get compensated in any way if you do decide to become a member. The fee should cover for your starter kit, trainings and license, which will be discussed in the later section)

IMG as an Investment

Remember that IMG is a financial brokerage. And aside from the Kaiser plan, you can also purchase mutual funds, insurance, real estate and other instruments from its partners. If you plan on just investing with IMG partners like Kaiser (HMO), or PhilamLife (Insurance) or PhilEquity (Mutual Fund) or Ayala Land(real estate) or any of the financial product providers it represents , then it is going to be more convenient for you since it’s just a one-stop shop. You will be dealing with just one person for all your insurance, healthcare, mutual fund, and even for estate planning. And more important than convenience, you can also be assured that the person you’re dealing with is someone who is financially educated, and not just a product pusher of whatever his company is selling.

To get an investment from IMG, then simply approach the person who invited you and ask them what the available and recommended products are, given your specific goals.

(Insider’s Note: If you do purchase any product, then the person you buy from and the person who referred you will earn a commission. This practice is pretty standard in all sales industries.)

IMG as a Business Advocacy

IMG can also be seen as a business, wherein you would be spreading financial literacy to Filipino’s all over the world, and be financially compensated for it. (As mentioned early in the post, IMG is an education focused business). So as you spread financially literacy, you will meet 3 different people:

  1. People who would ignore you.
    You pray for these people and hope they will be more financially responsible.
  2. People who would want to apply what they learned from you.
    You teach and recommend investments here. If they buy, you earn a commission!
  3. People who would want to join you in your advocacy.
    You train them how to do the same and you will earn royalty fees.

Note: There are already existing training seminars that will teach you how to do this step-by-step. So even if you do not have a finance background, part of the IMG training is of course learning how to apply it in your own life first. Remember the quote:

“To learn, READ. 
To know, WRITE. 
To master, TEACH”. 

If you do IMG as a business, then it is part of the training wherein you will learn how to master financial literacy, because you will be teaching it to others. This is a much harder path to do, but it is also more financially rewarding.

To do IMG as a business, you will have to:

  • Become a Member (Pay the P3,700 fee and start attending trainings), THEN
  • Purchase the Kaiser Health Plan.

The details of this can be discussed by the person who invited you or introduced you to IMG.  When you do IMG as a business, you become a broker for all the financial product provider-partners of IMG (yes, you become a broker for Kaiser, for Philamlife, Ayala Land, etc), and thus eligible to earn commissions on sales.  You could grow this business with no capital, guided by a team of business mentors ( but details are beyond the scope of this article ).

So that’s all for this article! I highly recommend that you get back to the person who invited you and let him or her know if you want to go with IMG as a School, Investment or a Business. (You can also say none of the options, that’s not a problem – just let them know!).

If you have any questions, I’m sure the person who invited you will be happy to discuss it with you. For now, I hope that this article has helped you understand what is IMG, Kaiser and how it can help you achieve your financial goals.

About J3 Patino

J3 PATIÑO is a personal finance consultant dedicated to teaching Filipinos around the world, how to achieve financial freedom and financial abundance by understanding the world of money, in a simple, practical and very-easy to understand way.

J3′s books, videos, seminars, and posts inspire tens of thousands of Filipino’s all over the world from different walks of life – from students, young professionals, starting families, to OFWs,  entrepreneurs and executives. J3 is also a member of the Registered Financial Planners (RFP) of the Philippines, a former faculty member of the University of the Philippines, and most importantly a lifetime student of student of personal finance.

Bridging the gap in health care

Kaiser : Bridging the Gap in Healthcare

by J3 Patino

What is Kaiser?

Kaiser HealthGroup International is the healthcare partner of the International Marketing Group (IMG). It is a lesser known Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) compared primarily because it’s focus is on the individual family clients (and not the corporate accounts). The reason why Kaiser was created was to address the LACK of long-term healthcare provided in the country.

Why Do We Need Long-Term Health Care?

Typically, an average Filipino employee would have a healthcare plan provided by his/her employer. This is certainly very beneficial and helpful to the employee and his dependents, and this covers for the person’s SHORT-TERM healthcare needs.

But what happens when the person has to leave the company? What if he is already forced to retire, or perhaps was made to be redundant? The healthcare benefits will also disappear! I honestly find it quite sad that when people get older, that is the time they will most likely need a healthcare plan, but that is also the time when they won’t have it already.

This is the BIG GAP in healthcare. Everyone has the typical short-term plans, but no one is preparing them for the future – a time when they will no longer be covered by any company, and a time where medical and hospitalization expenses would most likely be in the millions. This is the need that Kaiser is solving, one family at a time.

The Kaiser Short and Long-Term Plan

During the seminar, the Kaiser 4-in-1 plan must have been discussed to you. Depending on the skill on the speaker, there are some things that might not be really clear to you, so let me simplify it.

The Kaiser plan has 3 phases:

Phase 1: The Accumulation or Paying Phase (Year 1-7): For the first 7 years you will be paying for the plan. During this time, it works like a typical HMO wherein you have an annual benefit usable for hospitalization expenses. (There are a couple of bonuses like the Annual APE, and Dental Benefits, but honestly I think these shouldn’t even matter in your decision making).

Comparison to Other Providers: During this phase, the kaiser plan addresses the Short-Term healthcare needs. When compared to other healthcare providers, this plan is actually very sub-par. Short-term healthcare is definitely NOT this plans strong point).

Phase 2: The Growth Phase (Year 7-20): During this phase, you have completed all the payments and all you have to do is WAIT and let the plan mature. At this point your plan will have a starting cash value, that you can also use for medical expenses. The money is invested in government and corporate bonds, which are expected to yield 5-8% per year.

Comparison to Other Providers: During this phase, the Kaiser plan is still there for your short-term needs. The money is still growing at this point and it is at this phase when the Kaiser plan starts to step-up and be more competitive with the other health providers.

Phase 3: The Maturity (Year 20 and beyond): At the plans maturity at year 20, several bonuses will be awarded like the Long-term Care Benefit and Bonus. Plus about 85% of the premiums will be returned to you if you didn’t use the plan during the earlier phases. Here the cash value of your investment would also be good as cash – meaning you can use it for anything, not just hospitalization and medical expenses.

Comparison to Other Providers: At this phase, Kaiser stands out because most healthcare providers are already TOO expensive (Try this: add 20 years to your age now, and inquire how much a healthplan will cost….) Meanwhile, your money with Kaiser has already accumulated (and depending on the plan you chose, your Total Health Benefits would be upwards of P500,000 all the way to several millions).

All in all, I think the Kaiser plan is a great compliment for those who have existing healthcare plans (especially if its provided by your employer). This way you’re covered for both your short and long-term needs.

Where the Kaiser Plan Fits

As you learned in the seminar, there are 6 steps to financial freedom.

  1. Increase Cashflow (by increasing income and decreasing expenses)
  2. Manage Debt (by debt consolidation and eliminating it)
  3. Create Emergency Fund (Save 3 to 6 months of your expenses)
  4. Ensure Proper Protection (Portect for medical emergencies, and risks)
  5. Build Long-Term Savings (through investments)
  6. Preserve Estate (through estate planning)

Where does Kaiser Fit into the Picture?

Kaiser is in the 3rd and 4th step of achieving financial freedom. While investing in the stock market is at the 5th step already. And to build a solid financial foundation, these steps must be STRICTLY FOLLOWED.

(Imagine a child asking for dessert BEFORE even eating the main course and the vegetables. Would you, as a responsible parent, actually do this even if the child wants it so badly? Of course not! That would be very unhealthy, and it would ruin the whole point of eating (which is to make us healthier).

It’s the same thing in building a solid financial foundation. No matter, how good investing may make you feel, if not done with the right foundation it is also unhealthy. The right way is to Have a source of income first, THEN make sure you don’t have any high interest debts… THEN save and secure yourself with insurance and healthcare, THEN that’s the only time you invest.

Should You Get the Kaiser Plan?

Affiliate Disclaimer: I (along with your IMG financial coaches) will receive a commission should you decide to purchase a Kaiser plan through us. But as an independent and Registered Financial Planner, I will only recommend the plan if it suits your needs.

So let me start off with who should NOT get the plan..

PLEASE DO NOT get the plan IF:

  • You have no source of income.
    The unemployed, children and students are a big-no no. Retirees can get the plan only if someone else will cover for it, and you have savings that will last you at least 3 years.
  • You are buried in high-interest debts.
    If you cannot fully pay your credit cards, then please repay them first. Auto and Home Loans are okay since these are more acceptable interest rates.
  • You cannot save more than 10% of your salary.
    Focus on increasing your income and decreasing your expenses first. Learn how to budget and save first. Learn how to increase your income before moving on to the higher stages.

If you belong to any of the above, you can still come to IMG for coaching, but it is really not recommended that you get the health plan. Put the first things, first.

If you DO NOT belong to any of the above, then you can consider getting the plan. For this, I will simply rank it if it’s excellent, very good or good for you to get a plan:

The plan is EXCELLENT for you IF:

  • You are a young professional and you are already covered by your employers health benefits.
    This is a perfect compliment to your short and long-term healthcare needs. This is actually also very good because if you do not use the Kaiser plan in the early phases, you get the 85% return on your premium. So you current plan acts like a BUFFER to your Kaiser plan.
  • You are self-employed with no form of health/medical benefits.
    The bonuses are really valuable here like the insurance, APE, and of course the health plan. It being a 4-in-1 (savings, insurance, short and long-term healthcare) is also very convenient for your complicated and busy lifestyle.
  • You are an employee planning to transition into business.
    One of the fears that employees cling on to are the ‘benefits’ in the company. This almost always prevents them to take the leap of doing what they truly want to do. When you have your healthcare covered, at least you’ll have a safe foundation as you venture into the unknown.

The plan is VERY GOOD for you IF:

  • You are an established family man/woman in your 40’s to 55’s.
    Given that the plan takes 20 years to mature, it would just be in time for your retirement years.
  • You plan to grow old SINGLE.
    Not to assume anything about your future, but generally you will have less people to rely on in your old age. (Both socially, and financially). Having to hiring a personal caregiver is also very possible so it would be good to prepare as early as now.

The plan is GOOD for you IF:

  • You are starting or building a family.
    Healthcare is always a good thing, but the challenge in your case is the very tight budget. In this case, I would actually recommend you to focus on getting life insurance first, and really saving up for the emergency fund prior to getting additional healthcare. I would also recommend that you start saving for your child’s college tuition already if you have excess money. So invest in this Kaiser plan only when you can really afford it, and all the other necessary steps are already covered.

If you did not belong to any group above, sorry for missing out on you. But I believe with these examples, you already know the befits of the Kaiser plan.

Abouit J3 Patino

This review was written by J3 Patino – the founder of Pinoy Money Academy and an independent Registered Financial Planner. J3 helps Filipinos understand investments and other financial instruments so that they can make the right investment decisions and achieve their financial goals.

 

What is the International Marketing Group?

by J3 Patino

IMG’s Mission

The International Marketing Group’s (IMG) mission is simple,   No family left behind.

IMG seeks to make each and every Filipino family financially literate, financially stable and of course help them achieve their financial goals. And this mission is seen in their education focused marketing.

When you were invited to the seminar, it was a FREE Financial Literacy seminar. Whether or not you buy the products, you learned about:

  • the X-Curve Concept of Responsibility
  • The Rule of 72 in Investing,
  • the 6 Steps to Financial Freedom and
  • many others.

After that, you also probably received the personal coaching – depending on the skill of your coach and your willingness to participate then you could get a lot of financial insights out of this session. Again, you get all of these regardless if you choose to buy any product or not.

This is one unique aspect I’ve observed with IMG as a broker – IMG’s priority is focused on education, not sales. I think it has this luxury because most of its agents DO NOT HAVE QUOTAS. And when agents do not have quota’s they can really take their time in teaching the customer.

For instance, there was a case wherein during the coaching, the participant said that she was still buried in personal debt amounting to about P300,000. Now here’s what a typical sales agent would try to do, try to sell the person insurance or investment to cover for the debt payment in case of death… Then when the person can’t buy, then the typical agent would already move on to the next customer.

In IMG, the person was told NOT to buy anything. Instead, she was taught to focus on repaying her debts FIRST! She was also educated on tools on how to budget and coached over the long-run. (All for FREE!) It took the person 3 years to become debt-free. And all this time, the IMG coach was helping her and giving her motivation that she could do it. When she was already debt free and had an emergency fund, that was the only time when she was given advice to buy insurance and start investing. This is just one in many instances wherein it is clear that IMG is focused on helping families build a solid financial foundation, rather than making a sale.

IMG as a Brokerage

IMG is a financial brokerage. It is a distributor of financial instruments from healthcare plans, insurance, mutual funds to real estate and many others. So as a broker, take note that IMG is not the manager of any of the products, rather they act as distributors.

Meaning, if you decide to invest in IMG, you’re not really investing in IMG but with it’s product partners. If you bought PhilamLife life insurance, then you technically invested in PhilamLife, not IMG. If you bought real estate at Ayala Land or Vista Land, then you technically invested in Ayala or perhaps Vista Land, it is not IMG.

Why is this distinction important? It’s because we frequently ask, the question:

Is my investment money safe with <where you placed the investment>?

So we have to realize that in all this, you should not be asking “Is my money safe with IMG?” IMG is just the broker, it just gets a commission from the sale. It is not where your majority of your money is going to. Rather you should ask… “Is my money safe with the <product provider>?“:

Ask instead: “Is it safe with PhilamLife?”  Or perhaps Ayala? Or maybe First Metro? Or PhilEquity?

Half of being a good investor is knowing the right questions to ask. Because if you ask the wrong question, then the answer is actually quite irrelevant. With that cleared up, let’s move forward.

IMG’s Stability and Credibility

It is because of this focus on education that IMG has gained several reputable endorsements. For instance, Bo Sanchez, an international motivational speaker and preacher has repeatedly endorsed IMG publicly in his seminars. Rex Mendoza, the former CEO of PhilamLife is one of IMG’s solid partners. Fitz Villafuerte, a very prominent financial blogger, is a financial advocate of IMG. There are countless many others that will gladly and proudly say that they are partnered with IMG.

We will discuss Kaiser and the Kaiser Ultimate Health Plan  in the next articles.

About J3 Patino

J3 PATIÑO is a personal finance consultant dedicated to teaching Filipinos around the world, how to achieve financial freedom and financial abundance by understanding the world of money, in a simple, practical and very-easy to understand way.

J3 is the founder of StockMarketforPinoys.com, the remarkable online website that teaches Filipino’s how to invest in the stock market in the fastest and simplest way possible. His E-book, “The Stock Market Jumpstarter” has been shared all over the world because it has made the complicated stock market world, very easy to understand, even a grade-schooler would get it.