Mutual Funds

[iggy112]

I'm seriously considering investing in Sun Life Financial's Balance Fund. My understanding is that this is a mutual fund packaged with free term insurance. I plan to start with P100K, just to test the waters. Being a novice, I'd appreciate any inputs, caveats, etc.

 

 

Good choice yan... I presume you understand that balanced fund means some amount is on equities (Stocks) and some are on bonds. This is a generally easy, simple investment choice with manageable risks. Their portfolio is relatively risk averse (blue chip stocks... highly rated bonds)

However, you should know that Sunlife, unlike Philam life and a few other balanced funds have the flexibility to shift between bond and equity anytime they want. Their policy limit (i think) is 80%, meaning at most 80% of their total fund can be placed in either bonds or equity. This shifting of money is totally up to them.

 

Sunlife's balanced fund is mostly on equity right now (at the limit). Which is good since bonds are down and equities are up.

However, the false sense of security here is that people think they can suddenly shift from one type to another everytime the stockmarket dips. They won't do that. They have too much money to easily shift (meaning are their enough bonds in the market to buy? or TBills?), plus they don't just shift based on short term fluctuations...

 

So, you still get quite a bit of ups and downs on the fund value... but again at the end of the day, given the competency of their fund managers, and their low risk portfolio... this is still a nice little investment choice for anyone who wants to start in mutual funds.

 

my two cents here. :thumbsupsmiley:

[D. Sanchez]

I have invested a portion of my fund to ATR Kim Eng's Mutual Fund Company of the Philippines in Kabuhayan Fund. just to test the waters of professionally managed investments.

[scooby91]

Is there any fund in Phils that has investments (portion of portfolio) abroad?

I think it would be good countermeasure to diversify 'outside' ...

Hirap kasi na sunod-sunuran na lng lagi ang PSE sa US market.. (although, lahat naman tinamaan).

When it hits, it sure hit hard... bantay lng talga dapat siguro..

 

Trade safely..

[mordenkainen]

is First Metro SALEF still open for those who wish to buy shares? How about their Balance Fund?

 

Thank you.

[juniperxxx]

Does anyone have the figures of Sun Life's and Philam"s performances on their Peso mutual fund?

[Talley]

Does anyone have the figures of Sun Life's and Philam"s performances on their Peso mutual fund?

 

You may find the figures here : http://www.icap.com.ph/factsfignavps.asp

[DonImus]

In the philippine setting, a mutual fund is a great venue for investing. if a person doesn't have the time and know-how to play both the equity and the debt markets, this is a way to indirectly be invested in them. I just hope a lot more people from the lower strata of income are introduced to these instead of the walang kamatayang time deposits. So it won't necessarily be a case of the rich gets richer and the poor gets poorer. The top three i know of are sun life, PAMI and BPI Asset mgt. The new one is Variable Life Insurance. You get to pick where some of your premium payments get invested. But a warning though, these are highly risky and no guarantee of principal.

[abcdabcdph]

Does anyone have inputs regarding GSIS mutual fund of PAMI?

[niccolo_19]

Good choice yan... I presume you understand that balanced fund means some amount is on equities (Stocks) and some are on bonds. This is a generally easy, simple investment choice with manageable risks. Their portfolio is relatively risk averse (blue chip stocks... highly rated bonds)

However, you should know that Sunlife, unlike Philam life and a few other balanced funds have the flexibility to shift between bond and equity anytime they want. Their policy limit (i think) is 80%, meaning at most 80% of their total fund can be placed in either bonds or equity. This shifting of money is totally up to them.

 

Sunlife's balanced fund is mostly on equity right now (at the limit). Which is good since bonds are down and equities are up.

However, the false sense of security here is that people think they can suddenly shift from one type to another everytime the stockmarket dips. They won't do that. They have too much money to easily shift (meaning are their enough bonds in the market to buy? or TBills?), plus they don't just shift based on short term fluctuations...

 

So, you still get quite a bit of ups and downs on the fund value... but again at the end of the day, given the competency of their fund managers, and their low risk portfolio... this is still a nice little investment choice for anyone who wants to start in mutual funds.

 

my two cents here. :thumbsupsmiley:

 

I agree, I have just bought the Sunlife Product 2 months ago and I am well on my second quarter now.

 

I had my plan invested 70% on equities because of the growing market. My basic understanding is to do this when the economy is rising and to shift your funds when its starts dipping although in the long run, mas marami ang return ng equities.

 

On the otherhand, since i am an employee, i cannot manage my money as i do not have time for it, so it is wise to leave it to Sunlife's Professionals to do the managing for you and it is relatively safer kasi naman diversified na yung portfolio nila.

[veamucho]

Is there any fund in Phils that has investments (portion of portfolio) abroad?

I think it would be good countermeasure to diversify 'outside' ...

Hirap kasi na sunod-sunuran na lng lagi ang PSE sa US market.. (although, lahat naman tinamaan).

When it hits, it sure hit hard... bantay lng talga dapat siguro..

 

Trade safely..

 

meron sa BPI - yung UITF nila na Global Fund...forgot the complete name ng product...dollars ang investment dito.

[joss]

biased ako sa sunlife masinop sila sa pera. yung kabuhayan fund naman , im sorry pero parang mahina . buti nga naging atr na, yung si clemente sikat sa NY pagdating ng manila wala naman pala.

[Alex_Corvis]

Lakas talag ng philequity fund i think i made the right choice

[coooliced]

thanks for the reply,

 

i understand that all investemnet involved risk, between Mutual funds and UITF which among the two is more conservative when it comes with risk?

 

im looking for a long term investment (10 -15 years) lets say 150K pesos, am i better with UITF or Mutual funds?

 

 

Cheers,

 

 

i think the difference between mutual funds and uitf is the intitution thats managing the funds..

mutual funds are a good place to start with... since you can place to as small as 5k.. and you can monitor daily performance through icap.com.ph. but if your into mutual funds usually your into long term, and when your into long term... make sure you know your risk appetite..

[SigeNga]

matagal na akong napupunta sa bangko....at nagta-time deposit din paminsan-minsan.

 

Pero sa mga katalogo nila, wala akong nakikitang "avail of our MUTUAL FUND"....kaya ako na isang mahiyaing ngongo, di na nagtatanong doon.

 

So dito ko na lang itatanong.....ano ba talaga physically yang MUTUAL FUND na iyan? Paano ko ito ma-aavail? At ang daming nagpapayo dito tungkol sa mga Pro and Con nito, e hindi ko maintindihan paano malalaman ang mga impormasyong iyun (i.e. where the bank puts the money, how is their performance etc).

 

Isang hanes to godness kwestion lang po.

[bluelobster]

^banks do not offer mutual funds but they usually have UITF (Unit Investment Trust Fund). If you'd like to know more about mutual funds you can go to insurance/investment companies like Sunlife or Philam. UITF and Mutual Funds are alike in a way that Fund Managers (this is the term they use in MF..i forgot if they call it the same for UITF) pool money from investors and invest them in equities/stocks or govt bonds.