These days, AED 80 in the UAE or around 1,100 pesos go as far as a few days of groceries, one meal at a nice restaurant, or a piece of clothing! But have you imagined what would happen if you could let your money grow by investing it in a company or even companies you trust?
Gone are the days when it took several complicated steps to begin your investment journey. FirstMetroSec, the online stockbroker house of Metrobank, has simplified the process and made it more affordable for overseas Filipinos to start their investment journey for as little as Php 1,000! (AED 73.13).
*AED 1 = Php 13.67
Robbi Samson, FirstMetroSec’s resident expert, explained that FirstMetroSec has introduced a product that allows Filipinos to invest in all 30 blue chip companies at an affordable price point – the First Metro Exchange Traded Fund or the FMETF.
“Ang kagandahan po sa FMETF is that pinagcombine po natin yung qualities of a ‘stock’ and the qualities of a ‘mutual fund’. Meaning bibili ka lang po ng FMETF pero ang underlying asset po niya or yung ‘laman’ niya na stocks doon sa FMETF, ay already the 30 blue chip companies in the Philippines,” explained Samson.
He added that each ‘share’ of the FMETF is available for only Php 100, with a minimum of 10 shares per purchase.
“Hindi nyo na po kailangang isa-isahin bilhin yung 30 (blue chip) companies. Rather, you can just buy the FMETF at a very, very affordable price. The minimum is just 10 shares and the cost is just Php100 per share. So sa halagang Php1,000 pwede na po kayo bumili ng FMETF na ang laman ay yung 30 blue chip companies sa Pilipinas,” said Samson.
Samson also explained that since the FMETF already contains all 30 blue chip companies, those who opt only for selected companies will have to buy shares individually through their platform.
“Kailangan po lahat na iyon. When you buy the FMETF, you will buy all the underlying assets included there. Kung gusto po natin yung 10 lang out of the 30 ang pag-i-investan natin, The best way to do that is to individually buy the shares from the 10 companies on our own,” said Samson.
Dr. Karen Remo then stated that the FMETF allows overseas Filipinos to essentially diversify their stocks across several companies from the get-go.
“Kung gusto mong ma-diversify ang iyong ‘basket’ na may maraming companies, you can go for the FMETF or the Exchange Traded Funds,” shared Dr. Remo.
How do I begin?
OFWs who are ready to begin investing can open accounts online at FirstMetroSec’s dedicated website www.firstmetrosec.com.ph with basic requirements such as TIN, government-issued ID such as your passport, proof of address, and a settlement bank account.
