The year of the boisterous monkey is about to end, and people are only too happy to bid it farewell. In its place, the Fire Rooster comes speeding in, setting its track ablaze with fortunes waiting to be claimed.

Chicken? Rooster? Not again.
You’re probably thinking that you’re in for a bad year. After all, in Filipino culture, the Rooster or the Chicken is considered a symbol of tight times. “Isang kahig, isang tuka” is only too familiar to kids who grew up with their grandparents.

So before you write down 2017 on your forget list, know that the Rooster favors the hardworking and goal-oriented. It brings great success to those who can aim sharply as this zodiac animal. The rooster has no qualms about sharing a fortune. You only have to earn it with a rooster’s sure-footed steps.

Think and crow like a rooster
Make 2017 your banner year by having a clear goal in mind.  Open the year of the Fire Rooster with your eyes set on a successful outcome, and you will find that great financial habits can yield results.

The trick is to take charge of your destiny. Is it wealth that you want? Is it better work-life balance? Is it a comfortable and secure future? Reflect on your goals and extract every bit of detail you can draw from them.

Be specific. Exactly where do you want to be? You need to be specific about your wishes. Simply saying you want something may not be compelling enough for you to act. You want to be rich? Well, how rich is rich to you? It’s more proactive to say, “I want to have a net worth of P5 million by the time I’m 40 years old.” See, it’s easier to track your progress if you have actual numbers, or metrics, to measure yourself by.

Know when to hold off spending. Tell yourself, “My budget is my friend.” Roosters are long-sighted, because their eyes are transfixed on their goal. Pick up this trait and you can look forward to greater rewards and yields, if you stick to your budget.

Remember, today is the best day to build your net worth. Your net worth is a good place to start and expand your horizon. The way towards wealth starts with building your net worth. Net worth, in simple terms, is your assets less your liabilities. Take heart: having a low net worth isn’t the end of the world! All you need to do is begin. So take one step forward!




Trace that red thread that connects you to your dream future. Asian folklore says there are strings that bring two fates together. Visualize that thread running through time, connecting you to your ideal self. Maximize the time in between by investing and growing your money, from its present to future value.

That is why you should plan for your investment basket. Today, there is a wide variety of investment vehicles that you can choose from. These vehicles come with different risks and expected returns. So,hit the books, and know the pros and cons of wealth-building tools. Better yet, consult with experienced professionals. Let them guide you on the best way to grow your fortune this New Year.
Create and insist on having a good mix for yourself. Your portfolio should be as hard-working as your dreams. Diversify to mitigate the challenges of this exciting year of the Rooster. Be as bull-headed as this zodiac animal and you will take home your desired earning.

Don’t gawk too long over your wins. A strategic financial plan will bring robust yields, but make sure to keep engaged in your goal. Along with your advisor, review your investments’ performance and plan how to proceed. So, during your annual financial review, ask yourself: are your investments delivering the returns you expect?  Are there over-performers? Are there under-performers? How are their results affecting your financial goals?


Review your investments, and re-calibrate if needed.  Like a fire rooster that has a strong sense of time keeping and responsibility, review and re-calibrate your portfolio to get back on track.  That is, you may have to take profits on over-performing portions of your investment and re-allocate these to the under-performing ones, to “average down”. This is the concept called "regression to the mean". This tells us that over time, the returns we get from each investment would approximate its average historical return.


Keep your eye on the prize.  Like the hard working rooster, keep your eye on achieving your goals. The conditions surrounding may become challenging, but just persist and find ways to mitigate those challenges.
 
Rein in the Fire Rooster with a good team. Connect with a team that gets you started on the life that you want today. Pursue your financial goals with Insular Life and have fortune on your side with the right mindset and the burning determination that are perfect for the Year of the Fire Rooster.

To get more advice on personal finance right from the experts, visit Insular Life’s blog, http://www.savingstips.com.ph/.