According to a recent Bloomberg survey, international economists and investment analysts project that the Philippines will be the second fastest growing economy in the world for 2015, outpacing other countries in the South East Asian (SEA region).
Philam Life’s Head of Equity Fund Management, Eduardo Banaag, Jr. said, “The trend of the Philippine stock market is indicative of the fact that the economy is stable and growing. The Current Account Surplus (OFW remittances + BPO + Tourism) implies a stable exchange rate and an extended period of low interest rates. A domestically-driven demand for its goods and services implies that the stock market will weather the ups and downs of the global economy.”
Veteran and newbie investors alike should look into taking advantage of this opportunity in the stock market, with a particularly quick and easy option of investing in index funds, which operate by mimicking the performance of the stock market.
“At PAMI, we want to address the clamor for investing in the Philippine Stock Market. Through our new index fund, the PAMI Equity Index Fund, investors can grow with the country’s 30 largest corporations that comprise the Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi). These companies are spread among a range of industries and are key players in the Philippines’ economic growth,” explained Philam Asset Management, Inc. (PAMI) President Ferdinand Berba.
Apart from the particular growth prospects of a Philippine-based index fund, it retains the inherent benefits of diversification and cost-efficiency. “One of the key intentions of the PAMI Equity Index Fund is accessibility to the 30 largest and most stable corporations in one investment,” Berba said. “Usually, it takes hundreds of thousands of pesos to invest in all of these stocks. By investing in the index fund, even a minimum investment of P5,000 gives you the opportunity to hitch on the growth of the Philippine economy.
Berba continued, “Now is the time to start a portfolio. And because the management fee of an index fund is relatively low compared to an actively managed fund, whatever returns you get on your investment are maximized.”
Aside from possible high returns from the market’s current growth, Berba noted that new investors can use this opportunity to better understand how investment funds work. “Since not every individual is investment savvy and familiar with technical concepts, investing in an index fund will provide clients with a clearer picture on how the market works. You will get a better understanding of the market and the corresponding financial returns,” he concluded.
For those who are interested in adding insurance protection to the investment benefits of an index fund, Philam Life offers its Money Tree and Money Tree Elite products. “The addition of the PAMI Philam Equity Index Fund as a new fund option for Money Tree and Money Tree Elite is exciting news,” noted Philam Life Chief Marketing Officer Jaime Jose M. Javier, Jr. “We are the first company that makes it possible for client-investors to choose an index fund to increase the cash component of their insurance plan,” he added.
Money Tree and Money Tree Elite allows clients to choose from a range of funds, depending on their appetite for risk. Regardless of which fund they choose, there is guaranteed life insurance coverage of at least 125% of their investment, all packaged in a simple one-pay investment. “Moreover, those who want to add more money into their investment or add health riders for increased protection are free to do so at any time,” Javier concluded.
PAMI is Philam Life’s asset management subsidiary, whose assets have grown to P40.698 billion in 2014 from P21.903 billion in 2004. PAMI is one of the largest asset and wealth management companies in the country, managing mutual funds from different asset classes and is a major contributor to the development of the Philippine mutual fund industry. PAMI has won nine awards from PIFA in 2014 alone, and has consecutively been named Most Trusted Brand since 2010, Investment Fund Category by Reader’s Digest.
To learn more about Philam Asset Management Inc (PAMI) and their recently launched PAMI Equity Index Fund, visit www.philamfunds.com.
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About Philam Asset Management (PAMI)
Philam Asset Management, Inc. (PAMI) is an asset management company that administers, distributes and provides investment advisory to nine mutual funds. PAMI is a wholly owned company of Philam Life – the country’s premier life insurance company– which is a member company of the AIA Group, the largest pan-Asian life insurance group that has a unique heritage of serving the world’s most dynamic region for more than 90 years.
Established in 1992, PAMI is one of the largest asset and wealth managers in the mutual fund industry with more than PhP40 Billion Assets under management as of June 30, 2014.
A major contributor to the development of the Philippine mutual fund industry, PAMI is a leader in asset management in the Philippines, managing nine funds from different asset classes for different client risk appetites namely: Philam Managed Income
Fund, Philam Bond Fund, PAMI Global Bond Fund, and Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Philam Fund, PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, NCM Mutual Fund of the Philippines, and PAMI Horizon Fund and lastly, the Philam Strategic Growth Fund.
About Philam Life
The Philippine American Life and General Insurance Company (Philam Life) is the country’s premier life insurance company. Established on June 21, 1947, Philam Life offers an extensive line of products in the industry that provides solutions to various financial needs including life protection, health insurance, savings, education, retirement, investment, group and credit life insurance.
Philam Life is a member of AIA Group Limited, the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group.
