This time it’s personal

It’s not about the money. You hear this countless times from individuals who’ve taken an alternative career path that pays low but fulfills much, from persons who’ve sued a company for millions but are doing it only because of their principles, or from people who married partners who are not as rich (or, for that matter, so much richer).  You may have uttered this line before yourself.

Well, I have news for you: it is about money. Even if you put money in the lower rung of priorities, that in itself is a financial decision. You decided to lower your standard of living for a richer quality of life. That choice is about money—you can live with less of it.

For many of us, the opposite is true. We want more of it. The vast majority probably just want a life of comfort, not excess. We don’t want to be filthy rich but we also don’t want to be plain filthy. We just want to be able to provide well for our family, send our kids to good schools, live in a safe neighborhood, eat at nice restaurants, travel abroad every so often, splurge on shopping once in a while, and retire comfortably.

Yet we find ourselves burdened with credit card debt, not having anything left over after paying the bills, occasionally facing crises when someone in the family gets seriously sick or a property gets lost, trapped in the rat race and the never-ending cycle of earning more then spending it all, and worrying what the future brings.

If you can relate to any of these aspirations and quandaries, then you’re reading the right magazine. MoneySense is written for people who want to know about the best ways to earn, save, spend, borrow, invest, and protect their money. For many, personal finance is anything but common sense. There’s a myriad of financial and consumer products to choose from and never-ending financial decisions to make. Our mission is to help you become more financially literate and financially savvy. Hence our tagline: Save, spend, and invest wisely.

We put up this magazine because we feel there is a need to help Filipinos manage their money well. Our philosophy is financial stewardship, not a get-rich-quick mentality. Unfortunately, many Filipinos put their hopes in gambling and games of chance, rely on the government or their children for their well-being, take the seemingly quicker route of celebrity aspirations or dubious investment schemes, and persist on cultural flaws such as bahala na and mamaya na.

There are so many magazines about fashion, beauty, gadgets, entertainment, cars, sports, travel, and lifestyle. Here’s the thing: you need money to afford them.  Most of the choices we have to make in life—what toys to buy, which school to attend, what food to eat, which person to marry, what hospital to check into, what career to pursue, what clothes to wear, how many movies to watch, what kind of house to live in, which trip to take, you name it—has to do with money.

MoneySense is packed with practical tips and expert advice on various areas of personal finance. It also serves as an objective guide to financial services and consumer products, with primers, reviews, and product comparisons that can help you make smart financial decisions. The magazine also features inspiring stories of real people whose examples serve as actionable lessons in managing money.

Our team has covered business and finance for years – a half century of combined experience in publishing. We’ve assembled a prestigious board of advisors, roster of columnists, and panel of experts well known for their achievements in business, government, and personal finance.

MoneySense is not just a magazine, it’s a mission. And I enjoin all of you to share your own experiences and life lessons. I’ve never been as excited about a magazine as this one. Because this time, it’s personal.