Donna Reyes

“The wealthy person who retires at 65 with a fully funded portfolio and a life that was never truly lived has solved the financial problem and missed the point entirely.

The person who took the trip, started the business, changed the career, moved to the city, had the difficult conversation, and chose the harder but more authentic path may have a smaller portfolio and a richer life.”

The median income of Filipinos in the US is $106,400, higher than the overall Asian-American average of $105,600 and well above the total U.S. median.

Ramdam ba? (Do you feel it?)

Come join us in an afternoon of financial education this Saturday, June 20th at 1:30 pm. Details in the poster.

The beauty of permanent life insurance is what it does while you aren’t paying attention to it: accumulate cash value. That’s money you can tap during a time of financial uncertainty.

“We’re okay.”

What does it take to be financially “okay”?

4-Point Check:

1. Do you have enough life insurance coverage in case something happens to you your debts and mortgage are taken care of, the kids can continue their education, and your income will be replaced for as long as they need it?

2. Do you have any outstanding credit card debts, student loans or any personal loans? (Just to be clear, the answer should be “No. None. Zero.”)

3. Do you have emergency funds enough to cover 3-6 months worth of your expenses?

4. Do you have enough saved for retirement or at least on track so that if you lived another 20 years after retirement and you cannot work anymore, you will survive and won’t be a burden to your family?

Next time we say we’re “okay”, let’s think about what it really means.

Financial literacy is not optional. It is crucial and the time to take care of it is NOW.

One of the gentlemen asked, “Don’t you think paying for a universal life insurance is overpaying?”

And my answer was, you only think you overpay something if you don’t see the value of it. So, why would you pay for something when you don’t know its value?

This is why financial education is crucial. We need to understand basic financial concepts including the different options for life insurance and know what is best for us based on our financial goals.

This might be overwhelming in the beginning but with the help of a licensed financial professional and the appropriate tool, you can develop a financial strategy that will cover all your financial goals including getting proper protection.

Talk to your agent or financial advisor to help you with this. If you don’t have one, I can help.

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Thank you, Milburn Lodge 127, for having us. We look forward to serving you and your community.

When we were little, Mama would organize art classes in the summer for the kids in our neighborhood. I remember her saving egg shells. We would make artworks in the forms of mango, apple, house, simple shapes that she would draw on black illustration boards and we would fill them with egg shells.

She turned an old crib into a stage where I first held my hosting duties and my two younger brothers were my “guests.”

When I got a little older, she took us and our friends to vacations. We went to a resort in Batangas with my friend, Cris and to Baguio with another friend, Nancy.

She may have missed some occasions as she had limited time trying to provide for three kids when my father passed, but she did the best she could. She was at my high school and college graduations. She came and watched the counting of votes with me when I ran for student council. She even attended my college friend, Marvin’s stage play with me.

When I was in college, she refused to put me in a dorm. She got a place instead where my friends would come and hang out. She also made sure that there was always food when my friends would come over so that we wouldn’t have to hang out somewhere else.

There were too many of them who came to our house to mention but I’m sure they know who they are and have fond memories too.

When one of my friends got pregnant, she helped tell her mom.

Today, she continues to mother her nephews, nieces, grandkids, strangers she meets. She cheers for them, dotes on them, feels proud of them. I know because she tells me.

Just like most if not all mothers, she may be wanting to do more, but one of the greatest gifts she has given me is that she never made me feel wanting.

Thanks, Mama, for creating all these experiences for and with me and my brothers. I love you very much.

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Come celebrate moms and join us in an empowering gathering designed to help mothers navigate the unique financial challenges of balancing family, ambition, and personal growth.

May 16th, 10:30 a.m. at Oakbrook Financial Center
1815 S. Meyers Road, Suite 1000 Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
Registration starts at 10:00 a.m.

Send us a message or comment below to reserve your spot!

My client lost her 401k money.

Or at least she does not know what happened to it.

It was her 401k from a previous employer. She left it with the company when she left her job. Years passed and she did not check until she decided one day to rollover all her old 401k funds into one account. There were two others and she was able to track those but not this one.

She called her old employer and they said they could not find her records. They said to call the plan administrator. She called the plan administrator and they said they could not find her records and that they merged with another company. She called that other company and they don’t have her records either.

I started in the financial services business in 1999. In my years of helping people manage their retirement money, I always advise that they take their 401k with them wherever they are going. They can either roll the money over into the 401k with their new company or open their own retirement account (depending on financial goals) but never leave the money.

What happened with my client may be rare, but it could happen. If you changed jobs at some point in your career and did not move your money with you, call your old employer TODAY. If you need further guidance, send me a message and I will help you.

⚠️If you’re not 59.5 years old, do not withdraw the money or you’re likely to lose as much as 40% in penalty and taxes. You have other options. Again, I can help you.