There’s a new wave of young investors online, and GCash is banking on their growing numbers to expand its digital operations.
The mobile wallet of Globe Telecom Inc. recently rolled out GInvest, an investment marketplace feature within the GCash app that allows young Filipinos to invest in local and global funds for as low as P50.
“Investments can be intimidating, and the reason why we launched GInvest is to break that thought. So, with just a click of a button, we make everyone an investor,” said GCash Head of Investments Maxine Pinpin in a webinar series, titled GCash Money Talks.
She was joined with finance advisor and content creator Thea Bautista in educating viewers on the fundamentals of investing, starting with an overview of what an investment fund is.
Investment funds are pools of money from multiple investors who agree to invest collectively by entrusting their money to a professional fund manager, who then invests the money in different financial instruments like stocks, bonds and currencies.
“Remember that when you press ‘buy’ on a fund, you’re actually buying a unit or a share of the fund—not a specific stock interest—but just a fund that invests in those assets,” explained Pinpin.
There are currently two local funds available on GInvest (Money Market Fund and Philippine Total Return Bond Fund) and three global funds (Philippines Smart Equity Index Fund, Global Technology Feeder Fund and Global Consumer Trends Feeder Fund).
“The Money Market Fund is a conservative fund for short-term investments like time deposits and Treasury bills. We also have the Philippine Total Return Bond Fund. This is a moderate fund which gives you exposure to bonds from local companies and the local government,” she noted.
“The Philippines Smart Equity Index Fund is an aggressive fund that invests in the companies that are in the Philippine Stock Exchange Index [PSEi]. The Global Technology Feeder Fund is an aggressive fund that invests in companies trailblazing in tech, like Apple, Samsung and Google. The Global Consumer Trends Feeder Fund is another aggressive fund that invests in companies innovating for consumers, like Amazon, Alibaba and Shopee,” Pinpin added.
“Ideally, you pick investments with risk ratings that match your appetite,” quipped Bautista.
Asked when is the best time to invest, she answered that it will depend on an individual’s financial situation and needs. “They have to consider their income and expenses and see how investing fits into that.”
Convenience is the main selling point of GInvest, with a fully digitized module integrated into the GCash platform.
To start investing, all you need is your verified GCash account, a valid ID, and to meet the minimum age requirement of 18 years old. “Everything is done through the app, so there’s no more hassle of going out to fill out papers and going to the bank,” said Pinpin.
To assure new and experienced investors, GInvest also gives users complete control and transparency over their investments and those handling their investments. It further guarantees safety on the platform through its tech platform partners, ATRAM and SEEDBOX Philippines.
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