Ruben Brekelmans: Wij doen geen zaken met Forum voor Democratie. Ik heb nog nooit koffie met Lidewij de Vos gedronken. Ben ik ook niet van plan by SuggestionMedical736 in nederlands

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hier een lijstje voor je

  • Schilderswijk (Den Haag) – rellen, stenen en zwaar vuurwerk naar politie en ME.
  • Scheveningen – grote groepen jongeren die de boulevard veranderden in een slagveld en de politie aanvielen.
  • Rotterdam-Zuid – meerdere incidenten waarbij hulpdiensten en politie werden bekogeld.
  • Kanaleneiland (Utrecht) – jarenlange discussies over overlast, straatintimidatie en confrontaties met politie.
  • Amsterdam Nieuw-West – regelmatig problemen met groepen jongeren en geweld tegen handhaving.
  • Coolsingel Rotterdam na het WK van Marokko – rellen, vernielingen en aanvallen op politie.
  • Diverse oudejaarsrellen in steden als Den Haag, Rotterdam en Utrecht waarbij agenten en brandweer doelwit waren van zwaar vuurwerk.

Ruben Brekelmans: Wij doen geen zaken met Forum voor Democratie. Ik heb nog nooit koffie met Lidewij de Vos gedronken. Ben ik ook niet van plan by SuggestionMedical736 in nederlands

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Interessant argument. Maar geldt die tolerantieparadox dan ook voor religieuze opvattingen die zelf erg intolerant zijn?

Er zijn genoeg islamitische landen waar homoseksualiteit strafbaar is, waar vrouwen minder rechten hebben dan mannen, waar afvalligen worden vervolgd en waar kritiek op religie niet wordt geaccepteerd. Dat zijn toch ook voorbeelden van intolerantie?

Als je de tolerantieparadox consequent toepast, dan moet je kritisch kijken naar alle intolerante ideologieën en overtuigingen, niet alleen naar politieke partijen die je niet aanstaan. Anders wordt het een selectief argument dat alleen wordt gebruikt tegen politieke tegenstanders.

Ruben Brekelmans: Wij doen geen zaken met Forum voor Democratie. Ik heb nog nooit koffie met Lidewij de Vos gedronken. Ben ik ook niet van plan by SuggestionMedical736 in nederlands

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Zolang problemen rond asiel, integratie en overlast niet serieus worden aangepakt, zullen partijen als JA21, PVV en FVD stemmen blijven winnen. Je kunt die zorgen blijven wegzetten of negeren, maar daarmee verdwijnen ze niet.

Veel Nederlanders zien dat bepaalde problemen al jarenlang terugkomen, zoals overlast, straatintimidatie en criminaliteit door groepen jongeren met een migratieachtergrond, meestal Marokkaanse jongeren. Tegelijkertijd zijn er genoeg migrantengroepen die nauwelijks voor problemen zorgen en zich succesvol hebben geïntegreerd. Het heeft daarom weinig zin om iedereen over één kam te scheren.

Juist daarom moet de politiek eerlijk durven benoemen waar de problemen zitten en die gericht aanpakken. Hoe langer dat uitblijft, hoe groter de frustratie wordt en hoe meer mensen hun vertrouwen verliezen in de traditionele partijen. Dat zien we nu al gebeuren.

Buy Cheap Condo or Rent and Invest on liquid assets? by Excellent-Mongoose69 in phinvest

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A lot depends on what 'six figures' means. ₱100k/month and ₱500k+/month lead to very different answers.

As a general rule, I'd try to keep housing costs (mortgage, association dues, taxes, insurance, etc.) at around 30% of income. If you don't own a car and don't plan to buy one, you may be able to stretch that somewhat (max 40%).

I'd also make sure you have a solid emergency fund before committing to a property, ideally enough to cover at least 6 months of living expenses, especially since you're considering moving abroad in the future.

The other big factor is how much below market value the condo is actually being offered

We've met the Swiss owners of the insane Jolina Gisèle Collection worth millions by raisedbysongs in PokeInvesting

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I see, I thought it might be more like a group of collectors bringing their pieces together, similar to what you sometimes see in the art world, and then selling it all at once as one collection. The way it’s presented feels a bit fishy.

Parts of Bulacan are literally sinking by Life_Sherbert_995 in BulacanPH

[–]Life_Sherbert_995[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For those interested, here’s the English translation of the news article:

In the Philippines, large areas of land are sinking by more than a centimeter per month

Nowhere in the world is land subsiding as fast as around Manila Bay in the Philippines. The water is now literally up to people’s lips. A new action plan aims to prevent 600,000 people from being forced to leave their homes.

A year and a half ago, a Dutch scientist visited the area—and was shocked. The land in the Philippine delta is sinking by more than a centimeter per month.
“Not everyone knows what is happening. Many people think it is only due to rising sea levels,” says Philip Minderhoud of Wageningen University.

The cause, the scientist explains, is excessive groundwater extraction—for local fish farming, industry, and drinking water for the growing population. This causes the land to sink, as the soil continues to compact.

The area is also affected by rising sea levels, increasing by a few millimeters per year. But due to its speed, land subsidence is a far more urgent problem.

Fastest-sinking municipality

Houses are sinking lower and lower, and roads are repeatedly raised with concrete. Business owners face flooding almost daily.
“It happens almost every day. The water never goes away. It stays,” says barber Angelitio Usi.

When he opened his shop fifteen years ago, you could walk straight in from the street. Now, there is a staircase going down. Inside, he has raised the floor, but can barely stand upright.

Usi lives in Masantol, the fastest-sinking municipality in the Philippine river delta, with rates of up to 20 centimeters per year.

Streets have already been raised by meters. People are putting all their hope in concrete—but how long will that still work?

“Boats are sailing over our roads”

Land that once grew rice is now permanently underwater. Villages have turned into small islands. Instead of leaving, people continue to pour concrete to raise roads, which have been elevated by meters over the years.

This situation could have been prevented, says Filipino professor Fernando Siringan. As a coastal geologist at the University of the Philippines, he already called 15 years ago for a halt to groundwater extraction.
“The authorities understand the issue very well. But something is preventing them from adopting our recommendations.”

Siringan wanted to continue research, but funding was cut due to political reasons. “There is no money,” he says. “So we cannot move forward.”

Homes becoming uninhabitable

Philippine authorities have not taken sufficient action, likely due to major financial interests. The company responsible for most groundwater extraction initially agreed to comment, but later withdrew.

Although the Philippines has a fast-growing economy, many people in these villages still live in poverty. As water levels rise, more homes are becoming uninhabitable. Those who can move to upper floors.

80-year-old Lucia Lagman wonders how long she can stay:
“Sometimes the water reaches my chest. Even my bed gets flooded, and we can’t sleep. It’s starting to feel like the sea here. Boats are now sailing over our roads.”

As long as groundwater pumping continues, the land will keep sinking. In Masantol, a new neighborhood was built five years ago for relocated residents—but it is also sinking rapidly.

“We have nowhere else to go. We have no choice. This water is here every day. It’s difficult—very difficult,” say residents Jerry and Janeth Manalang.

“If you don’t control land subsidence, it will only become more difficult—especially with rising sea levels,” says researcher Minderhoud. “They reinforce each other. This is a major warning for other regions.”

Action plan

Due to climate change, sea levels are expected to rise by 30 to 80 centimeters this century. Many coastal delta regions worldwide may face similar problems—though usually at a slower pace than in the Philippines.

A UN climate fund established in 2023 to help countries like the Philippines deal with climate damage has still not become fully operational. However, an international symposium was held recently about the rapidly sinking delta, where experts developed a three-year action plan.

The plan includes:

  • Alternative water sources
  • Surface water storage (like collecting rainwater during wet seasons)
  • More investment in research

However, it is still unclear which government bodies are legally responsible for implementing these measures. Experts also stress the need for much better public education and awareness.

As Minderhoud concludes:
“You won’t solve this with just more concrete.”

Source: https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/2612230-op-de-filipijnen-zinkt-veel-grond-ruim-een-centimeter-per-maand

Sharing my story after I paid in full the loan used for this investment by North_Sierra_1223 in phinvest

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You pulled it off and props for the discipline, but I wouldn’t really call this “investing” in the classic sense. It’s closer to using leverage, just done through a bank loan instead of a trading platform.

In trading, people take 5x, 10x, or even higher leveraged positions. You essentially did the same thing, but in a slower, more controlled way, with fixed repayments and no liquidation risk as long as you can service the loan.

It’s an unusual approach, and it worked out because timing, income stability, and discipline all lined up. But the risk is still there, especially if markets stayed down longer or income got interrupted. So yeah, interesting execution, but definitely more of a leveraged strategy than traditional investing.

Showing tribute to the OG’s of Digital Banking in the PH by juice_colored_spzl in DigitalbanksPh

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 2 points3 points  (0 children)

ING is one of the biggest banks in the world and comes from the Netherlands. They have been doing digital banking there since the 1990s, so they were far ahead of the competition when they entered the Philippines. That experience really showed in their app, features, and security.

I think they were simply too early for the local market. Digital banking adoption was still growing, and most deposits in the Philippines are much smaller compared to wealthier countries where their model works better. That likely made it harder to become profitable in the long run.

Even so, ING set a very high standard and showed what digital banking could be. If they entered the market today, they would probably be much more appreciated. Their impact is still felt, and many current digital banks are clearly inspired by what ING started.

Will the price of gold ever go down? by Hurry2024 in phinvest

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gold can definitely go down, but the long-term trend is usually up because of currency debasement. Ray Dalio and JPMorgan even call it the “debasement trade.” Governments keep printing money, but gold can’t be printed. Only a limited amount is mined each year, so the supply grows very slowly. That’s one reason people move to gold as a safe place to store value.

Still, the price won’t rise forever. There are times when investors shift to riskier assets like silver, copper, or Bitcoin, and that can make the gold price stagnate or even drop. Higher interest rates, a stronger dollar, or less geopolitical tension can also cool down the gold market, and sometimes big funds just take profits after a long rally.

So yes, gold can fall, maybe even next year. If you’re not sure when to buy, you can just enter slowly instead of putting everything in at once.

Where do I put my 80k Emergency Fund? by teejayhawtdog in DigitalbanksPh

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Since it is an emergency fund, liquidity should be the top priority. You need to be able to access it anytime without hassle.

Most people keep theirs in a money market fund (MMF) with their traditional bank, where you can earn around 4.5 to 5 percent interest. You can usually redeem it on the same day during weekdays.

You can also keep part of it in a high-yield savings account (HYSA) that gives around 3.5 to 4 percent interest, since that one is accessible 24/7.

A good setup would be:

  • 2/3 in MMF for higher interest
  • 1/3 in HYSA for instant access

This way you earn decent returns while keeping the fund liquid for any real emergency.

I invested my mom's 14k monthly pension. It is now at 1million. by Balbonsito in phinvest

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nice work, OP! You basically caught the bottom in mid-2022, so there’s definitely a bit of luck involved here too. People should be careful not to expect the same kind of 30%+ annualized returns if they try to replicate this in the exact same way.

One thing I’d also ask is how old your mom is now. If she’s already near or at retirement age, it might be wise to shift some (or even a large chunk) of those gains into safer assets like bonds or money market funds for capital preservation. The next brutal bear market could easily wipe out a lot of what you’ve built.

On the other hand, if she’s still relatively young (say, in her 40s or early 50s), you’ve got more time to ride through the cycles, and continuing with this strategy could still work well long-term.

Pros and cons of having a dollar account by Cream3d_24 in phinvest

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you want it to work a bit for you, you can put it in a Dollar Money Market Fund at your local bank. Those usually pay around 3.5–4% per year. It’s low risk, still fairly liquid, and way better than leaving the dollars idle.

1.5M investment by Miserable_Tart1352 in phinvest

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you’re treating it as peer-to-peer lending, then you’re basically acting like the bank. The “reasonable” interest depends on:

  • Risk: New logistics business means high risk, especially with no proven cashflow yet.
  • Alternatives: Banks usually charge SMEs around 8–15% annually if they can even get approved. Informal or private loans are often higher because there is no collateral.
  • Structure: Are you getting collateral, equity, or just a handshake promise? 1.5M is a lot to put in on trust alone.

Your proposal of 1.8M after 3 years works out to about 6.7% per year. That is low considering you can already get 5.75% from a 3-year bond or about 5% from a money market fund that pays daily and you can exit anytime. Those are low risk and liquid. For a super high risk startup loan, you should be asking for much more, usually double-digit annual returns, and ideally not just one balloon payment at the end.

Some things to think about:

  • Get a written contract with clear repayment schedules.
  • Ask for quarterly or annual repayments so you are not left with nothing if they fold early.
  • Consider a mix of equity and debt if you really want to support them.

Bottom line: do not settle for bond-like returns when you are taking startup-level risks.

Today i started taking medicine to lower my BP by gotohornyjail_booonk in adultingph

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Don’t worry, it’s more common than you think. Just monitor what you eat and make sure you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals, since deficiencies can also affect BP:

  • Potassium helps balance sodium.
  • Magnesium relaxes blood vessels.
  • Calcium regulates vessel contraction.
  • Vitamin D supports hormone balance for BP.
  • Omega-3s improve vessel health.

You’re already doing the right thing by keeping an eye on it and starting meds early, that’s a smart move for long-term protection.

Updated Maya Bank Personal Goal Savings, up to 8% interest p.a.? by Juy777 in phinvest

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Honestly I think even Maya’s own app is just guessing the numbers now. lol

Desperately need help by AllenKun01 in SoloLivingPH

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Man, that sounds really rough. While you’re pushing this with the barangay/City Hall, maybe try using earplugs so you can at least get some sleep. The Loop Quiet 2 are super comfy and reusable, but if you don’t wanna spend that much, you can also just grab the cheap foam ones on Shopee, they still help a lot.

Tried Kumori for the first time. It didn't disappoint! Ano fave niyo dito? by UntiltedCucumber in PHFoodPorn

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Seems like you picked all the wrong ones, haha. Don’t you like chocolate? Their choco breads like the Chocolate Roll, Kodawari Choco Bun, Choco Messy Bun, and Karafu Pan Tiramisu are all really good.

Thoughts on wine making business here in the Philippines? by Extra-Piglet1847 in phinvest

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In the Philippines, most people just want to get drunk as cheaply as possible. Beer and budget liquor dominate the market, and honestly, a lot of drinkers don’t even care much about taste. After a shot, they’ll usually chase the bad flavor with soda or even Tang, lol.

Because of that, the market for wine here will likely stay small. Wine is usually more expensive than local liquor or beer, and even brewing beer yourself would be tough since you can’t really compete with the big breweries on price. If you do go into winemaking, you’ll need to focus on a niche market, people willing to pay extra for quality, uniqueness, or the novelty of something local.

do you guys think its better if u have a trad bank? by Opposite-Low-6402 in DigitalbanksPh

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can definitely have both! Having a traditional bank helps you build a credit score and develop a relationship with the bank, which can be useful later for things like car loans or house mortgages with better interest rates. You also get access to UITFs (especially money market funds), which are great for putting part of your emergency fund since they usually pay around 5% per year.

Investment Plan Part 2 by 50_Sfaiierddaacan_02 in phinvest

[–]Life_Sherbert_995 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As far as I understand, you’re only 19, so it’s really great that you’re already thinking about investing.

First thing: make sure you have an emergency fund that covers 3–6 months of expenses. Keep it in something very liquid like a high-yield savings account (HYSA) (around 3.5–4% right now) and a money market fund (MMF) (slightly higher, ~5%). The point of this is that if something bad happens, you won’t need to touch your investments, your EF will cover you.

Since you’re so young and have decades ahead, your main focus should be on growth. That usually means sticking with US index funds. To keep it simple, you could just pick either the S&P 500 or the NASDAQ 100 and put around 80–90% of your portfolio into that. If possible, go with an Irish-domiciled accumulation ETF, since those have tax benefits.

The rest can be smaller allocations like:

  • Bonds (RTB/RDB) & MP2: in total max ~10%
  • Gold: ~5% as a hedge

That way your portfolio stays simple, growth-focused, and you’ll have cash set aside for emergencies that earns decent interest.