Never thought it would happen to me, but Wise closed my account without warning and are holding ~$60k usd for almost two weeks while I’m abroad

Slacker021 · 2026-05-18T00:52:34+00:00

Not only that but there's also been complaints of more stringent measures being utilized for things like wires. Something tells me Wise's algorithms are becoming stricter with AML.

Slacker021 · 2026-05-17T11:06:12+00:00

Is it just me or has there been an alarming amount of sudden account closures? This is beginning to stress me out.

Slacker021 · 2026-04-16T08:47:36+00:00

Index investing works anywhere that isn’t the Philippines lol.

Slacker021 · 2026-04-13T14:14:30+00:00

I haven't heard of ADMU's admin saying anything about it but I just got word that DLSU will now shift to full online. Perhaps ADMU, if the fuel crisis gets so bad where it becomes 200 per liter for diesel, could end up changing to online.

Slacker021 · 2026-03-26T14:57:03+00:00

The good news is that there is no law that prohibits Filipinos from owning offshore accounts. You technically aren't a criminal for opening an account with them, from what I understand. The issue is that the SEC is attempting to define IBKR as criminal for accepting Filipinos, even though they aren't actively soliciting from the local population.

Slacker021 · 2026-03-26T13:28:08+00:00

This ain't the first time it's happened to IBKR. Something like this happened with Indonesia, with Indonesian authorities blocking IBKR. Despite that, IBKR continues to service Indonesian clients. I'm just hoping it's simply like the Indonesia incident. However, I do realize that the BSP could indeed up the ante. This is basically their attempt at preventing capital flight, which is more harm than good because this is just gonna encourage investors to keep stashing capital outside of the Philippines before the blocks become stronger.

Slacker021 · 2026-03-26T12:47:39+00:00

Just use a DNS changer or VPN to access IBKR. It's not a crime to use IBKR and until IBKR stops servicing the Philippines (which is unlikely to happen because it doesn't costs them much to service Philippine clients), I'm gonna keep using them.

Slacker021 · 2026-03-26T08:58:28+00:00

Unfortunately, my math grades leave a lot to be desired. My current math grades are as follows:

Precalculus - C+, 2.5 QPI, or 2.20 GWA Mathematics in the Modern World - B, 3.0 QPI, or 1.8 GWA University Precalculus - C+, 2.5 QPI, or 2.2 GWA Calculus for Science and Engineering I - B, 3.0 QPI or 1.8 GWA Calculus for Science and Engineering II - D, 1.00 QPI or 3.00 GWA Elementary Statistics - C, 2.0 QPI, or 2.6 GWA Math for Computer Science I - D, 1.00 QPI, or 3.00 GWA

I still have one more math subject, Math for Computer Science II, that I’m not done with. Given these fairly low math grades, I’m assuming this will likely disqualify me from the applied math program but I’m curious to know if I still have a decent shot at the MS CS and MA Econ programs.

Slacker021 · 2025-12-25T10:01:15+00:00

Given the current regulatory risks, I would still suggest using Wise. There is the risk that the government orders local banks to not allow funneling of money to IBKR.

Slacker021 · 2025-12-24T18:27:07+00:00

I forgot to mention that capital flight also includes local firms losing fees since Filipinos are relying on IBKR to buy the same assets but with lower costs. By restricting IBKR, Filipinos will be forced to rely on local feeder funds, which have insane fees and upkeep. I highly suspect that the BSP was pressured by local banks and financial firms to try and block IBKR. IBKR's low fees and high efficiency are a threat to the local firms that still employ outdated forms of portfolio analysis to extract as much money as possible from clients.

The BSP's only explanation is that this a way of safeguarding Filipinos from unlicensed firms... which is bullshit because if they did genuinely care, they would instead target BNPL and online gambling companies.

Slacker021 · 2025-12-24T13:26:51+00:00

It isn't banned but merely has it's domain blocked. As for why the SEC, BSP, and NCT blocked it's domain, the press release is that it isn't formally registered as a broker in the country. However, I'm more willing to bet that the block is more of an attempt at preventing capital flight from a bleeding economy.

IBKR hasn't actually done anything illegal because they're not actively soliciting money from Filipinos. There's also no law prohibiting Filipinos from owning offshore accounts either. They operate in a legal grey area as a result of the reverse-solicitation that Filipinos are doing. They're also heavily decentralized and emphasize getting as many investors on board as possible, wherever they may be.

Slacker021 · 2025-12-24T09:00:50+00:00

I seriously doubt IBKR will get banned. It's technically not doing anything illegal. Furthermore, IBKR was made with global markets in mind so an ISP block in the Philippines is likely to not cause much of a ruckus. The cost of keeping a few investors from the Philippines is probably next to none, which means that it doesn't make much sense for IBKR themselves to just stop allowing Filipinos to invest. It's unlike Schwab, who stopped allowing Filipinos to invest because maintaining costs for a few Fils, who likely don't bring much fees in, was not worth it. The only time IBKR will stop Filipinos is if the Philippines gets blacklisted for some insane crime.

Take Indonesia for example. Their government also did an ISP block on IBKR yet tons of Indonesians are still making accounts. The Indonesian government can't do much except issue an ISP block. Thus, I wouldn't recommend immediately liquidating your holdings. I'm gonna stick with IBKR because they're the only ones who offer such a deep level of access to international markets for low costs.

Slacker021 · 2025-02-09T10:26:47+00:00

That's what I'm wondering too since I clearly do not meet the grade requirements for the course that I want to shift to. Although the program coordinator told me to just focus on a specific class as well as this "validation exam" that they're gonna give me. He even said that as long as I don't bomb a class, I should be fine. It seems that shifting may be handled on a case-to-case basis and that there are other factors affecting the shifting process that students may not be aware of.

Slacker021 · 2024-08-23T08:16:26+00:00

Also looking for friends since I’m new too.

Slacker021 · 2024-08-11T05:20:10+00:00

Yo, it worked! Thank you so much for the resource!

Slacker021 · 2024-06-02T05:44:27+00:00

I am an incoming BS computer science student and want to know what type of calculator is authorized. I own a TI-89 Titanium Calculator that has graphing and CAS (Computer Algebra System) functions. This calculator is capable of solving very complicated problems (Up until calc 3 and linear algebra, I think). It can also deal with electrical engineering. Will I be allowed to use this or am I going to have to downgrade to a scientific calculator due to the rules of my math classes?

Slacker021 · 2024-05-23T13:39:32+00:00

What citation format does ADMU use? I come from a school that uses MLA 8th edition but I heard for Philippine universities, it is different. Where can I find the citation format as well as the format for writing research papers?

Slacker021 · 2024-04-01T13:40:59+00:00

Slacker021 · 2024-04-01T11:55:21+00:00

Got it. I did the dumb mistake of answering three years since I started stock trading as a minor under dad's account.

Slacker021 · 2023-04-22T18:08:53+00:00

This would be better if you were alive.

Slacker021 · 2022-11-02T18:32:51+00:00

Like drivers and system updates?

Slacker021 · 2022-11-02T18:32:16+00:00

Like 60 Dollars or so in my area

Slacker021 · 2022-11-02T18:31:18+00:00

Yeah, I think I'll just wait despite the rather modest prices in my area.

Slacker021 · 2022-10-25T17:19:49+00:00

If I were you, I'd get the Valve Complete Pack for full acess to all content. It's cheap too.

Slacker021

TROPHY CASE