19/06/2026
The mistake of a young professional is not always spending too much. More often, it is investing too late.
I saw the news about the possible GCash listing in the Philippine Stock Exchange, and it reminded me of a lesson I learned much later in life.
When I was a young professional, I worked hard, performed well, and was blessed to receive performance bonuses that oftentimes reached six months of salary.
But while I knew how to earn money, I did not know enough about how to grow it.
Looking back, if I had consistently invested those bonuses in strong companies, or even in a broad index like the S&P 500, I could have built substantial wealth much earlier.
Maybe I could have become financially independent by 40 or 45.
Many young professionals think they have time. What they do not realize is that time is exactly what makes investing powerful.
Not everyone will become a CEO. Very few will reach the highest-paying positions later in their careers. Most private sector employees also do not have the kind of pension that can comfortably support them in retirement. Beyond SSS, many will have to rely largely on whatever wealth they have built themselves.
Over the years, I have seen neighbors and friends reach retirement age only to discover they could not afford to retire. Some were forced to keep working, not because they wanted to, but because they had to.
You do not have to be one of them. Your future should not depend solely on promotions, salary increases, or luck.
Enjoy life, but pay your future self first. One bonus invested. One temptation resisted. One year of discipline repeated. That is how wealth is built.
You may get rich quickly by chance, but you cannot build lasting wealth overnight.
Start early. Because retirement should not be the season when we ask, “How will I survive?”
It should be the season when we can finally say, “I have enough, I am at peace, and I still have time to enjoy the people I love.”
