Banking your way to the good life

MANILA, Philippines - Who doesn’t dream of the good life? Of owning a home, a car, or even one’s own business?

To make all our dreams come true, there’s one institution we can bank on: Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI). Two top honchos — BPI executive vice president Alfonso Salcedo Jr., past president of BPI Family Savings Bank (BFSB), and BFSB’s new president Jose Teodoro K. Limcaoco — breathe and live the BPI mantra: To live the life we want does not depend on what we have, it’s what we do with what we have. Here, they show us how we can bank our way to a good life — the life we’ve always dreamed of.

BEING FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE

Through various products and services that cater to clients’ needs at every stage in their lives, BPI makes it easy for everyone to be financially responsible — to be better prepared for the future, to be smarter at handling money, to spend less and save more, to achieve financial security. No matter how much or how little you think you have, BPI will help you fulfill all your aspirations and live your life to the fullest.

BFSB makes it easier for every negosyante (businessman) to improve the way he does business through the Ka-negosyo loans, which offer products (term loans and zero collateral loans) with a bundled insurance coverage that includes property/fire insurance up to P2-million coverage, comprehensive general liability coverage of P500,000 regardless of loan applied, and group personal accident insurance for up to four key employees with insurance coverage of up to P20,000 per employee.

From July to September 2010, Ka- negosyo business loans with business insurance will be made available to approved and booked loan accounts. No other bank has made business loans bundled with business insurance available to micro and small enterprises. This business insurance bundle is underwritten by BPI/MS Insurance, one of the country’s leading general insurance companies today.

“We are now lending up to P1.5 million with no collaterals,” Salcedo elaborates. “For starters, we want to offer it to existing clients. This idea actually came from them, ‘Kung wala akong collateral, papautangin mo ba ako?’”

He adds, “The biggest proposition of Ka-negosyo is really we’ll make it easy for you to take out a loan even if you don’t have a collateral. I don’t think anyone is offering that in the small business segment.”

EVERY SMALL BUSINESSMAN’S PARTNER

Truly, BFSB is the market leader in retail lending and an approachable partner of every small businessman.

BPI Family Savings Bank also makes it so easy for clients to own assets — like their dream homes and dream cars — through its housing and auto loans.

“Our business philosophy is we’re not in the business of selling housing loans, we’re in the business of selling real estate,” Salcedo points out. “Because if somebody does not plan to buy a piece of property, he’s not going to take out a housing loan.”

The housing loan leader with over 25 years of experience, BFSB offers a customized loan to match a client’s financial capability. It has partnered with a wide range of reputable developers nationwide, to offer clients a wide range of locations and a lot more options for their budget and the lifestage they’re in.

What’s more, BFSB offers the convenience of applying in over 800 branches nationwide. For every housing loan availed, BFSB also offers a free BPI Express Credit Gold MasterCard.

“We see BPI Family Savings Bank as not just in the auto financing business but as part of the Philippine automotive industry,” notes Salcedo. “With the very promising economic and political outlook, statistics show that the automotive industry has grown by at least 36 percent vs. the same period last year. Clearly, Filipinos are buying more cars. Through the BPI Family auto loan, we would like to help sustain such growth by providing the means for consumers to own their dream cars.”

For the savvy, value-for-money-driven AB and upper C car buyers, here’s good news: BFSB, the largest consumer loans provider in the country, also offers a superior auto loans package. On top of affordable rates and convenient loan application, the auto loan has the following features: loan approval in as fast as three to eight hours; comprehensive car insurance payable up to 12 months; free fuel and fuel rebates with free BPI-Petron MasterCard; flexible payment options through BPI/BFB branches, ATMs, expressphone or auto debit.

AUTO, HOUSING MADNESS

BPI holds auto and housing madness events to showcase the various products and services with all the information clients might need. In two or three of these events, BPI gave the insurance for free, something no bank has ever done before.

 BFSB pioneered the Get Started Peso and Dollar Savings Account., an interest-earning savings account that comes with a free life insurance benefit from BPI Philam Life Assurance Corp. — a unique product that remains unmatched by competitors.

EASY BANKING ANYWHERE

And of course, you’ll be happy to know that BPI and BFSB make it easy for everyone to bank anywhere, with the widest range of inter-branch transactions that make all BPI or BFSB branches the customer’s home branch.

For instance, the no-charge inter-branch deposits make it easy for the businessman to make collections go to his account regardless of where he is. Also, the real time check clearing of BPI checks ensures he gets the funds for working capital/salaries right away.

As the new man at the helm of BPI Family Savings Bank, Jose Teodoro Limcaoco can only vow to follow in the footsteps of the past president Salcedo and continue what the latter started. “The same mission continues — a business entity that will allow families to continue to grow, whether through housing, auto or small business loans. People should see a family bank as really the first and only place to go to for all financial planning.”

“Let’s make it easy,” Salcedo and Limcaoco repeat the catchphrase of BPI’s new campaign.

And you can bank on the words of these two distinguished bankers.