Last Updated on December 7, 2021 by
According to BSP’s 2017 Financial Inclusion Survey, only 3% of adults invest in stocks, bonds, Unit Investment Trust Funds or UITFs, mutual funds, and other managed investment schemes.
This is a terrifying number.
It means up until today there is a huge gap between people who invest and those who do not.
The BSP study further reveals that among those without investment, the most common reason is lack of money due to unemployment (69%). The next most common reason is the perception of high cost (17%), followed by lack of awareness (11%) and perceived lack of need (7%).
Here in SavingsPinay, I enjoy sharing ways ordinary people can achieve their financial goals through investing. With this GCash Invest Money review, I hope I can show you a new tool to exactly do that.
About GCash Invest Money
GCash Invest Money is the investment marketplace feature of the GCash App. This service allows users to invest in various investment funds from GCash’s partner product providers.
Exciting, isn’t it?
If you have an existing GCash account and you want to kick start your investing journey today then this is your chance to do so.
Download GCash in Google Play or iOS.
How Does GCash Invest Money work?
GCash Invest Money allows anyone to start investing for as low as Php 50! It was launched early 2018 as part of GCash’s effort to promote finance for all.
First, you need to register to GCash Invest Money.
1. Download the GCash App
2. Once open, click the Invest Money button to register. Here you will be prompted to review your personal details and answer some questions regarding your risk profile. This is a must because it will determine what type of investor you are.
3. Once submitted, you will be updated via SMS and email notification when your registration is approved, and you can start using GCash Invest Money.
Once you have successfully received your registration confirmation via SMS and email, you are now ready to subscribe to a fund. To “subscribe” means to invest in the fund. Currently, GCash Invest Money partnered with ATRAM Trust Corporation. All users are able to invest in ATRAM Peso Money Market Fund with just a click of a button.
Second, follow these steps to subscribe to a fund in GCash Invest Money:
1. Open the GCash App
2. Go to “Invest Money”
3. Select an investment fund available in the app and click ‘Subscribe.’
4. Agree to the Risk Profile Waiver, if applicable
5. Confirm that you have read and understood the Key Investor Information Disclosure Statement (KIIDS), Risk Disclosure Statement, and Participation Trust Agreement. You can know more about and view these documents on ATRAM’s website www.atram.com.ph/.
6. Enter the code that will be sent to you via SMS
7. Enter the amount you wish to invest. Again, minimum investment is at Php 50.
8. Check the transaction details before confirming your subscription order and read the important disclaimers.
9. Your GCash wallet will be instantly debited of your subscription amount and you will receive an SMS notification that your subscription order has been placed/submitted. In this SMS, you will also see the approximate details of your subscription (Actual Subscription Amount, Approximate NAVPU, Approximate # of Units).
10. Once your order is processed by the fund provider, you will receive an SMS notification confirming the details of your subscription. (Actual Subscription Amount, Confirmed NAVPU, Actual # of Units).
In almost 10 easy steps you are already an investor!
Third, say you want to redeem your money all you have to do is:
1. Click ‘Redeem’ on the page of the investment you have selected.
2. Enter the amount you wish to redeem.
3. Confirm your order by reviewing and agreeing to the Terms of Redemption
4. Wait for an SMS notifying you that your order was placed. Later on, you will receive two separate SMS notifications regarding the confirmation of your order and to inform you that your GCash wallet has been credited the redemption proceeds.
How is GCash Invest Money Different?
What’s amazing about GCash Invest Money is that it allows anyone to start investing for as low as Php 50! Yes, you read it right.
GCash Invest Money accepts a minimum of Php 50 per transaction. Through this, one can get to experience how investing works without risking a significant portion of your hard earned money. Php 50 initial investment is also way way tiny compared to those of traditional channels such as banks and investment companies who usually impose a PHP 5,000 to 10,000 minimum.
I also commend the simplicity of the GCash Invest Money interface. It is very friendly to beginner investors. The function is labeled with simple words and there are prompts that guide you through each step. You will also see all information you may want to know about a particular investment fund, such as past performance, risks involved, etc.
And because you can only go to the Invest Money feature when your GCash account is verified, getting invested now becomes an easier task. You don’t need to fill-out numerous forms anymore or go to the office of ATRAM and submit documents. The GCash Invest Money actually eliminates all that.
You just need your GCash account to be fully verified and you can start investing right away.
Lastly, unlike traditional investment platforms you actually do everything in the GCash App itself. What does this mean?
You subscribe/invest, track your investments, and redeem/withdraw all in the app. It’s really convenient and suited for millennial who are used to managing everything via mobile phone.
When you want to invest you simply use your available money in your GCash Wallet or cash in money on your GCash Wallet. When you want to redeem you simply click the “Redeem” option, enter the amount you want to withdraw and it will be credited right away to your GCash Wallet.
I think ultimately GCash Invest Money was able to make investing less intimidating especially for people who are only starting to earn and do not have much to invest yet.
GCash Invest Money Features
Investing via mobile app can be pretty scary. And I can’t blame anyone who would feel hesitant to try GCash Invest Money. But, I like to share to you some of the key features of the app that makes it secure and reliable investment platform for everyone.
- GCash is a licensed e-money company, regulated by the BSP. The BSP ensures we abide by all their regulations at all times.
- ATRAM Trust Corp., the investment partner of GCash, is one of the most trusted and best performing investment management firms in the country. They are regulated by the BSP and adhere to the highest standards of financial investment management. When you register to Invest Money, you become a client of ATRAM directly. You simply are able to view your investment via the GCash App. Learn more about ATRAM here: http://www.atram.com.ph/_ATRAM/Home.aspx
- GCash App’s security features, including the MPIN, ensure that only the account holder is able to access the GCash wallet and transact with it.
- GCash Invest Money requires a one-time-password (OTP) when a user makes her first investment, ensuring that the account holder is indeed the person making the investment.
- GCash Invest Money lets you regularly invest by setting a reminder. The auto-reminder functionality enables you to set-up your own investing schedule.
GCash Invest Money Fees
Now are there fees involved?
The most shocking part about GCash Invest Money is that there are no fees involved at all. You can download the app for free, subscribe to the fund you want to invest with your GCash Wallet balance and no minimum holding period and no redemption charge when users decide to withdraw
There is no service fee for Cashing-In through 7-Eleven and other GCash Partner Outlets, Paypal, UnionBank, and linked debit cards! However, for BPI and RCBC, the fee is P1.00 each time you Cash-In. Cashing-Out is also absolutely free!
However, investing in ATRAM Peso Money Market Fund has a trust fee of 0.50% per annum. This is payment for ATRAM’s management of your fund. This is actually a typical fee to most investment products.
GCash Invest Money Frequently Asked Questions
If there is/are any question/s that is/are not answered below you can refer to the full list of Frequently Asked Questions found in this link – https://www.gcash.com/invest-money/faq/
Who can invest via GCash Invest Money?
To access Invest Money, users must be 18 years old and above (mandatory age requirement to invest) and already completed the Full KYC/customer verification process.
Are there any documents I need to submit?
No need to submit any documents, unless requested by GCash’s partner product provider, ATRAM.
How long is the verification process to start investing?
Generally, ATRAM is able to complete the review within the same banking day. If registration was completed on a non-banking day, please expect and SMS notification about your registration approval/rejection by the next banking day.
Where do I track my investment?
The GCash Invest Money has its own facility available for you to view the breakdown of your investments.
How long does it take to process a subscription order?
Standard processing time is 1 banking day after order placement. However, order processing time may vary per product/fund provider and on the time you placed your order.
What is the minimum amount to redeem?
There is also a minimum redemption amount of P50.
How and when will you receive your redemption proceeds?
Proceeds will be credited to your GCash balance after your order has been processed/confirmed.
How long does it take to process your redemption proceed?
Standard processing time is 1-2 banking days after order placement. However, order processing time may vary per product/fund provider and their cutoff times.
Learn more about GCash Invest Money
GCash Invest Money provided a simple to understand primer for those who want to learn more about investing. Here’s the link – https://www.gcash.com/invest-money/primer. The Primer has everything from what is GCash Invest Money, what you should do before investing and how do you invest with GCash Invest Money.
My Plans with GCash Invest Money App
The concept of mobile app investing is pretty new even to me but I like that GCash Invest Money choose a money market fund as an initial offering.
Money Market Fund’s objective is to maximize income and achieve higher returns compared to regular bank deposits while preserving capital by investing in a portfolio of very liquid, fixed-income instruments and maintaining an average portfolio duration of 1 year or less.
Here’s a screenshot of ATRAM’s Peso Money Market Fund from March 2018 to March 2019
From a 103.53 Net Asset Value Per Share (NAVPS) it grew to the current value of 106.03. In just a year your Php 10,000 investment would have been Php 10,260.79. Php 260.79 better than usual savings account from bank.
The good thing is that with my current investment vehicles I actually don’t have a Money Market Fund so I’m thinking this could be it. I like to treat this as a short-term savings account for my goal of having my own place next year. I’m thinking of doing the 52-week money challenge once again and using the GCash Invest Money as a hub to keep my money invested.
Final Notes by SavingsPinay
Most Pinoys find excuses not to be invested but with this new GCash Invest Money facility I don’t see any reason why someone wouldn’t want to save and invest for his/her future. GCash is now more than just buying load, paying bills, sending money and booking movies. Through GCash App, you can now invest your money. I don’t know about you but I am truly amazed by how technology has emerged in terms of financial inclusion. With GCash Invest Money I am hoping that 3% invested grow by 30% by 2020.
What do you think of this GCash Invest Money?