How OFWs Can Invest in the Stock Market

It's easy for OFWs to invest in the Philippine stock market, even if you're outside the Philippines. You don't need to wait until you fly back home, because you can start right now. Here's how...

Step 1: Open an account at CitisecOnline (now called COL Financial).

COL Starter - Minimum investment of P5,000
COL Plus - Minimum investment of P25,000
COL Premium - Minimum investment of P1.0 million

Please note that if you start with P5,000 and then your total funds in COL Financial grows to at least P25,000 then you may contact COL Financial and ask them to upgrade your COL Start account to a COL Plus account.

Step 2: Fill out the COL Financial Application Forms

You may download the COL Application Forms here:
https://www.colfinancial.com/ape/Final2/home/open_an_account.asp#fill_out_our_application_forms

If you are unable to view the PDF file, then your computer needs the Adobe PDF Reader, which you can get from http://get.adobe.com/reader

After you open the PDF file, please PRINT the file and fill it up using a ballpen or ink-pen.

WATCH THIS VIDEO: How To Fill Up the COL Financial Application Forms

Step 3: Prepare the Additional Documents

For Filipino OFWs, since you are Filipino citizens:
• Photocopy of one (1) valid government issued ID
  IMPORTANT: Photo and signature must be clear
• Billing Statement - Recent, no later than 3 months past

We will discuss the other types (e.g., Resident Foreigners, Non-Resident Foreigners, In-Trust-For Accounts) in a separate blog post.

Step 4: Submit the Forms and Required Documents

COL BUSINESS CENTER

2403-B East Tower, PSE Centre
Exchange Road, Ortigas Center,
Pasig City, Philippines 1605

*Once all requirements are received a COL Financial sales officer will contact you via call or email to inform you of your COL Account No. and status of your application.

Step 5: Please WAIT for the go-signal from COL Financial informing you of the approval of your application.

Step 6: Fund Your Account

After COL Financial informs you that your application was approved, and after they let you know what your COL Account Number is, you can fund your account via online banking (BPI, BDO, Metrobank).

For OFWs, you can also do Overseas Remittance via BDO:

OVERSEAS REMITTANCE INSTRUCTIONS

Overseas remittance is a wire transfer from your foreign remitting bank/center to our local bank. Charges and transaction days vary per remitting bank/center. You may print this instruction out to present to your remitting bank/center as it contains all of the information they need for the transaction.

Bank Name: Banco de Oro

Address:
Ortigas Exchange Branch
G/F East Tower Philippine Stock Exchange Centre, Exchange Road
Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Philippines

Swift code: BNORPHMM
Account Number: 343-016190-2

In favor of: COL Financial Group, Inc. (formerly CitisecOnline.com Inc.)

Address:
2401B East Tower PSE Centre, East Tower, Exchange Road, Ortigas Center,
Pasig City, Philippines

For further credit to: [Indicate your name, COL Account No. and Address]

IMPORTANT NOTE: Kindly email COL Financial (helpdesk@colfinancial.com) your confirmation slip for verification and easier tracking for your credit.

Here is the Contact Info of COL Financial:

+63 (02) 6-515-888
or +63 (02) 6-333-777

Fax: +63 (02) 6363512
Email: helpdesk@colfinancial.com

So remember, you do not need to physically be in the Philippines to start applying for your COL Financial (formerly known as CitisecOnline) account.

Kung may mga tanong po kayo, please leave a comment below. Thanks!