Sharing your life’s goals with your banker can be a good idea

When it comes to our life goals and dreams, we naturally share them with our close friends and family. They know us, affirm us, and give us the encouragement and confidence to face our problems head-on. But how about that relationship manager at your bank?

You may think it’s not natural to turn to him or her for help.

However, for four individuals, it’s the best thing they did to achieve their aspirations and mark important milestones in their lives. Their stories show that your bank can be depended on for financial solutions and trusted advice, whether to advance a small business, switch careers, climb the professional ladder, or pursue one’s passion.

Growing a business

For Melita Adaci, sustaining her flower business in Dangwa, Manila’s famous flower market, was a challenge at first. “With peak seasons and sudden increases in flower prices, I need substantial capital a few times each year to keep my business going,” said Adaci.

“I used to borrow from informal lenders because I thought it would be more inconvenient to go to the bank, where they require collateral and a lot of documents. However, when I checked my options with BPI, the branch manager informed me that I could borrow from the bank at a low interest rate and with no required collateral,” she said.

That was 30 years ago, and now, Adaci’s flower business has bloomed. “It’s important to have someone you can rely on,” she said.

Switching careers

Timothy Laurie Ang has proven that even millennials can attain their financial goals with the help of a bank that they trust. Ang made the jump from a high-paying IT job to a career in graphic design, and faced the possibility that he may not be able to enjoy the same benefits.

Ang had to weigh the pros and cons of making a significant career shift. Fortunately, he consulted his branch manager before making financial decisions.

“I knew I had to be prepared before I quit my job in 2012,” said Ang, “so knowing the sacrifices I had to make, I also consulted my branch manager at BPI to ask for advice on how to better schedule my loan payments. She talked to me about possible investments that could help me make more out of my savings,” Ang said.

Young as he may be, Ang points out that that ideal client-bank relationships are the ones that allow clients to feel they have control over their money.

Climbing the professional ladder

Meanwhile, Katrina Mae Yap, country manager for a consultancy firm, underscores the importance of relationships. She said her clients trust her team, knowing that they have always been consistent with the services that they provide, and that they are always available for whatever clients may need.

“In my relationship with BPI, I felt the same value that I put in relationships with my own clients, because BPI is always there to assist us,” Yap said.

Yap has availed herself of financial solutions from the bank for both her personal needs and the needs of her company. She said it was critical for bankers to build rapport with clients and make them feel that their money is safe with the bank.

Pursuing one’s passions

Lastly, overcoming one’s fear of the unknown motivated Charie Gavino to grow her progressive school in Davao, which she started in 1992. Her school’s style of teaching has become more popular each year as more parents enrolled their kids, but she knew that her savings were not enough to support the school’s growth.

“I was scared to borrow from a bank because I didn’t know how loans worked. I was also hesitant to ask, but it was a good thing that there were parents in my school who were also working at BPI. They urged me to explore getting a loan because they believed in the school’s potential,” Gavino said. “They referred me to a BPI loan officer, and even if my questions were so basic, the loan officer taught me how loans work, how I can pay monthly amortization, and the basics of interest rates. She showed me a schedule of payments to pay off my loan. This helped relieve my fears about borrowing from a bank,” she added.

Within 12 years, Gavino’s school was able to accommodate more students with three new buildings and new facilities because of the loans.

“The school was growing and BPI knew exactly what I needed. If no one helped me to understand how I could grow my small business through bank loans, my school would not have grown. It’s a very simple concept that others may not know,” she said.

Melita, Timothy, Katrina, and Charie were certainly glad that they went to their bank to talk about their dreams and goals. If trusted advice is what you need, your close friends and family may not be the only ones you can turn to.

Relationship managers help you unlock both potentials and opportunities. Their advice can take you one step closer toward your goals. In the end, your relationship manager may be just as helpful as your family and friends, in motivating you to make your goals and dreams a reality.