Mary Rose “M” Claudio, RFP®, is a highly accomplished professional who integrates two distinct fields of expertise: advanced learning design and strategic financial planning. Her credential as a Registered Financial Planner certifies her proficiency in comprehensive wealth management and client-focused financial advisory, supported by strong performance, including top sales awards such as the Platinum Medallion and recognition as a Top Advisor in key Sun Life metrics.
Beyond her financial acumen, Mary Rose has over 24 years of distinguished experience in customer relationship management and training and development. As a Senior Instructional Designer, she is an expert in adult learning, curriculum development, and creating sophisticated learning solutions using industry-standard models and tools.
Her career represents a strong synergy between designing educational experiences that develop people and providing financial planning that secures their futures.
Her Motivation to Join RFP
My primary motivation for joining the RFP program was the realization that the comprehensive curriculum offers everything every Filipino should know about managing their money.
I learned about the program through other financial advisors and was immediately drawn to its focus on practical topics like:
- Insurance Planning
- Investment Planning
- Retirement Planning
- Education Planning
I strongly believe that financial knowledge is a reality we can’t escape, and that it would be beneficial for everyone, regardless of their current wealth. I saw it as the necessary investment in knowledge that would help me empower my clients and, most importantly, empower myself and my family.
This program profoundly influenced my approach by emphasizing that everything is about planning. It instilled the mindset that you should not go to war without preparing your weapons. Now, for every earning that I make, I ensure it is attached to a clear objective, whether it’s for my future self, my children’s education, or protecting our family.
How RFP Improved Her Investment Decisions
“As a Graduate Member of the RFP program, the structured learning helped me tremendously in defining my investment and wealth-building decisions. The program’s segmentation into different types of financial planning (like insurance, investment, and retirement) was key. It taught me that one of the most important steps before making any investment is to have a clear objective. You can’t just say, “I want to invest.” You need to know why you are investing, how long you intend to stay invested, and what your risk capacity is.
For my personal journey, it reinforced the importance of:
- Due Diligence: It confirmed my belief that I should never put my money into something I don’t fully understand, emphasizing the need to always study, consult, and ask for help.
- Goal Alignment: It helped me choose the right financial instruments (like endowment plans and UITFs) that are specifically geared towards my two main goals right now: retirement and my children’s education.
- Meticulous Tracking: As someone who is highly organized, the program affirmed the need to carefully track all my household and personal expenses and compartmentalize my funds for different objectives (emergency fund, retirement, daily expenditures), ensuring every peso has a job.”
Her Most Valuable RFP Lesson
“The most valuable lesson I absorbed from the RFP program is a framework for utilizing time and money, which is: “If you don’t have money, use your time to earn money. If you have the money, use it to save your time”.
This concept highlights that time is a resource as valuable as money, and it connects directly to my financial philosophy:
- Investment in Knowledge is Key: I live by Benjamin Franklin’s quote that “an investment in knowledge pays the best interest”. I continuously invest my time and resources in learning about financial instruments, the industry, and the markets to ensure I make the right decisions for my family.
- The Power of Compounding: The lesson also ties into my belief that in investing, our two best friends are time and compound interest . This is why I have taken an aggressive approach to investing and prioritize patience, knowing that a long horizon will eventually yield the rewards I need for my family’s future.
- Proactive Planning: It taught me that planning covers all the facets of life, not just saving and investing, but also understanding obligations to the government, protecting acquired assets, and ensuring life coverage for my loved ones.”
Why She Recommends RFP
“Absolutely, yes! I wholeheartedly recommend the RFP program to others. It is truly a program that is a must for every Filipino. My financial advice for anyone considering the RFP certification, or simply looking to shape their financial journey, is to start early.
The program will help shape your financial journey by:
- Demystifying Finance: It breaks down complex financial topics into practical, actionable knowledge that you can immediately apply to your personal life and, if you are a professional, to your clients’ lives.
- Establishing Accountability: By investing in your learning, you create a sense of accountability, knowing you must get a return on that investment. I believe spending on knowledge is where you get the most ROI.
- Providing a Roadmap: It teaches you that financial planning is not just an activity but a comprehensive process. You will learn how to:
- Protect your income and life.
- Save for an emergency fund.
- Invest any excess with a clear objective.
If you don’t know how to start, the program or its professionals can help. But the single most powerful step you can take today is to start now, because time and compound interest are waiting to be your partners in wealth building.”