Women banking on themselves: 3-step guide to get ready for a financial glow-up

“You have all the equipment. You just need to read the manual.”

Let’s take a cue from our resident it-girl lawyer, Elle Woods, from the 2001 movie, Legally Blonde. These inspiring words, delivered in the context of romance, have since been used to encourage confidence in people to help them realize they have the necessary tools and skills to succeed. Despite societal norms that impose gender roles, this line speaks of one powerful truth: women have always had it within them to define their own paths and achieve the goals they set for themselves.

The same holds true in finance.

In an era marked by accessibility, self-awareness, and empowerment, the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) salutes all women who bank on themselves and for their future.

So gather your beauty tools — or a pen and paper — and consider this as your three-step guide to building financial security.

Step 1: Start with the foundation

Just as applying foundation preps the skin for everything that follows, opening a bank account establishes a secure financial base. Instead of keeping money in a drawer or tuck savings between folded clothes inside the closet, depositing your hard-earned money in a bank remains as the safer option.

Step 2: Conceal what matters

In the same way concealer shields the areas you want to cover, safeguarding your savings requires discretion and constant vigilance.

Now that you have a savings account, protect it by keeping passwords, PINs, and other bank records strictly confidential. Be cautious of phishing attempts and text scams. When in doubt, do not click that link.

Step 3: Layer up to enhance features

Similar to how applying contour, blush, or lipstick elevates your look, developing saving habits can steadily grow your savings. Starting big is not a requirement. Small, consistent deposits can eventually lead to achieving your financial goals. Now, seal that look with a setting powder to lock in your makeup and ensure it lasts the whole day. Go out with confidence knowing your money saved in banks is locked in and protected by safeguards built into the banking system. As the state deposit insurer, the PDIC protects deposits in banks up to the maximum deposit insurance coverage of P1 million per depositor, per bank.

Alongside protecting depositors, the PDIC has always been an advocate of gender equality. This year, the Corporation once again joins the Philippine Commission on Women in giving the spotlight to Filipinas and the vital role they play in nation-building. Throughout March, the PDIC has prepared a series of learning and development programs aimed at fostering a gender-inclusive environment within its workforce, including sessions on health and wellness, financial rights, and gender sensitivity and gap; and discussion on the Safe Spaces Act.

This National Women’s Month, getting ready means preparing not only for the day ahead, but for the years to come. Women have always been capable of shaping their own futures. While a gender financial gap, up to a certain extent, persists to this day, closing that gap starts with informed saving decisions. Knowing how to save money in banks helps build lasting financial security.

As Helen Reddy’s anthem reminds us, “I am woman, hear me roar.” That roar is rooted in knowing that your bank savings, intended for various needs , are safe and secure through the protection provided by the PDIC.