The box-office success of Starting Over Again is an insightful lesson on finances. Remember the sequence where Marco (Piolo Pascual) was talking to his fiancée, when a computation of his investment that he used to open his dream restaurant flashed on the screen? Is that attainable in reality or is it just a case of movie magic? Here’s the deal.

Notwithstanding the film’s romantic slant, his dream restaurant scene was crucial to the overall trajectory of Marco’s life. It showed how he was able to afford his ambition amidst a career shift from being a professor to a culinary chef. So what exactly was the story behind the Php16-M fund that he was able to accumulate? Is it something close to reality or is it just a case of movie magic? Here’s the deal.

1. Marco mixed protection and investments.

The PhP16-M figure is based on the actual historical growth of the Sun FlexiLink1 (invested in 100% Balanced Fund), an investment-linked insurance policy of Sun Life of Canada (Phils), Inc. that offers the protection of life insurance and the growth opportunities of managed investment funds.

 In Marco’s case, his 16-M fund was prudently handled by a professional fund manager of Sun Life Financial to ensure its maximum earning potential.

2. His money doubled in 10 years. How did this happen?

Marco came from a well-off family. When he was still a teacher, Marco purchased Sun FlexiLink1 with a one-time payment of Php5-M. Four years later, after Ginny (Toni Gonzaga) left him and when he began earning as a chef and co-owner of a restaurant, he added Php1-M to the fund as “top up.”

A “top-up” is any additional amount a policyholder puts in that is beyond his premium or policy payment.

3. Marco has the foresight and the resolve to secure his future goals.

He insured himself and invested for his future at age 26. Life insurance premiums go up as one gets older, so it’s best to start young. He also added Php1-M in December 2008, when the stock market was down by 48% from the previous year's level. Where others were reluctant to invest, Marco instead took a long-term view and saw a rare opportunity to top up when market was down.

4. If he chose other financial instruments, his money still would’ve grown but, maybe, not as much.

There is a wide array of financial instruments available to everyone, and of course, Marco had the power to choose where to put his money in. Popular alternatives include time deposit and special deposit accounts, although the latter was recently phased out. His money still could’ve grown in other financial products – just not likely as much as it did.

Let’s take a look at this comparative chart.