Meet the Leader: Ligwina Hananto, Starting with Hundreds of Offers and Skeptical Looks

Ligwina Hananto, appearing as a speaker at a seminar held by the Creative Economy Agency (personal document)

Financial planning expert Ligwina Hananto was underestimated when offering her services. But she managed to convince many people that investment is an important part of everyday life.

"Out of one hundred texts, four responded, three of them were laughing. Only one person asked for a meeting asking for an explanation of financial planning. From that one, there were dozens of people, hundreds, "said financial planning expert and CEO of Quantum Magna (QM) Financial, Ligwina Hananto, when she shared her experience of first becoming a financial planning consultant.



Initially, Ligwina, who’s called Wina, had a hard time when she had to quit working. At that time, she was pregnant with her first child. Her husband, Dondi Hananto, asked her to stay home. Accustomed to wearing the office attire, high heels and make up, Wina suddenly found herself to be staying home, wearing the loose old dresses.



Dondi finally allowed Wina to do business as long as it was seriously done. Finally, Wina chose to become a financial planning consultant. Her husband also suggested she develop expertise in the field. Finally, Wina took a Master’s degree in the Indonesian Institute of Management Development. She also conducted a number of financial planning certification training courses, such as Certified Financial Planner, Associate Estate Planning Practitioner, and Certified Wealth Manager. 



After being well-equipped, Wina opened financial planning services under the name Quantum Magna Financial (QM Financial) in 2003. But, internet communication and technology was not as developed as it is now. Wina chose to promote using short messages. She sent hundreds of SMS to people she knew, even though only a few responded.



In 2006, Wina’s clients were only a dozen people. In June 2006, she talked at the Hard Rock FM radio station about financial planning, while promoting QM Financial. Wina’s style that was straightforward and honest when evaluating an investment product made listeners confident in her abilities. People began to be interested in using her services.  



After consulting many clients, individuals, and companies, Wina changed the direction of the financial consulting services that she managed. Starting in 2017, said Wina, QM Financial has been focusing on financial training to ensure that its clients are able to make their own financial planning. The training can be done digitally.



"We want to be part of the 4.0 industry," Wina said.



Facing the bonus demography and 4.0 industrial revolution, Wina believes that policymakers and the public need to ensure that today's workforce understands financial education.  The goal is not only to move the investment climate in the country, but also to ensure that Indonesian workers have healthy finances.



Various ways can be done to provide education on how to manage finance and investment. One way that is done by Wina is to insert small jokes in her financial training. The relaxed condition enables her clients to understand easier, and motivated Wina to start a new hobby, stand-up comedy.


“I usually talk about financial planning in my jokes," Wina said.



These jokes bear a financial education mission for the millennial group. Wina said the way to educate the Y and Z generations is different from that used for their generation or the previous generation, the baby boomers. You cannot scare millennials with debts or the difficulty of not having a home. They are more literate and they can find information about their own investment.


"We just have to provide the information they need," said Wina.



Financial applications also make it easier for millennials to manage finances while investing. Wina advises young people not be in debt to meet their lifestyle needs. Installments of debt should not exceed 30 percent of their income. 



Managing Finances for Housewives and Freelance Workers 



Despite her successful career building as a financial planning expert, Ligwina had served the role of a stay home housewife in the 2000s. When looking at the household balance sheet, she was shocked because her savings balance was only Rp. 119,200. Even though her husband’s income was quite large at that time.



“We have children and we plan to send them to a national plus school. After I calculated it, with the education costs increasing by 20 percent per year, our children could drop out of school during junior high school," said Wina.



For this reason, Wina feels that every woman or housewife must have the ability to manage finances, both for her children's education and for her own needs. If there is an unwanted incident that befalls the husband, she said, the woman can still be independent and support the family economy. Wina calls this special deposit the management of 'women's money'. The amount can be 5-10 percent of income and is only used when precariously necessary.



Financial and investment arrangements between one person and another are certainly different. Planning for housewives who rely on husband's salary is not the same as that of female workers. Part-time workers are different in ways of managing finances compared to permanent workers.


"Now there are many millennials who choose to work as freelancers. Their salaries may change, but monthly expenses must remain the same, "said Wina.



Wina recommends that freelancers have a special saving, amounting to one month expenditure as an emergency fund, outside the saving for investment. The goal is that when the income does not pay for the expenses, they can still survive from the savings. Wina also encourages freelance workers not to increase monthly expenses even though their income soars up.



Healthy financial planning and management are efforts for a decent living for workers. The National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) encourages policies that focus on inclusive employment opportunities so that all communities can enjoy equitable development. Through the Indonesia Development Forum (IDF), Bappenas supported by the Australian Government through the Knowledge Sector Initiative (KSI), brings together stakeholders to encourage new thinking and approaches in facing Indonesia's main development challenges.**