§ 34 · live tool

FMETF vs MP2 vs UITF vs RTB

Apples-to-apples after fees and tax. Pick the vehicles you're actually considering, set realistic returns, see who ends up with the most pesos when you cash out.

Vehicles to compare

All return / fee / tax assumptions are editable. Match them to your actual fund factsheet or BTr auction rate.

Trades on PSE. 0.6% stock tax at sale. Dividends 10% withholding.

Tax-free, no fees, 5-year lock-in. Historical dividend ~6–8%.

Managed equity fund. Fees 1–2%. Capital gains exempt (RR 14-2012).

60/40 stocks/bonds blend. Lower volatility.

Sovereign + corporate bonds. Tracks 10-yr T-bond yields.

Direct from BTr. 20% withholding on coupon. Held to maturity.

Short-term government paper (91/182/364-day). 20% withholding.

Best vehicle by net peso outcome
FMETF (PSE ETF) ends at ₱2,496,723
VehicleTotal investedGross finalFees + taxNet final
FMETF (PSE ETF)₱1,200,000₱2,511,794₱140,660₱2,496,723
Pag-IBIG MP2₱1,200,000₱2,452,105₱0₱2,452,105
Equity UITF₱1,200,000₱2,452,105₱367,816₱2,452,105
Retail T-Bond (RTB)₱1,200,000₱1,918,667₱0₱1,918,667

Tool reviewed 2026-06-14

Where to next?
Partner offer
Digital bank

Park your take-home pay where it earns

Maya, GoTyme, CIMB, SeaBank — high-yield savings on your idle peso, no maintaining balance.

Compare digital banks →
Partner offer
Card

Get a credit card matched to your salary

Cashback or miles — match a PH credit card to your take-home and spending habits.

Find a card →
Partner offer
Insurance

Term life or health insurance

Protect your family with affordable coverage tuned for PH employed professionals.

Compare quotes →
§ 02

How it works

Same money, different paths. You set monthly contribution, optional lump sum, and a horizon. Every active vehicle gets the same cash flow and runs through its own fee, tax, and return profile.

Net return. For each vehicle we compute: gross return − (gross × withholding tax) − management fee. That net annual rate compounds monthly over the horizon.

Exit taxes. FMETF pays 0.6% stock transaction tax at sale. UITFs and MP2 are exempt. RTB/T-bill have their 20% withholding already in the net return.

What this won't model. Sequence-of-returns risk, MP2's 5-year lock-in, early-redemption penalties on UITFs, and the variability of dividends. It's a steady-state comparison.

Pure browser-side math. Every assumption is editable — change the gross return to match your fund's factsheet or current BTr auction rate. No tracking, no accounts.

§ 03

Frequently asked questions

What's the actual difference between FMETF, MP2, UITF, and RTB?

FMETF is a stock-exchange-traded equity ETF tracking PSEi — high return potential, high volatility, 0.5% management fee, 0.6% stock transaction tax on sale. MP2 is Pag-IBIG's voluntary savings program — tax-free, no fees, 5-year lock-in, ~6–8% historical. UITF is a bank-managed pooled fund — equity/balanced/bond variants, 1–2% management fee, capital-gains exempt. RTB is direct-from-BTr government bond — fixed coupon, 20% withholding tax, returns principal at maturity. Different risk and tax treatment for each.

Why does MP2 often win in this comparison?

Three reasons: zero management fee, zero tax on returns, and 6–8% historical dividend that beats most bond funds. The trade-off is the 5-year lock-in (you can't pull money early without forfeiting interest) and it's not really equity (so it underperforms PSE during equity bull runs). At equal gross returns, MP2 always wins because no fees or tax drag.

What gross return should I assume for each?

FMETF/equity-UITF: 7–10% (PSEi long-run nominal). MP2: 6–7% (historical dividend). Balanced UITF: 5–7%. Bond UITF: 4–5%. RTB: current auction rate, typically 4–6%. T-Bill: current 91-day yield, typically 4–5%. Conservative midpoints are defensible; don't use sales pitch projections.

Does this account for capital gains tax?

Yes — FMETF has 0.6% stock transaction tax at sale. UITFs and MP2 are capital-gains exempt (RR 14-2012 for UITFs; HDMF for MP2). RTB and T-Bill interest carries 20% final withholding tax already netted. The 'CGT/stock tax at sale' field is editable in case tax law changes.

How are management fees actually charged?

UITFs charge management fee as a percentage of net asset value, daily-accrued, deducted before the unit price is computed. So the gross return you see in the factsheet is already net of fees if you compute it from unit-price changes. In this tool we apply fees as a separate annual drag on top of the gross return — match the gross to whatever the factsheet shows before fees.

Should I diversify across multiple vehicles?

Yes. Realistic PH allocations: 40–60% equity (FMETF, equity-UITF), 20–30% MP2, 10–20% bond exposure (RTB or bond-UITF), 5–10% emergency cash (savings or T-bill). The tool lets you compare individual vehicles; in practice you'd combine them.

What about the 5-year MP2 lock-in?

MP2 requires 5 years from contribution date. You can claim dividends annually (paid out cash) or compound them (re-invested). For long-horizon retirement savings the lock-in is a non-issue. If you'd need the money in 3 years, MP2 isn't right for that bucket.

Is this tool tax advice?

No. It uses BIR/BTr/Pag-IBIG defaults as of 2026-06-14. Tax law changes (recently with TRAIN and PIFITA bill discussions); rates may shift. For a real plan, consult a fiduciary or PERA administrator.

Does this save my data?

No. All math runs in your browser. We don't store, log, or transmit anything you enter.