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Different Types of Bonds

Investing in bonds is very safe, and the returns are usually very good. There are four basic types of bonds available and they are sold through the Government, through corporations, state and local governments, and foreign governments.

The greatest thing about bonds is that you will get your initial investment back. This makes bonds the perfect investment vehicle for those who are new to investing, or for those who have a low risk tolerance.

The United States Government sells Treasury Bonds through the Treasury Department. You can purchase Treasury Bonds with maturity dates ranging from three months to thirty years.

Treasury bonds include Treasury Notes (T-Notes), Treasury Bills (T-Bills), and Treasury Bonds. All Treasury bonds are backed by the United States Government, and tax is only charged on the interest that the bonds earn.

Corporate bonds are sold through public securities markets. A corporate bond is essentially a company selling its debt. Corporate bonds usually have high interest rates, but they are a bit risky. If the company goes belly-up, the bond is worthless.

State and local Governments also sell bonds. Unlike bonds issued by the federal government, these bonds usually have higher interest rates. This is because State and Local Governments can indeed go bankrupt - unlike the federal government.

State and Local Government bonds are free from income taxes - even on the interest. State and local taxes may also be waived. Tax-free Municipal Bonds are common State and Local Government Bonds.

Purchasing foreign bonds is actually very difficult, and is often done as part of a mutual fund. It is often very risky to invest in foreign countries. The safest type of bond to buy is one that is issued by the US Government.

The interest may be a bit lower, but again, there is little or no risk involved. For best results, when a bond reaches maturity, reinvest it into another bond.

Compare Forex Trading and Stock Trading

The forex (foreign currency exchange) market is the largest and most liquid financial market in the world. The forex market unlike stock markets is an over-the-counter market with no central exchange and clearing house where orders are matched. Traditionally forex trading has not been popular with retail traders/investors (traders takes shorter term positions than investors) because forex market was only opened to Hedge Funds and was not accessible to retail traders like us.

Opening an Investment Account

Have you ever thought about playing the stock market? Many of us dream of hitting it big by investing $100 and earning $100,000 within a few years. But the system doesn't work that fast.

Silver Certificates - What is the Value of a 1935 Silver Certificate?

The 1935 Silver Certificate is one of the most popular notes among currency collectors. The history of these fascinating bills extends back to the 1800's. It was the Congressional Acts of 1878 and 1886 that authorized the printing of Silver Certificates - for a very specific reason.

Safe Investments For a Rough Economy

If you have been following the news then you probably know that we are in an economic crisis of global proportions. Banks are collapsing, the housing market is in a bad way, and the economy is in a bad state.

How to Invest $1 Million - Making an Index Fund Work

You have $1 million that you want to invest, but you're not quite sure how you're going to do that. You don't want to lose everything, but you really want that money to grow. You want that $1 million to turn into $2 million and so on.