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Bonds - Are They Right For Your Portfolio?

By: Bill Dufrane

For those wishing to invest their money - usually those wishing to put away a tidy nest egg for retirement or their children for school - there are a lot of decisions to make. You can’t jump into just any arrangement, and especially not the first offer that comes your way. Perhaps the most pertinent question you might ask yourself when investing is, what should oneu invest in - in other words, what’s good to invest in right now?

1. Put Your Money First

The final aspect of investing in bonds shouldn’t be the qustion as to what you should buy or sell, but rather, how much capital you are going to gain in the form of dividends. Remember, you aren’t buying stocks, you are investing. This means you expect a return on your investment.

2. Stocks

If you plan on investing in stocks, a general rule is to hold them for at least 10 years. Stocks will, over this period of time, outperform any other possible investment. Don’t even think about real estate, bonds, or commodities, stocks are definately the way to go, and it is not uncommon to see returns of up to or over 10%.

Of course, that is not to say that stocks are always the safest choice. Few investors actually buy stock and hold it for ten or more years. Also, with the exception of mutual funds individuals tend not to invest in stocks in general, but rather in a particular company. Also, even then, times change because new and better technologies come to pass. General Electric no longer makes most of its revenue from light bulbs, for example.

2. Bonds

If youre going to go with a bond, first of all, expect to pay a minimum of $5,000. You will definately want to invest in a bond that is rated AA or higher, and stick to a well known, major brokerage to handle your investment. Even with inflation you can expect to make only 4% profit per year. Of course, 4% of $5,000 is only $200, but over a period of 10 years that turns into $2,000. Of course, in today’s economy $2,000 won’t even last a month for rent, food, utilties, etc. Even so, bonds have advantages no other instrument enjoys. Since they have a set interest rate and maturity date, their behavior is much more readily predictable, given plausible assumptions about interest rate changes and other economic factors. You can’t attribute this kind of reliability to stocks, for example.

3. Currencies Or Commodities

The beginning investor should never engage in trading commodities or currencies, such as FOREX. Don’t believe the hype surrounding these investments - there is a reason why so much money is floating around out there - people are losing it!

4. Real Estate

If you think that the value of real estate is always on the rise, think again. Although a great way to make substantial gains, if you are going to make any real money you have to be able to invest a lot of your capital - more than any other variety of investing. Many simply can’t do it part time and try to make it their full time job. Some succeed, many fail.

5. Funds

If you are looking to make some quick cash, funds offer a great alternative to direct investing. Mutual funds, one of the more common types, pool investor money and diversify investment (usually) into a variety of instruments - stocks, bonds, currency, commodities, etc. Investors save money by not incurring a fee for every trade, but pay management fees of one kind or another (usually annual), and those can eat substantially into overall return on your investment.

Article Source: http://www.noviceinvesting.com/Article

For more great bond related articles and resources check out www.bondshq.info

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Asian Stocks Fall in U.S. Trading, Led by BHP, Commodity Shares (Bloomberg.com)
Dec. 21 (Bloomberg) — Asian stocks fell in U.S. trading as reports showed U.S. economic growth slowed and manufacturing in the Philadelphia region contracted by the most in more than three years. BHP Billiton and other commodity shares led the decline.

Report On Stock Research

By: Stu Pearson

The report of stock research contains all the information like the fair value estimate of a companys worth. Likewise, guides on when to buy and when to sell stocks as well as the selling prices of stocks are also discussed and displayed on the stock research report.

A stock research report is accomplished by expert analysts who are renowned in their own companies and their industries. Their reports mainly cover strengths and weaknesses, lines of business, whats good and bad about recent stock investment decisions as well as some projections of what to expect from a company in terms of its financial health.

The stock research report also tells you whether a company is worth buying or selling and just when to buy and sell stocks from this company. Knowing such information can help you in earning back a great deal of profits from your stock investment.

In addition, the significance of such reports cannot be taken for granted, especially in a world where the market is unstable, wherein in a blink of an eye you might lose everything you have invested. Stock research reports keep you up-to-date with the latest and timely developments happening in the stock market. Stock reports are just one of the services provided by most online stock research providers.

When you sign up or joined an online stock research provider you were provided with stock alerts regarding new analyst reports plus some daily commentaries. Aside from that, you will also enjoy the privilege of having daily dose of expert opinion about companies they cover in the news. They also have portfolio alerts that tell you when your portfolio is underperforming or outperforming.

With a stock research report you will always be guided on what course of actions to take especially if you cannot monitor your portfolio regularly. Remember that the stock investment requires for keen monitoring or else you will find yourself losing money instead of gaining back more profit.

However, the stock research report is not a free service, most providers of these types of reports only offer free-day trials for new members but afterwards would require for a monthly or annual subscription fee.

Be sure to correctly choose the stock research provider; opt for those highly regarded providers that already have names in the stock investment market. Dont be fooled by those stock research providers claiming that they have the best stock investment solutions and promises you very high rate of investment returns. These promises often times just remain to be a promise that can never be realized since the provider that you have chosen is really not that knowledgeable in stock investment.

Look for those providers that possess credible portfolios and to be really sure you may try to confirm by researching further the authenticity of their claims. You may also try to ask your friends, colleagues and family whether they are familiar with the provider you are investigating. Even better still, ask people in the stock market if they are familiar with the provider you are inquiring about. If it is really true that they are a reputable stock research provider, then their reputation will echo the sentiment.

Article Source: http://www.noviceinvesting.com/Article

Stu Pearson has an interest Business & Finance related topics. To access more information on free stock research or on stock research online, please click on the links.

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Stock Investing Mistakes That Make A Difference

By: Bill Dufrane

The process of investing is a great way for you to earn potential income. Hardly any people have the knowledge to be able to suceed, however, so many people rely upon brokerages to manage their portfolio for them. There are, however, some common investing mistakes that people make that can result in huge losses and missed opportunities. Here are a list of the absolute worst mistakes to avoid when investing in the stock market.

Mistake #1 - Invest When You Are Old

You are never too young to start investing in the stock market - in fact, it’s recommended to get started sooner. The perception of investing is that it is reserved for older, financially established people who can invest large sums of money. This is a misconception that is limiting people from tapping into the power of investing. Waiting just ten years can make a huge difference in the total gains that one can make over their lifetime. For example, investing just $2000 a year (thats just $170 a month) starting at the age of 26 can yield $2,114,379 by the time you are 75. This is with an Annual Return Rate (ARR) of 10% per year steady through the life of the investment. The same investment, with the same ARR, made ten years later at the age of 36 will result in a return of only $802,895 at the age of 75. That is a 1. 3 million dollar difference. If you are not able to invest as much as $160 a month, set aside $25 per month. Even this small amount can have a large impact over time.

Mistake #2 - Not Understanding The Company

It is shocking that many people will put more time and research into choosing an MP3 player or home theater system than they will researching the stocks they will invest in. It is imperative that you take the time to understand the financial history of the companies you wish to have shares with. Make sure that you understand what you are buying and how it will benefit you in the long run. It is also important to keep in mind that you must remain objective when choosing stocks. Stocks that you have researched well and carefully selected are more likely to increase than ones you choose based on a feeling. Put your emotions aside and consider your options carefully. Taking time to research and investigate is also important when choosing your financial advisor. Consider meeting with a few candidates and evaluating their approach to investing. If you are meeting with someone on a recommendation, make sure that the person who recommended the advisor is someone who is qualified to do so.

Mistake #3 - Gambling On Stocks

Another common mistake is confusing gambling or speculating with investing. Investing in stocks is part of a long- range financial picture and not a get- rich- quick scheme. While there certainly are high yield quick return programs out there, it is wise to limit your participation in those programs. Day trading is one of these types of programs. When someone is involved in day trading they trade very rapidly in and out of stocks in order to profit daily from marginal changes in the market.

This practice may seem easy to profit from but it actually results in more losses for investors than gains. Similarly, some try investing over a short period of time in very risky stocks. A short- term investment of six months to a year in a hot stock does not belong in a well- thought out financial plan. True investing should be done in quality companies over a period of several years. Finally, listening to someone who has a hot tip is a quick way to lose a lot of your investment. Research any tips you get carefully and only invest if the numbers pan out, no matter how much others insist that this is the stock to have.

Mistake #4 - Putting All Your Eggs In One Basket

Don’t underestimate this old addage. In any portfolio, you will want to diversify your holdings. Additionally, having too much stock in one specific industry can also be a recipe for disaster when the market changes. Spread your money over several different companies and different industries. That way there would have to be some catastropic disaster in order for you to lose all your money.

Article Source: http://www.noviceinvesting.com/Article

For more great stocks related articles and resources check out mutualfundadvice.info

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Important Facts About Saving Bonds

By: Joe Goertz

Unlike traditional bonds, saving bonds are not subject to the ups and downs of the stock market. Savings bonds are low risk, government-backed bonds with guaranteed rates of interest. There is a tax advantage to savings bonds because the owner may be able to partially or completely exclude their interest from Federal income tax.

There are three types of saving bonds: I, EE/E and HH/H. They are issued by the US Treasury Department. They can only be purchased in one of three ways: 1) through authorized financial agencies, such as a bank; 2) through payroll deductions; and 3) through an electronic service called TreasuryDirect. All saving bonds are registered and held in name of the person who owns them. Savings bonds are registered securities. They can be replaced if they are lost or destroyed.

Series I bonds are available at face value only. Series I bonds come in $50 to $10,000 denominations. No more than $30,000 (face value) of paper bonds and $30,000 of electronic bonds purchased each year. They must be held for a minimum of 1 year and they will accrue interest for 30 years. Interest on the Series I bonds is based on a fixed rate (announced by the Bureau of Public Debt in May of each year) and an annual inflation rate (announced in November of each year).

Interest is paid when the bond is redeemed. If this happens before the bond is five years old, there is an interest penalty equivalent to the three most recent months interest. Interest is not subject to State and local taxes. It is, however, subject to State and local estate, gift and other excise taxes. Interest on the bonds is also subject to Federal taxes. If the bonds are used to finance an education, all the interest or only part may be excluded from federal income taxes.

The series EE bonds replaced Series E. EE bonds are very affordable and can be purchased at one half of their face value. They come in denominations from $50 to $10,000. Individuals can buy no more than $30,000 (face value) worth of paper bonds and $30,000 of electronic bonds annually. EE bonds purchased between May 1997 and April 30, 2005 earn a variable market-based rate of return. Those issued May 2005 onwards earn a fixed rate of interest. They will generate interest for 30 years and the interest is compounded semi-annually. The Series EE bonds are similar to the Series I Bonds in regard to interest payment and time of redemption. The biggest difference between EE and I bonds is that interest rates are figured differently. EE Bonds receive 90% of 6-month averages of 5-year Treasury Securities market yields.

Prior to September 2004, Series HH savings bonds could be purchased only in exchange for Series EE/E bonds. After that date, they could be purchased without them. Series HH bonds are available in denominations ranging from $500 to $10,000. They are purchased at their face value. There is no limit on the amount that can be purchased.

The interest on Series HH bonds is fixed on the date of purchase and will continue to accrue for 20 years. The interest is deposited directly into the owners checking or savings account. Series HH Savings Bonds must be held for a minimum of six months. Like Series I and EE, the interest on Series HH bonds is not subject to State and local taxes. It is, however, subject and State and local inheritance, gift and other excise taxes.

Article Source: http://www.noviceinvesting.com/Article

You will find more from this author at: finance-mag.com

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