Bonds are investments which consist of an agreement made by a borrower to repay money plus interest to a lender. The borrower may be a corporation, a municipality or the federal government. Bond terms (how long bonds last and how much interest bonds pay) vary by issuer and type of bond. Individuals may want to invest in bonds as a safe investment as bonds tend to provide consistent income and are considered one of the less risky investments. Are bonds right for you?
Three Tips to Create An Index Fund Portfolio
If you want a “fix it and forget it” portfolio, investing in index mutual funds is a great option. An index fund is a type of mutual fund made with stocks that match the components of a market index, such as the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. Index funds diversify your portfolio because you hold [...]
Three Tips for Giving Investments as Gifts
Thoughts of gift-giving often run to gadgets, homemade items, food, books, and gift cards. While these ideas are great and can be thoughtful and unique, they are consumable to some degree. Another option is to give something that has the potential to really keep giving: investments. When you prepare to give investments as gifts, here [...]
Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac Bondholders Should Be Fine
We've had some calls from people who hold Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Bonds. While the Fannie and Freddie Shareholders have had 80 percent of their sha...
Ilyce Glink on WSB Radio – September 8, 2008
Today on the Clark Howard Show, Ilyce Glink filled in. She discussed the Federal Government's takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and walked listeners through what might happen to mortgage rates, housing prices, loan adjustments and Freddie and Fannie bonds. She took calls about refinancing, short sales, foreclosures, buying a house, rental properties, social security and spousal benefits, home repair fraud, and buying on debit cards. For show notes and updates through the week, check out her blog at www.thinkglink.com/blog , and sign up for her free weekly newsletter on the ThinkGlink.com home page. Check out the videos at www.expertrealestatetips.net. And be sure to subscribe to her YouTube channel.
Ilyce Glink on WSB Radio – July 29, 2008
Today on the Clark Howard Show, Ilyce Glink filled in. She discussed whether creditors may reveal personal information to others, why seller-financed third-party down payment programs (like Nehemiah) have been eliminated under the new housing bill, how much housing prices fell in the past month, covered bonds, the elimination of certain chemicals from children's toys, and updated travel news. She took calls on building an emergency fund (by decreasing a contribution to 401(k) plans), veterans buying houses, paying off and consolidating student loans, hardship 401(k) withdrawals, construction loans, money merge accounts, whether to pursue a contractor who has gone belly up, rehabbing a foreclosed home, whole life vs. term life insurance, and how to negotiate with a bank that charged $2,900 in overdraft fees for 135 $1 checks that were overdrawn in the account. For show notes and updates through the week, check out her blog at www.thinkglink.com/blog , and sign up for her free weekly newsletter on the ThinkGlink.com home page. Check out the videos at www.expertrealestatetips.net. And be sure to subscribe to her YouTube channel.
Ilyce Glink on WSB Radio – May 11, 2008
Today on the Ilyce Glink Show, Ilyce talks about money lessons her mother taught her and the gift she and her sister bought her mom. Ilyce answers questions about cashing in savings bonds and how younger buyers want smaller homes than Baby Boomers. Another caller talks about growing up in a large family. Don't forget to sign up for her new newsletter at www.thinkglink.com. The Forum is still down, so look for the show notes at her blog: www.thinkglink.com/blog and check out the videos at www.expertrealestatetips.net. And be sure to subscribe to her YouTube channel.
Ilyce Glink on WSB Radio – November 25, 2007
On this Sunday after Thanksgiving, Ilyce talked about CyberMonday (the day that everyone supposedly goes back to the office to begin shopping online in earnest for Christmas) and how some bloggers suggest that this is a made-up shopping day. Ilyce also took questions about whole life insurance, inheritance taxes, and whether EE bonds that a caller's daughter inherited could be used tax-free to pay for school. All this and more on this week's Ilyce Glink Show.
Buying Bonds When Retired
A retiree is considering buying bonds for income. He is thinking about municipal bonds to avoid paying taxes on the interest earned. With interest rates on the rise, are bonds still a good investment?
Are There Advantages To Using Savings Bonds For College?
Using savings bonds to pay for college has its pros and cons.
Trading Commodities Like Soybeans, Gold And Pork Belly
Bored with stocks and bonds? Maybe it's time to try your hand at trading commodities. It's not for everyone but Ilyce Glink's conversation with Jim Rogers, author of Hot Commodities, just might pique your interest in commodities, commodity index funds and commodity mutual funds.