personal finance

Using a credit card to buy savings bonds is as simple as any other balance transfer using your card. However, many credit card companies have rules against using money from your card for this purpose. It's not illegal, but your credit…

Municipal bonds are debt obligations of local municipalities or government agencies, usually issued for the funding of long-term capital projects. In general, investing in municipal bonds is considered safer than investing in stocks, but…

Series EE savings bonds have provided investors with a low-risk investment since 1980. But savings bonds eventually stop earning interest, and depending on when you purchased your Series EE bond, it may be close to its final maturity date.…

"Floater" is short for floating rate note. These notes are bonds that pay out interest payments to the bond holders at pre-set intervals -- a typical term is every three months. The interest rate paid "floats" in that it is tied to two…

Municipal bonds offer you a way to invest your money without a lot of risk and allow you to avoid paying taxes on your earnings. These are bonds issued by local governments to pay for things such as schools, recreational facilities and…

Savers lend money to institutions that seek financing. In exchange, investors are issued bonds that pay interest before returning principal on a set date. Bonds are subject to interest rate risks. Types Bonds may…

Treasury bills are short-term investment bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury Department. The duration of a T-bill ranges from a few days to 52 weeks. Bills are purchased at a discount, with the coupon being worth more than the amount paid to…

Bonds are considered to be safer investments than stocks; ideally, upon the bond's maturity, you should be repaid your initial investment. Further, the bond market tends to be less volatile than the stock market. That does not mean,…

Marketable debt covers a wide range of securities. It is even possible for some non-marketable debt to be converted into the marketable kind. Identification Debt instruments are loans that must be repaid with…

Generating current income is an important consideration for many retirees, and investing in bonds can be an excellent way to get current income without taking an undue amount of risk. Controlling risk is always an important consideration…