personal finance

There are several ways that a corporation attempts to raise funds to offset operating expenses. One way an investor can get in on the action is through bonds. A bond is a form of loan to the corporation in which the investor expects to get…

Series I savings bonds are a popular alternative to the traditional Series EE bond. Like EE bonds, I bonds are available in paper form at banks and other financial institutions or as "electronic bonds" online. What makes I bonds distinctive…

A yield curve is a plotted graph consisting of interest rates, all taken at the same time, on selected maturities of bonds of a similar credit quality, usually Treasury bonds. The standard Treasury yield curve plots the yield to maturity…

Certificates of deposit (CDs) and government bonds are two types of low-risk investment vehicles. CDs are defined and financed by their relationship to a private bank. Government bonds are issued by state institutions, funded with public…

Bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury are considered to be among the safest investments in the world because the United States is unlikely to default on its timely payments of interest and principal. Significance The…

Bond prices are quoted in terms of bid and offer. The dealer spread is the difference between the bid (the price a bond trader pays for a bond) and the offer (the price she offers it for sale). Function Bond dealer…

The financial news often references the 10 year bond yield. The 10 year rate is widely followed to give investors an indication of the direction of longer term interest rates. Identification The 10 year bond refers…

Investors have a choice between two major asset classes in financial securities. Stock, or equity investing, is ownership in corporations, and stock investors participate in the gains and losses of these companies. Bonds are the debt of…

Corporate bonds are debt securities issued by companies to borrow money. Each bond has a par value which is usually $1,000 or $5,000. However, corporate bonds are traded like stocks and the actual value is determined by market forces.…

There are 2 main ways to invest in a company; stocks or bonds. Stocks represent ownership and bonds represent debt for the company. One common calculation for measuring the annual return on a bond is the bond equivalent yield (BEY). It…