| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Benefits of Laddering Your CD Investments
If you've decided to stock some money away in a certificate of deposit, why not reap the highest benefit over time by laddering your CD investments? What's a CD latter? I'm glad you asked. A CD ladder is made up by purchasing several CD's at one time with different maturity dates. One example of a CD ladder is to have maturity dates of one year, two year, three year, four year, and a five year CD. These five investments make up the rungs of your CD ladder with one certificate maturing every year for the next five years. For example, let's say you had $10,000.00 to invest. You would buy 5 CD's for $2,000 each with each one invested for one year more than the first. So you'd have a $2,000 CD maturing in one year, another in two years, and so on up to the last one which matures in five years. Every year for the next five years one of your CD matures and earns you interest on your $2000 principal. When your certificate of deposit matures, you roll it over into another CD. The best strategy is to purchase a new CD at the longest term, which in our example above would be five years. This strategy allows you to take advantage of the higher rates normally associated with longer-term CDs while maintaining more frequent access to part of your funds. Another advantage to laddering your CD's is that over time it evens out the high and low interest rate cycles. Some years interest rates will be high, other years the rates will be lower. Currently banks are paying some of the highest CD rates we've seen in the last decade. Before deciding on laddering your CD's, make sure you can afford to do without that money for a period of time. You'll pay a penalty for withdrawing your funds before your CD reaches maturity. Also, don't get stuck on the idea that you have to invest in a 5-year ladder. You may be more comfortable with a three year ladder based on your financial needs. Or you may want to try a ladder with a 3 month, a 6 month, a 12 month, and a 24 month maturity. The benefits of laddering your CD investment is that you lower your risk of losing money when rates are low, increase your returns when rates are high, and still have access to a portion of your money should you need it for an emergency. © 2005, http://www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com Author: James H. Dimmitt James is editor of "TO YOUR CREDIT", a free weekly newsletter with tips to help you manage your personal finances. Subscribe today and receive his e-book "IDENTITY THEFT- How To Avoid Becoming the Next Victim!" and other money-saving bonuses by visiting http://www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Investing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Trading Baskets Part I Q. What is a basket?A basket is a group of up to 50 stocks that you can trade, manage and track as one entity. Should You Put Your Annuity in an IRA? Let me start by answering that question.. Why You Need To Buy and Sell Gold Coins (Part 5) Grading coinsThe condition of a coin is commonly summarized by a grade. Because the value of collectible coins often varies dramatically with grade and overly generous grading is not uncommon, reasonable grading proficiency is an important skill for collectors. Maniac Investment Let's first understand what maniac means. According to Webster a maniac is "mad; raging with madness; raging with disordered intellect". How To Start Investing For Financial Independence, Part 1 Today, I am going to start a multi-part series about how to go from being a beginning investor to being "financially independent" in a steady and predictable way. At our website, we get tons of e-mails about how do I start, how do I start with little $'s, etc. 5 Ways To Protect Your Bond Portfolio From Rising Interest Rates The Federal Reserve recently raised its target federal funds rate for the first time since March 2000. This could be just the tip of the iceberg, though, as many experts believe rising inflation and a strengthening economy will spur continued rate hikes for the foreseeable future. The Dreaded Direct Question (Please have a glass of water within reach before reading this article.)Your personal financial planning is the topic of discussion here today, but not quite yet. Investors: Avoid These 5 Common Tax Mistakes For many investors, and even some tax professionals, sorting through the complex IRS rules on investment taxes can be a nightmare. Pitfalls abound, and the penalties for even simple mistakes can be severe. It's Never too Early to Start Investing! Remember the old saying, "never too late to start"? Well, try this on for size: when it comes to investing, it's never too early to start. Time really is of the essence here. Trading Tips No 3: Online Trading and Investing: Buy, Hold, and Hope So you have learned how to trade the markets by mastering a few trading tools like Moving Averages, Channels, Stochastics, MACD, or RSI - that is a great accomplishment achieved by only a few. However, having the tools and rules to trade markets successfully, year in and year out, is only half of the challenge. Raising Capital Using a Public Company Going public in this manner is ideal for companies that may not be large enough to attract an underwriter for an IPO and those that don't need to raise capital immediately. They want to go public because of the many benefits that being a public company offers such as increased valuation, using public stock as currency to acquire other companies and assets, liquidity, prestige and to reduce the need for expensive venture capital and other financing sources. Help with My Annuity The cries are heard from the distance, "I need help with my annuities." Nothing has changed. Global Markets: A Window on the World Economy Expectations drive the market. Every stock price is driven by what people expect the company to do. Poll Names Coin Laundries Best Investment For 2005 According to Morton Pollack, CEO of PWS, The Laundry Company and editor of the newsletter, "Historically, laundry owners have been a quiet group. Knowing they are onto a good thing, they've been pretty reticent. Discipline in Trading and Investing The one thing I can think of that most affects both trading and investing has to be self-discipline.Being disciplined is fully 50% of the job of trading or of investing. Discipline in Investing and Trading Discipline can be simply defined as your ability to follow your investing and trading plan.Discipline is a rather simple concept. Investor Guide to Financial Health Step 1: Spend less than you earnPerhaps the simplest financial concept is the toughest for us to conquer- spend less than you earn. After paying your living expenses (bills, loan and mortgage payments, cost of food, charitable contributions, taxes, etc), you can begin to save and invest toward your future. Find a Methodology and Minimize Investment Madness There are many reasons to be investing these days, and too much opportunity to not have your money working for you.However, I believe the majority of people dread having to deal with investment matters, and tend to jump into purchases and then hold their breath hoping for the best. Waiting 20 Years Can Cost You Millions - Dont Wait Start Today Many Young people live for Today. They really don't fully understand the power of compound interest. Press Release Scams and Successes: Reading Between the Lines Press releases are a means through which companies can keep the public up to date regarding their recent affairs. It is the duty of every public company to keep its investors and indirectly potential investors aware of what is going on in the company.
|
| home | site map |
| © BullMarketData.com 2008 |
