T-Bills Definition: Treasury bills (aka. T-Bills) are short-term debt obligations that are backed by the US government and which have less than a year’s maturity. They are sold in $1000 denominations and purchases can go up to 5 million. Commonly, T-bills come with 4-week (1 month), 13-week (3 month) or 26-week (six month) maturities. The issuing of T-bills is done by a competitive bidding process where the bids are placed on “discounts from par” which means that unlike in the case of conventional bonds with fixed interest rates, here, it is the bond appreciation that gives the holder his returns. For example, if you buy a T-bill with a 13-week maturity at $9,950. What happens here … [Read more...]
What You Need to Know About the Federal Reserve System
The Federal Reserve System If you saw the HBO movie “Too Big to Fail,” you may have the notion that the Federal Reserve System, commonly known as The Fed, deals with high level banking issues that have worldwide implications. And you would be right. But The Fed also regulates banking functions that affect individual Americans, ranging from regulating debit card overdraft fees and limiting gift card fees to issuing U.S. Treasury savings bonds. History of the Federal Reserve The Founding Fathers were cautious about establishing a central bank, thinking that it would encourage irresponsible borrowing by the government. As a result, America functioned without a central bank throughout the … [Read more...]
Beginners Guide to Gold Investing
Gold Investing 101- Precious metals, particularly gold, are a very common investment opportunity in our modern world. Gold has become extremely popular both as a hedge against inflation and currency devaluation and as a primary investment with historically solid returns over time. Many small-time or new investors are eager to invest in gold; however, the high prices and multitude of investment options can be overwhelming. Buying gold physically in the form of bullion or coins, trading for gold in the foreign exchange markets, or trading a variety of gold related stocks or mutual funds are all viable methods to invest in gold. Some of these methods can seem downright frightening for the new … [Read more...]
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgages, Nope Not at 3.25%!
Fixed Rate Mortgages So is it true 30 year fixed rate mortgages are at 3.25%? Well that depends on how you look at. The answer is yes if you willing to invest discount points to purchase your interest rate down, so long as your financial profile is completely flawless. Otherwise for the 99.9% us, 30 year mortgages are trailing between 3.5% to 4.25%. That's been the reality of the mortgage bond market over the last few weeks since the 30 year fixed rate mortgage hit an all-time record of 3.53% on July 19, 2012. 30 year mortgage rates you see on television and the internet are not the best barometer of where rates truly are... Here's why: the bond market is moving all day long in … [Read more...]
Aussie Costs of Spending, Living and Credit
Aussie Credit Card Reforms The recent credit card reforms, enforced starting July 1, have stirred up quite the debate on the matter, with analysts and experts rushing to argue whether or not the reforms are actually beneficial for the end-user. However, the habits, debts and expenditure afforded by that very end-user are causing an extended discussion of their own. Where does the truth lie? Is Australia really sinking under credit card debt? Are the new reforms going to spell a slow, yet certain and agonizing death for plastic? Or is the state of the nation’s money far more positive than we imagine—and simply suffering at the hands of global recession-induced cries of panic? … [Read more...]
Recruiters Cost Cutting Strategies
Australian Job Market According to a recent report published by News.com.au, the Australian job market, albeit relatively secure for the time being, does have its sore spots. There are numerous types of employment, which, due to the altering economic landscape and shifts caused by the global recession, globalization and the spread of outsourcing and offshoring, are simply not safe anymore. Read on to learn what those unsafe job sectors are, to figure out what recruiters are looking for, in these trying times and to find out about possible strategies employed by companies which are recruiting on a tight budget. Travel. Travel has come to be regarded as a luxury, during a time when the … [Read more...]
Australia- How to Beat the Health Cover Cut
Health fund members have discovered that the best way to avoid means-testing of the nation’s $5 billion private health insurance rebate is to prepay their premiums. After the means test on private health fund subsidies was approved by the Senate, almost 2 and a half million health fund members will start paying up to $1300 more each year for health cover starting July 1. Health insurers all across Australia braced for a huge increase of members choosing to prepay premiums after the Australian Taxation Office sent out letters warning consumers about the changes. … [Read more...]
How Inflation Can Reduce Your Annuity Income (and what you can do about it)
Even though this is written from a UK perspective, it holds true for the rest of the world, too. ~ editor Annuity Income and Inflation Inflation as defined by Wikipedia is "an average index used to measure the rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time" which in layman's terms means the average amount by which goods and services are increasing. Monetarism an as economic theory identifies keeping inflation low as the main goal in achieving sustained economic growth, as opposed to reducing unemployment. The reason for this is that whilst unemployment is a burden on the people without jobs, high inflation (it is argued) impacts the entire … [Read more...]
Inflation Definitions
Inflation Adjusted Prices What is the inflation adjusted price of common commodities? Historical Oil Prices Chart - This Chart compares Monthly Average Oil Prices with their Inflation Adjusted Oil Price. Historical Crude Oil Prices (Table) - The first table shows Annual Average Crude Oil Prices from 1946 to the present. Prices are adjusted for Inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) as presented by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Inflation Adjusted Electricity Prices - Residential electricity prices in the U.S. have risen from an average of 7.83 cents per kilowatthour in 1990 to an average of 11.44 cents per kwh in 2010. This is a 46% increase in 20 years and sounds like a … [Read more...]
Will Bernanke Save the Equity Markets?
Equity Markets get no stimulus How far is the Fed from reaching the bottom of its ammunition box? Well, both Mario Draghi and Ben Bernanke said no to yet more monetary stimulus last week. Wall Street unsurprisingly was disappointed. Wall Street expected more stimulus, as institutional investors are analyzing monetary policy from their own perspective rather than the central bank's viewpoint – understandable, but a big mistake. Wall Street's Conundrum: with the S&P 500 up less than 7% in 2012, the year is almost over, and the investment firms have little to show for it. This 7% return might be OK in calmer markets, but instead investors have been taken on a rollercoaster … [Read more...]