22 karat gold is in every gold American eagle coin along with a minute amount of another metal to be sure the coin is not as malleable. If you purchase gold from the United States Mint, it is certain that your gold was acquired in the United States.

When buying American eagle gold coins, you have 4 sizes to choose from – 1/10 ounce, 1/4 ounce, 1/2 ounce, and 1 ounce. It is true that coins vary in cost according to their size. The gold eagle coin comes in two forms: bullion and proof.

It’s easy to find American Eagle gold bullion coins to buy. Gold coins make excellent investments due to the fact that their price will fluctuate based on the supply of money in the economy as well as their aesthetic appearance. Nearly every gold dealer in the world will buy and sell American gold bullion. They may be purchased, sold and or exchanged easily, and may also be deposited to your IRA or 401K account where you will be able to legally avoid paying taxes, as they are untaxable.

The U.S. Mint’ online tool is a great place to start locating both local and national American Eagle Gold Coin retailers. Just put in your state and find both local and national dealers.

Go to eBay, if you don’t like the amount of results. There are many American Eagle gold coins for sale at coin stores and internet sites.

A phone book will be helpful as well. Search on gold coins as the key words to find more information. Run a Google search for “American Eagle gold coin.” Searching will bring up any number of sites. Two sites are chipmancoins.com and Blanchard.com.

The American Eagle gold proofs are similar to the bullion coins of the same design, but explicitly intended for coin collectors. They are the same in size, and have the same quality and amount of gold. It is possible to buy coins in sets of two or four. Because there are differences in the processing of producing the coins, proof coins are slightly different than actual gold bullion American Eagle coins. The addition of dye and the manufacturing process for proof coins being struck more, the background has more reflection and the foreground has a frosted appearance. This will give a crisper image in the subject matter as well as the background.

Look on ebay to find American eagle coins for sale and sets of coins. If you are looking for uncirculated coins and they are sold out you need only look on eBay for opportunities to buy them. They may be very expensive if you buy them at an auction.

{Look for “American eagle gold proof coins” on Google or another search engine.} {A lot of times the sites that will have proof sets for sale could be sold out of the year you would like, however, be sure to look at older offerings and see what could be purchased from other years.} {It seems that a coin that is collected has to have some type of original flaw to get top pay.}

{Check around with different dealers as the pricing can vary widely.} {Before you commit to a bid, you should check prices across sellers for a particular product as there are a few maliciously opportunistic sellers.}

Renata Lavlor writes about Collecting and other Hobbies as a staff writer for HowToDoThings.com

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The Buffalo gold coin is pure 24k gold, much more pure than many other coins, such as the 22k American Eagle gold coin, which contains approximately 8% metal other than gold. This is the case 99 out of 100 times. You are sure to get gold with 99 percent of coins. The cost of the coin is started by taking the price of gold and the coin making process into consideration. These are the things that make the buffalo coin a popular investment when choosing gold.

This is the way to locate gold bullion dealers.

The US Mint will help you to find someone nearby. You will only need to pick the state. Their website will also give estimated prices for gold coins, based on the current trading price of gold.

Use a search engine such as Yahoo or Google and search for “Buffalo gold coin.” You will be able to find many good results, like Blanchard and Northwest Territorial. It is important to check prices for different dealers of Buffalo gold as there can be a wide variation in pricing.

You can locate a dealer by looking in your phone book under the “gold” or “coins” section.

The U.S. Mint has made 300,000 of the Buffalo gold coin proof version. It seems like a huge number, however, some number more than 244,000 of the Buffalo gold bullion coins have been sold to some lucky buyers.

The US Mint will sell these to you. You can either contact the United States Mint at 1-800-USA-MINT or visit their website. They will be something that can be purchased separately.

One other choice to look at online auctions such as eBay to possibly locate one that is less expensive that the current price at the U.S. Mint site, but make sure the dealer is reputable, so you won’t buy a Buffalo gold proof coin for more than you should.

Be sure to do your comparison shopping before you invest in gold, regardless of the form that it’s in you definitely want to get your money’s worth. Investing in silver bullion is highly similar to investing in gold bullion so the same principles will apply. You are going to find just as many people trying to rip you off by overcharging on the gold that they are selling as those who will not pay you enough for your scrap gold.

{The complication with becoming a collector of anything is finding someone to tell you how much what your collecting is worth.} {It is fun to find out how the bovine behemoth goes against coins from other countries.}

Renata Lavlor writes about Collecting and other Hobbies as a staff writer for HowToDoThings.com.

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A role for grant capital in microfinance, however, still exists. Indeed, there are many initiatives that simply fail to offer much potential for a commercial return, but are still critical to the continued development of the sector. These include programs for conducting social impact analysis or the development of microfinance products for “ultra-poor” clientele. In this respect, both commercial and grant capital can work hand-in-hand as the sector continues to evolve and bring more of the world’s poor into the formal economy.

Private equity in microfinance is mostly invested in the form of early stage start-up or growth capital. This type of investing is very different from the large-cap private equity techniques employed in the developed world, where investee companies are often over-leveraged and streamlined in the pursuit of a short-term exit and return on capital. In contrast, private equity in microfinance often serves to strengthen balance sheets, not to weaken them, and the greater corporate governance requirements of such investors inevitably results in stronger organizations. An increasing flow of this type of capital will not only allow the sector to scale, but will also lead to greater accountability and transparency.

As an emerging sector within the global financial services landscape, microfinance stands to substantially benefit from the increased participation of private equity investors. Through the provision of risk capital, such investors will actively support new business models and lending methodologies. With this in mind, consider the interesting parallel of the positive role played by private equity in other emerging sectors, where it has often resulted in the financing of hundreds of innovative young companies. Not only have these companies generated attractive returns on equity, but many have also contributed considerable social value by improving productivity, health, and access to information, not to mention the many new employment opportunities they have brought to the market. Examples include technology, telecommunications, biotechnology and, most recently, clean technology, all sectors that would not have achieved the same level of success without the risk capital, strategic support and commercial networks that private equity investors provide.

While the volume of private equity invested in microfinance to date has barely scratched the surface of the sector’s requirements, there are already a number of examples of the positive role that this capital has played. In India, a series of notable investments has provided the foundation for increased outreach, greater geographic diversity, the introduction of new products and improved mechanisms to attract and retain high quality talent. Over the past two years, the five largest MFIs in the country have been the beneficiaries of approximately US$180m in private equity investment, which has helped them to grow their combined active client bases from 2.2 million to over 4.7 million, a compound annual growth rate of 45%. Four of these organizations are now serving well over a million active clients each. Furthermore, numerous new business models have been launched as a direct result of investor support. Of particular note are the branchless banking technologies currently enabling millions of previously unbanked individuals to efficiently access deposit accounts, government disbursals, insurance products, and even secure payment platforms.

Despite the positive impacts of such investments, some still criticize private equity backed MFIs for their rapid growth rates. This is potentially a valid concern, but prudent investors will always seek to temper such growth with conservativism, since a default-ridden loan portfolio is of limited value no matter how large it is. This ensures that the interests of private capital are aligned with those of the recipients of MFI credit – both parties benefit from growing a quality loan portfolio, promoting greater operational efficiencies and technological sophistication, and ultimately from accessing public capital markets. These benefits all serve to lower the operating costs of the MFI, therefore resulting in a lower cost of capital and more efficient service for the end client.

As we reflect on the evolution of the microfinance sector from its origins in 19th century Germany*, and its subsequent development in South Asia, it is clear that an increasing participation of private capital has already stimulated greater competition amongst for-profit MFIs. This will ultimately lead to lower interest rates, a higher quality of service, and a greater diversity of products. Further private equity investment will be a key factor in enabling the sector to reach the billions of unserved clients who still live outside the formal financial system. It will also help more MFIs take a number of important steps towards better serving this market by securing banking licenses (enabling cheaper funding through deposits and a much needed saving tool for their clients), attracting world class talent and accessing cheaper capital markets. As we have seen, private equity and grant capital are far from being mutually exclusive and can actually co-exist. Grants have already realized many valuable developments, and in the future it is likely that this type of capital will also address many more important issues such as the measurement of microfinance’s social impact, the best way to serve the poorest of the poor, how to increase financial literacy, and how best to deliver complementary services like healthcare and education. Each of these is very valuable, not only for the clients concerned but also for society at large, strengthening the sector overall and thereby complementing the ongoing efforts of private equity investors.

* Raiffeisen Banks were founded in 1846 in rural Germany and are early examples of microfinance institutions. Many of them are still in operation today, functioning as co-operatives or savings banks.

Justin Willmott is a Vice President with Legatum Ventures, based in Dubai. Legatum Ventures has invested over $60 million of private equity to support the microfinance sector globally since 2007, and continues to be an active supporter of the sector as it develops towards reaching its full potential.

This article earlier appeared in Microfinance Insights magazine in June 2009.

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Today, the microfinance sector appears solid, with high repayment rates of over 98 percent. But this doesn’t mean that all is smooth sailing. The sub-prime market collapse has made many microfinance institutions nervous. And rightly so: like banks in developed nations, microfinance organizations were incentivized to expand rapidly in recent years, transforming the sector from an industry dominated by NGOs like Grameen Bank in Bangladesh to one led by for-profit companies including Compartamos in Mexico and SKS Microfinance in India.

This for-profit shift has boosted microfinance institutions’ capital, enabling them to serve more of the world’s poor, but it also pressures microfinanciers to provide competitive rates of return for their investors. Ultimately, increased competition between microfinance providers is good for the industry, although, as we learned from the sub-prime crisis, it is imperative that best lending practices aren’t compromised as a result.

The good news is that evidence suggests the microfinance model has allowed many borrowers to start small enterprises that generate income. This provides the poor with a productive “hand up” rather than a short-term “hand out”, and should continue to remain the focus of microfinance institutions and their investors in future.

Yet this progress does not come without risk, for microfinance CEOs know little about their loan recipients. There is a dearth of research and empirical evidence about the borrowing habits of the world’s poor. In the absence of any formal credit bureau or co-operation between organizations to promote best lending practices, anecdotal evidence suggests that borrowers are taking loans from multiple microfinance institutions and other sources, such as loan sharks. Oftentimes, clients are using one loan to repay another. This could be destabilizing for the sector as a whole in the event that household incomes decline or the credit system contracts, which would prevent people from covering old debts with new ones.

For many clients, borrowing from multiple sources suggests that the currently low, fixed loans offered by microfinance institutions are simply insufficient to meet their businesses’ credit needs. But other clients might just be falling deeper and deeper into debt. So several basic risk management questions – such as who should be receiving credit and how much microfinance institutions can prudently lend – still remain unanswered.

While these questions loom, the responsibility for ensuring that the microfinance sector learns from the painful mistakes made by financial intermediaries in the developed world, falls upon three groups: the microfinance institutions themselves, their regulators and the increasing number of investors who are active in the sector.

All three parties must take steps to strengthen and safeguard the microfinance sector. First, microfinance organizations should support both research and technology initiatives that will help them better understand the creditworthiness and spending patterns of their clients. Second, regulators should create an environment that encourages prudent growth, with the guidance of specialist teams that focus on microfinance as an independent sub-sector of the financial services industry.

Finally, investors should heed the lessons from the credit crisis and encourage microfinance organizations to better understand the true risks in their loan portfolios, whilst continuing to apply and develop best practices in lending to the world’s poor.

Although microfinance may face similar perils as sub-prime lending did in the US, it is important to remember that they are fundamentally different markets. The vast majority of microcredit goes to productive uses that improve the lives of the poor. With this in mind, we should remain hopeful about the future of microfinance – and that the microfinance community will draw upon lessons learned from the global economic meltdown to protect and strengthen one of the most promising mechanisms for sustainably alleviating global poverty.

Philip Vassiliou is Managing Director of Legatum Ventures, and Justin Oliver is Executive Director of the Centre for Microfinance in Chennai.
This article previously appeared in Economic Times of India.

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The Constitution clearly states that money is to be coined and that only gold and silver coin (I.E. real money) is a tender in payment of debt. Note that Congress was granted the power only to coin money, not to print it. They were granted the power to borrow money, not to loan it.

Silver characterizes all six aspects of real money. It is divisible, durable, convenient, consistent, and has utility value, and cannot be created by fiat. Silver is used as a medium of exchange and as a store of value. It is indispensable, has tangible value, and is in limited supply.

The same cannot be said for fiat currency, such as Federal Reserve notes, which are promises to pay. Hyperinflation is the terminal stage of any fiat currency. EVERY fiat currency since the Roman Empire has ended in devaluation and eventual collapse. The United States has already had several failed attempts at using paper currency. There is evidence to suggest that the Federal Reserve has recently been engaging in monetizing the debt, in other words, financing the national debt by printing new money, which could ultimately cause hyperinflation. Weimar Germany during the 1920s is a well-known example of monetary hyperinflation. The German government went crazy with the printing presses finally taking billions of marks to equal one dollar and wiping out the savings of the middle class.

Supply and Demand
The U.S. Geological Society has stated that by 2020 silver would be the first element in the periodic table that would become extinct. Silver is indispensable, therefore the price is predicted to go up in proportion to the supply and demand.

Worldwide market demand for silver is growing. World demand for silver has exceeded annual production every year since 1990. The U.S. government, who once possessed the largest stockpile of silver on the planet, has dumped billions and billions of ounces of silver onto the world market over the years, resulting in depressed silver prices. Today, that government silver hoard is gone, and now the U.S. government is a buyer of silver.

Uses of Silver
Silver has a number of unique properties including strength, malleability and ductility, electrical and thermal conductivity, sensitivity to and high reflectance of light and the ability to endure extreme temperature ranges. Silver’s unique properties restrict its substitution in most applications. Applications of silver include: coinage, Photography, Jewelry, Silverware and Table Settings, Batteries, Bearings, Brazing and Soldering, Catalysts, Electronics, Medical Applications, Mirrors and Coatings, Solar Energy, and Water Purification.

American Silver Eagle
The American Silver Eagle was first released in 1986 as part of the American Eagle Bullion Program. This program was authorized by Congress in 1985 to produce gold and silver bullion coins with their weight, content, and purity guaranteed by the United States Government.

The American Silver Eagle is the only silver bullion coin that has its weight, content, and purity guaranteed by the government of the United States. Each American Silver Eagle coin is struck in .999 fine silver, and has a weight of 1.000 Troy Ounce, yielding a silver content of 0.999 troy ounces. The balance of the coin’s composition is copper, which is added to increase durability and help resist marring. The coins have a diameter of 1.598 inches and thickness of 0.117 inches.

The design of the Silver Eagle is taken from the Walking Liberty Half Dollar. This coin was issued in the United States from 1917 to 1947. It was designed by Adolph A. Weinman and is considered to be one of the most beautiful US coin designs ever created. The reverse of the Silver Eagle was designed by John Mercanti. It features a Heraldic Eagle with Shield.

Rare opportunity
Right now, this moment in history marks a rare opportunity to own American Silver Eagle Coins at an affordable price. Supply and demand and the shrinking value of the American Dollar insure its rising price. Do you remember when gold was $35 an ounce? That represented another rare opportunity. Some recognized it, others wish they had. It’s not too late. Gold’s twin sister, silver is coming up the rear. Are you along for the ride?

Charlene, AKA star4love
Charlene Sheldon
MA in Counseling Psychology, and Student of Life.
charlene@sharehu.org

http://www.buyamericaneaglesilver.com/

This article is copyright (c) 2009 by Charlene Sheldon, and may be reprinted in its entirety as long as this byline and copyright statement is included.

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The Constitution clearly states that money is to be coined and that only gold and silver coin (I.E. real money) is a tender in payment of debt. Note that Congress was granted the power only to coin money, not to print it. They were granted the power to borrow money, not to loan it.

Silver characterizes all six aspects of real money. It is divisible, durable, convenient, consistent, and has utility value, and cannot be created by fiat. Silver is used as a medium of exchange and as a store of value. It is indispensable, has tangible value, and is in limited supply.

The same cannot be said for fiat currency, such as Federal Reserve notes, which are promises to pay. Hyperinflation is the terminal stage of any fiat currency. EVERY fiat currency since the Roman Empire has ended in devaluation and eventual collapse. The United States has already had several failed attempts at using paper currency. There is evidence to suggest that the Federal Reserve has recently been engaging in monetizing the debt, in other words, financing the national debt by printing new money, which could ultimately cause hyperinflation. Weimar Germany during the 1920s is a well-known example of monetary hyperinflation. The German government went crazy with the printing presses finally taking billions of marks to equal one dollar and wiping out the savings of the middle class.

Supply and Demand
The U.S. Geological Society has stated that by 2020 silver would be the first element in the periodic table that would become extinct. Silver is indispensable, therefore the price is predicted to go up in proportion to the supply and demand.

Worldwide market demand for silver is growing. World demand for silver has exceeded annual production every year since 1990. The U.S. government, who once possessed the largest stockpile of silver on the planet, has dumped billions and billions of ounces of silver onto the world market over the years, resulting in depressed silver prices. Today, that government silver hoard is gone, and now the U.S. government is a buyer of silver.

Uses of Silver
Silver has a number of unique properties including strength, malleability and ductility, electrical and thermal conductivity, sensitivity to and high reflectance of light and the ability to endure extreme temperature ranges. Silver’s unique properties restrict its substitution in most applications. Applications of silver include: coinage, Photography, Jewelry, Silverware and Table Settings, Batteries, Bearings, Brazing and Soldering, Catalysts, Electronics, Medical Applications, Mirrors and Coatings, Solar Energy, and Water Purification.

American Silver Eagle
The American Silver Eagle was first released in 1986 as part of the American Eagle Bullion Program. This program was authorized by Congress in 1985 to produce gold and silver bullion coins with their weight, content, and purity guaranteed by the United States Government.

The American Silver Eagle is the only silver bullion coin that has its weight, content, and purity guaranteed by the government of the United States. Each American Silver Eagle coin is struck in .999 fine silver, and has a weight of 1.000 Troy Ounce, yielding a silver content of 0.999 troy ounces. The balance of the coin’s composition is copper, which is added to increase durability and help resist marring. The coins have a diameter of 1.598 inches and thickness of 0.117 inches.

The design of the Silver Eagle is taken from the Walking Liberty Half Dollar. This coin was issued in the United States from 1917 to 1947. It was designed by Adolph A. Weinman and is considered to be one of the most beautiful US coin designs ever created. The reverse of the Silver Eagle was designed by John Mercanti. It features a Heraldic Eagle with Shield.

Rare opportunity
Right now, this moment in history marks a rare opportunity to own American Silver Eagle Coins at an affordable price. Supply and demand and the shrinking value of the American Dollar insure its rising price. Do you remember when gold was $35 an ounce? That represented another rare opportunity. Some recognized it, others wish they had. It’s not too late. Gold’s twin sister, silver is coming up the rear. Are you along for the ride?

Charlene, AKA star4love
Charlene Sheldon
MA in Counseling Psychology, and Student of Life.
charlene@sharehu.org

http://www.buyamericaneaglesilver.com/

There are no posts related to Silver, The Affordable Real Money.

First, you need to acknowledge that there are numerous investment categories in the market, so you must dedicate some time in understanding them. To limit your options, it’s vital that you know how much time and effort you can give in managing your investment. It’s important as well to set your preferred rates of return. Additionally, you should be ready to place your money in investment vehicles for a short time, although the proceeds are mediocre.

The following are the short-term but safe investment options that you may consider:

CDs or Certificates of Deposits – This is a special form of deposit you arrange with a financial institution or a bank, wherein your money gains interest depending on the term or duration of the bond of your CD. This investment vehicle has a maturity period when you should get the money plus the accrued interest.

Savings Account – This is the most preferred form of investment of most people. The interest rate is relatively small, although your money still earns continuously.

Money Market Funds – Also considered as mutual funds with different policies, your money is being invested in exceptionally short-term bonds. These investments can provide you better interest rates than traditional savings accounts.

If you want to learn how to invest money systematically you should also be ready to gain knowledge of investment vehicles with long-term holding period. The following are the long-term investing options, which are deemed to grant their investors with higher rates of return:

Retirement Plans – Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) or other qualified pension plans are specifically designed to provide you with retirement savings. Most of these plans will permit you to directly make contributions through your paycheck. It’s important to check the tax structure of a retirement account, so you can be sure that it is what you need.

Bonds – These investment vehicles may come in numerous forms. They are recognized as securities with fixed-income for the reason that the income generated each year does not vary once the bond is sold. Most investors perceive bonds to exhibit same rates of return comparable to CDs proceeds.

Mutual Funds – These are the best investment options if you are looking for a way to get money to purchase bonds, stocks or any other assets. However, the fund manager has the full discretion if your investment choices are worthwhile and should be granted.

Stocks – If you dream of owning a company, you can make it happen by buying some stocks. These investments grant you the opportunity to own some part of businesses. Profit generation in this investment vehicle depends on the value of your shares and the company’s performance in the market.

You can be successful in any of these investment opportunities if you learn how to invest money on them in the most fruitful and functional ways.

For More Free Tutorials and Resources about Learning how to invest your money visit http://www.learnhowtoinvestmoney.net

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What are the best ways to invest money in? There are several factors to consider when investing your money that you need to be cognizant about. One important investment that you can make is to buy your own home. Paying rent out of your income for the rest of your life will be a huge drain on your finances. Owning your own real property whose values are likely to increase over the years is a very good investment indeed. If you are savvy enough to get rental property that can bring you a steady return of investment, then so much the better.

One of the best ways to invest money is through a 401k or 403b. The most important thing is to put away at least 10% of the salary you receive into these funds and forget about them. Think about it as paying a sort of tax – a tax that will benefit your future. In some cases, it will be a good idea to have a combination of 401k and IRA.

One other way to put your money to good use is to take out some health insurance. Health care in this country is astronomically high, and many people try to keep themselves as healthy as possible. However, no one can predict when ill health will visit. A simple operation can cost you thousands of dollars, or even more. Without health insurance, any prolonged sickness will eat away at a huge chunk of your savings; it will very likely put you into debt, as well. There are cases of people having to sell their homes to pay Medicare for treatment.

Look for a good medical insurance coverage that will see you through tough times. Some people even get two types of medical insurance, just to be sure.

Another good investment strategy is to open an account with a brokerage firm. You will get access to valuable advice about the various financial products you can invest your money in, as well as have access to various retirement calculators, IRA’s, investment research information, and mutual funds. If you are new to the investment world, brokerage firms can open your eyes to a lot of possibilities and even more income-generating opportunities that you would never have thought existed.

With your own home under your wing, it would be a good idea to put aside an additional 10% of whatever you earn into a retirement account. By the time you do go into retirement, you will have enough money to live on, enough money for emergencies, and enough medical coverage for any illness or operation you may require in the future.

For More Free Tutorials and Resources about The Best Ways To Invest Money visit http://www.bestwaystoinvestmoney.net

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There are three reasons why people lose money in the stock market, all of which are reduced or eliminated by absolute return investing: Emotional decisions, mutual funds, and the buy & hold approach to investing. Fortunately, the absolute return investing approach has the perfect fix for all three of them.

1) Emotional Decisions

Our gut may be reasonably good at telling us whom we should fall in love with. But it’s not at all good at telling us which stocks to pick. Or when to buy and when to sell.

Absolute return investing takes the emotions out of the decision-making process. A sophisticated computer, fed with all the right programs and analytics software — and all the data it needs — will make the decisions for you.

2) Mutual Funds

Mutual funds seem so easy. You just pick some good ones, put them in your portfolio, and then you keep your fingers crossed. However, all that ease comes with a big price tag. First, there are the fees that will be deducted from any gains — and will still be deducted from your principal even when the funds lose money.

In addition, most funds are pitiful underperformers even as compared to their very own benchmarks. That’s because even though they probably contain a few good stocks, they also contain a lot of clunkers.

Fortunately, absolute return investing will eliminate the clunkers from your portfolio. Stocks are selected for high performance under hundreds of criteria — and if any of them should stop performing well, they’re dropped from the portfolio.

3) Buy & Hold

It sounds so noble: Buy and hold! Don’t be swayed by the scary gyrations of the market! Hang in there! Show some courage and faith!

Ouch! That’s how a huge amount of money was lost over the last couple of years. The problem? Most people wouldn’t know when to sell if they tried.

The absolute return investing approach, however, hinges on making exactly those decisions, and making them correctly. Sophisticated computer models analyze numerous indicators and can thus predict the likelihood of a recession.

There are no guessing games involved when it comes to deciding whether it’s a good idea to stay in the stock market or not. And neither will there be guessing games about when it’s time to dive back in. In the meantime, the money is held in cash, ready to be deployed again as soon as it’s safe.

Where can you find absolute return investing? Find a financial advisor who uses it as his or her main approach. Be sure to ask your prospective advisors about their results as well. If they truly work the model, their results should be superior, and they’ll be proud to show them to you. If they’re trying to hide behind “confidentiality,” run the other way.

You should also ask them how they’ll get paid. If they work on commission, they won’t be working for you, and their recommendations may not be in your best interest. Instead, look for a fee-only financial advisor who uses the absolute return investment model and won’t try to push mutual funds.

So let’s recap: The best way to fix the biggest mistakes investors make is to move to absolute return investing. This way, you can enjoy a low stress and high-yield approach to investing that allows you to minimize any losses and maximize gains.

Check out fee-only investment advisor Steven Floyd’s free 1 hour video to learn all about it. Steven has been assisting senior investors for the past eight years, helping them protect their principal and ensure that their money will last. And if you have questions or would like to discuss your own portfolio needs, just call Steven at 310-540-6197.

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After years in the doldrums, some bond funds can now deliver the magic combination of stability in rocky markets, yields that beat inflation, good cash returns, and the potential for capital growth. When the credit crunch bit last autumn, corporate bond funds were the winners as investors avoided shares.

Corporate bonds are issued by companies which want to borrow money. In return they pay usually a twice-yearly income.

Global corporate bond issuance has risen to a record £666bn in 2009. The boom is because of the difficulty firms face in getting loans and strong demand from investors, who can gain big yields on corporate paper compared with government bonds. Investors have switched more of their cash into corporate bonds because they offer higher returns than low interest rates on bank deposits and savings accounts.

For equity investors, 2009 has been a white-knuckle ride. The roller coaster journey has seen the FTSE 100 slump to 3,512 before peaking at 4,638, all within six months. A dismal start to the year paved the way for a rally in March, which in turn was followed by a bout of profit taking, before stocks started climbing once again – despite corporate earnings and economic news remaining mixed.

In the UK, the recession appears to have been deeper than previously thought. GDP fell further in the second quarter of 2009. But the pace of contraction has moderated and business surveys suggest that the trough in output is close at hand. Underlying broad money growth has picked up since the end of last year but remains weak. And though there are signs that credit conditions may have started to ease, lending to business has fallen and spreads on bank loans remain elevated.

Interest rates have a direct impact on everyone’s finances and The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee recently voted to maintain the official Bank Rate at 0.5%. The Committee also voted to continue with its programme of asset purchases financed by the issuance of central bank reserves and to increase its size by £50 billion to £175 billion.

According to a Reuters poll, Economists expect the bank rate to stay pegged at 0.5% until next May/June followed by rises taking the rate to 1.25% by the end of 2010. The Bank of England’s quarterly report in August reaffirmed the expectation that rates would remain low for the foreseeable future. And while inflation falls were less than expected in April and May, June saw a fall below the 2% target, to 1.8%. So as inflation fears have eased, so has the rate pressure.

For information on how Merchant Capital can offer you a 3 year fixed rate investment paying 9.75% p/a with security over assets, please contact tomwilliams@merchant-capital.com.

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