Posts Tagged ‘bond’

An Investment Vehicle is…

Friday, June 3rd, 2011

An investment vehicle is basically any structure or place where you put your money to try to make more money. Some examples of investment vehicles are stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

China Is The Biggest Buyer Of U.S. Treasury Bonds

Monday, October 18th, 2010

When you hear about the U.S. budget deficit, do you think about bond holders in China? Maybe you should…

  • For the second month in a row, the Chinese government is the biggest foreign holder of U.S. Treasury bonds – bonds issued and backed by the U.S. government.
  • A report called TIC (“Treasury International Capital”) tracks sales of American securities to foreign buyers. It’s one way of seeing how easily the U.S. government can attract foreign investors when it needs to raise cash.
  • In the rank of foreign holders of U.S. Treasury bonds, Japan comes in right behind China.

Facts & Figures

  • China’s Treasury bond holdings total $868.4 billion.
  • Japan’s holdings total $836.6 billion.
  • In August, private foreign investors bought $85.5 billion in Treasurys. In July they purchased $21.4 billion.

A Government Bond is…

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

A government bond (in the U.S.) is issued by the United States Treasury and is considered one of the safest securities in the investment world. Bonds are issued to raise money and in exchange, the purchaser receives a predictable fixed interest rate for the duration of the bond.

A Junk Bond is…

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

A junk bond (also known as a high-yield bond) is a type of investment that is very risky to make, but it can lead to higher yields than safer investments. High-risk bonds got the name “junk” because of their low credit ratings (typically below Ba or BB).

A Municipal Bond is…

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

A municipal bond is a bond issued by a state, county, city, district, or other local government authority. Almost all municipal bonds are tax-exempt. When you buy a municipal bond, you are essentially lending money to the local authority at a set rate of interest.

A Speculative Bond is…

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

A speculative bond is a direct investment in a company that’s considered risky by a credit rating agency like Standard & Poor’s or Moody’s. You might end up getting higher returns from a speculative or “junk” bond than a better rated one, but you also have a better chance of not getting anything at all.

A Security is…

Friday, July 17th, 2009

A security is an instrument that shows your ownership in a firm or with federal, state, or local government either through stocks, bonds, or other types of investments.

A Bond is…

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

A bond is an instrument of debt sold by governments and corporations to raise money. Basically, when you buy a bond, you’re buying the seller’s promise to pay you back (usually with a fixed interest) on a predetermined date.