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The Best Investments of 2019

If you are looking to invest your money, it is important that you are smart about it. You will need to make a point of examining all of your options before making a decision. There are some types of investments that are better than others. In this article we will go over some of the best opportunities that 2019 has to offer. The more you learn about the different types of investments, the easier it will be to choose the right ones.

Certificates of Deposit

A certificate of deposit or simply a CD is given out by a bank. You can typically get better interest rates with these than with a standard savings account. It is generally regarded as a safe way to invest your money, but it can take a while to pay off. The amount of time it takes for a CD mature depends on a number of factors. After it has fully matured, you will be given the principal as well as all of the interest has earned. There is always the chance that interest rates will fall, which can result in rapid depreciation.

Money Market Accounts

You can also invest in money market accounts, which accrue interest over time and are insured by the FDIC. While the minimum required balances tend to be higher, so do the interest rates. There is definitely a decent earning potential here, but it is important to learn about this option first. In the event that inflation gets higher than the interest rate, you could be looking at a bad situation. This is essentially a type of deposit account, and it is something worth looking into.

Treasury Securities

There are different types of securities given out by the U.S. government that you should look into as well. Treasury securities are yet another very safe investment and can be fairly lucrative if you know what you are doing. T-bills do not accrue interest in the same way as money market accounts or other investment instruments. These securities are sold at a discounted price, but you end up getting the face value once they have matured. With treasury bonds, interest is paid every 6 months and there is typically a total maturity period of 30 years.

Bond Funds

Bond funds that are issued by the government can be a great overall investment to make, especially if you want to play it safe. These are basically just funds that invest in debt securities, and they are issued by various United States government agencies. This is another investment that can depreciate depending on what happens with interest rates and inflation. If interest rates start to go up, the value of your bonds will shrink.

Municipal Bond Funds

With a municipal bond fund, you will essentially be investing in various bonds that are issued by the government. You usually don’t have to pay federal income tax on the interest that your investment accrues over time. You are allowed to buy individual bonds, but it’s important to speak with an advisor before making any decisions. There are so many different choices that you don’t want to make a snap decision. The more research you do into these choices, the better off you will be in the long term.

Corporate Bond Funds

There are some corporations that issue bonds in an attempt to raise funds for themselves. A short-term corporate bond fund has a maturity period of around 1-5 years. This is a good investment if you are looking for a somewhat short-term return. There is huge potential to make a lot of money here, but also a decent amount of risk. The amount of money you end up making with these bond funds is heavily dependent on what happens to the company. This is why it is so important to select the right corporations to get these from.

Growth Stocks

Growth stocks can provide you with very high returns if they do well, but there is a lot of risk involved in this. These stocks can earn you up to 20% for years. Choosing the right stocks will require you to do quite a bit of research, and it’s a good idea to have a broker on your side. The last thing you want to do is to choose a certain stock without getting the necessary information.

There are certain things to remember when making an investment of any kind, such as not to get emotional. You don’t want to let your emotions rule your financial decisions, including these. If you are going to invest in anything, you have to do your homework beforehand. It is crucial that you have a full understanding of what each stock is all about and the risks involved. Don’t hesitate to consult with a professional if you have any questions.

What You Should Consider Before Selecting a Credit Card

Getting a credit card is nothing to take lightly, and there are many things to consider before making a decision in order to get cash. There are lots of different credit cards that you will have to choose from, so it pays to do your research. The more time you spend looking through your options, the easier it will be to make the right decisions. This article will help you to find a card that matches all of your needs, whatever they happen to be.

Interest Rate

Not all credit cards are going to come with the same interest rate, so you have to keep this in mind when shopping around. It is important to find out what kind of rate you can expect with each card. This will really help you with narrowing down your options. You’ll find that some credit cards come with 0% APR, but only for a certain amount of time.

It is important to find out when that period expires. If you are trying to pay off money you already owe on a credit card, you might want to transfer is to another one with 0% interest. A lot of people have managed to clear their balances quickly using this method. Make sure that you look for a card with a decent grace period. This is the amount of time you have to pay off your purchases before you are charged interest.

Fees

Make sure that you also take the time to find out what kinds of fees you will need to pay with each credit card. Some cards have annual fees that you are required to pay while others do not. On the other hand, paying an annual fee could help you get some great rewards. Find out what sort of fees each card has before selecting one in particular. You also need to find out if a certain card has foreign transaction fees and how much they will be. This is particularly important if you do a lot of traveling overseas.

Rewards

A majority of credit cards give you at least some rewards, and you will want to know what they are. This could be simple cash back or points you can use for hotel stays, airline tickets and other things. Look for a card that makes racking up points as easy as possible. You want a card that will give you points on things that you need to buy anyway, such as gas and groceries. This way you will give yourself the best chance of getting the most points over a short period of time.

Credit Limit

Take a close look at what sort of credit limit you are going to get with each card. You will ideally want a card that gives you a decent spending limit but not too much right away. If this is your first credit card, it is a good idea to select one with a fairly low limit. It can be very easy to get into deep debt with these cards, so you don’t want to tempt yourself too much. There are credit cards specifically for college students, as they typically don’t have much credit experience period.

Customer Support

When you are trying to find the right credit card, you’ll want to special attention to what the customer support is like for each one. If you ever need to contact someone about your card (which you probably will at some point), you’ll want a reliable way to get assistance. The fact is that some cards come with better customer service than others, so you’ll want to keep this in mind. Look for reviews of certain companies to find out what their customer support is like before making a final decision.

Other things to Consider

You should think twice about getting a credit card if you are already in debt. While you might be able to get one, it might not be the best idea. You need to make a point of paying the money you owe before taking out another line of credit. Also keep in mind that applying for too many cards can hurt your credit score. Each application counts as a hard inquiry, which can actually do some damage to your credit as a whole.

When you are trying to select the right credit card to get, you absolutely have to factor these things into your final decision. There are many cards to choose from, so you don’t want to pick just any of them. It is imperative that you are very careful about this, because you don’t want your choice to backfire later on. A credit card can help you out in many ways, but it can also work against you. By taking the time to do your homework, you will increase your chances of coming out on top.