Types of Mutual Funds

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Here you'll find the various types of mutual funds available for investing:

•Loaded Mutual Funds: are sold by full service brokerage firms and carry a fairly steep commission.

•No-Load Mutual Funds: can be purchased directly from the mutual fund family or from discount brokers who handle a large number of different mutual fund families. No-Load Funds can be purchased with no transaction fees or only very small commissions.

•Money Market Funds: offer a place to park money when waiting to make a new investment. They offer interest rates more than double that available from bank savings accounts or checking accounts.

•U.S. Government Bond Funds: invest in U.S. Treasury Bonds, Notes, or Bills. This is a safer form of investing than in other types of bond funds.

•Corporate Bond Funds: invest in the debt obligations of U.S. Corporations. These funds generate higher yields but involve higher risk.

•Municipal Bond Funds: Invest in tax-exempt bonds issued by various States and municipalities. The yield on these investments is generally tax exempt from federal income taxes.

•Stock Funds: invest in common stocks. They can be very broadly diversified or highly concentrated. There are funds that focus on growth, others concentrate on value. Some are index funds. Others are International funds that concentrate their investments outside the United States. Global Funds have holdings both internationally as well as in the United States. There are sector funds that invest in only one sector of the market such as energy, healthcare, or consumer stocks.

•Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs): is the fastest growing segment of the financial industry today. There are over 500 ETFs from which to choose. Exchange Traded Funds offer all of the advantages of Mutual Funds but none of the disadvantages such as minimum holding periods and early redemption fees. They are priced continuously throughout the day and can be purchased and sold just like a stock. Mutual Funds are priced only at the end of the day based on the net asset value of all of the holdings within the fund.

credit card deal with Credit Spy

Monday, April 14, 2008

Now these days almost all people , including child who is learning in college, have credit cards. Everyone knows that people have to grow up sooner or later and credit cards for students can provide young people with invaluable lessons in the world of finance. Young people who have student credit cards should know how to manage their finances as soon as possible. For the first time, young people with student plastics can be responsible for their spending and their bills.

There is no doubt that student credit card deals can help young people in building good credit history which they will need in the future if they want to apply for best credit cards.

While I was suffering, there was an easy solution directly in front of my face each time I passed my bank. A student credit card typically has a spending limit . It's deliberately set low so students learn to spend sparingly, and banks are protected against witless college kids spending half of their cash reserve and then failing to make payment.

If you’re applying for a credit card but don’t know where to start, head over to credit-spy’ website. The staff at credit-spy can provide you with the best and most accurate information regarding credit cards. When your financial future is on the line, go to someone you can trust. Go to Irie Credit Cards.for more informtion please visit site map for online credit deals.

Get A Credit Card Merchant Account

Thursday, April 10, 2008

A card merchant account can put your business on the road to financial success. If your company is not yet accepting credit card payments, you are missing out on the powerful potential of this income stream. Many business owners who started taking credit card payments claim that their income has doubled while overhead costs have diminished. When you become eligible to receive credit card payments, you are likely to experience an increase in sales volume and chase fewer dud checks. To facilitate credit card payment, however, you will need to apply for a merchant account.


Start by finding a lender you can trust. This may be a bank you already work with, one that perhaps got your business started or helped it to grow to where it is today. If so, there is a good chance that the lender will continue working with you in this key operative. But if you do not have such a lender or if the one you do have does not seem eager or suitable for underwriting your merchant account, you will have to find another reputable bank, credit union, or other financial institution to facilitate this account.

Your card merchant account can make or break your company, so it is wise to spend time finding the best possible lender for this purpose. Don’t just grab the first deal to come along. Take time to shop the many available offers and compare terms before making a decision. All too often a new or small business owner will be dazzled by the array of benefits that suddenly become available through a merchant services card. Then, after implementing this account, expenses mount while income remains stable or falls and the company can experience a shortfall. Approximately 80% of small companies close their doors within two years. Don’t become a casualty of this predictor. If you are approved for a merchant account, use it according to your business plan or company budget. Avoid investing large amounts into questionable activities. Start small by purchasing or leasing a basic credit card processor for your physical location. Or get a wireless unit for deliveries or remote destinations. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to get started. Go it one step at a time until you see how your customers respond and what your potential growth is shaping up to be. At that point you can always add more services, like an e-check processor or a pager, if you find they are truly needed for continued growth.

After getting approval for your card merchant account, you usually can start accepting credit payments immediately. Make sure you understand the terms of your account, which often boils down to a per-transaction rate of perhaps 20 to 25 cents. Or you may be able to opt for a low-interest monthly fee that may or may not impose certain minimums. In other words, you will be charged a baseline amount for up to perhaps 1,000 credit transactions. If your company does not get that many, you still have to pay the baseline fee, but you will not have to pay more, even if you get 2,000 or 3,000 credit card transactions, although this can vary from one lender to another. Check with local or online lenders for more details on applying for a card merchant account.