The Money Farm Team

There are three cardinal laws that govern how interest rates affect bond prices: Changes in interest rates are one of the most important factors determining bond returns. To figure out why, let’s look at the bond’s coupon. This is the amount of money the bond pays out in interest. How did the original coupon rate […]

Short selling is a strategy for profiting from a decreasing security (such as a stock or a bond) without actually owning it. Short positions are frequently taken by investors anticipating a bear market by selling a borrowed security at the present market price in the hopes of repurchasing it at a lower price (at which

The Fed’s most effective instrument, and the one it employs most frequently, is buying and selling government assets through open market operations. Treasury bonds, notes, and bills are examples of government securities. When the Fed wants to promote the flow of money and credit, it buys securities; when it wants to decrease the flow, it

The immediate impact of an increase in bond prices on interest rates is the most obvious. The interest rate on a $100 bond is 5% per year if the bond pays $5 in interest per year. If the bond price rises to $125, the annual interest rate will be merely 4%. How does the Federal

To keep the money supply and interest rates under control, the Federal Reserve buys and sells government securities. Open market operations is the term for this type of activity. In the United States, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) determines monetary policy, and the Fed’s New York trading desk utilizes open market operations to achieve

Bond sales are one way for governments and businesses to raise funds. Borrowing becomes more expensive for them when interest rates rise, resulting in higher-yielding debt issuances. At the same time, demand for existing lower-coupon bonds will decline (causing their prices to drop and yields to rise). What happens if the Federal Reserve hikes interest

When the Fed buys bonds on the open market, it expands the economy’s money supply by exchanging bonds for cash to the general public. When the Fed sells bonds, it reduces the money supply by taking cash out of the economy and replacing it with bonds. As a result, OMO has a direct influence on

When the Fed buys bonds on the open market, it expands the economy’s money supply by exchanging bonds for cash to the general public. When the Fed sells bonds, it reduces the money supply by taking cash out of the economy and replacing it with bonds. As a result, OMO has a direct influence on

Interest is paid on EE bonds until they reach 30 years or you cash them in, whichever comes first. After a year, you can cash them in. However, if you cash them before the 5th year, you will forfeit the final three months’ interest. (If you cash an EE bond after 18 months, you’ll get

Worthy does not keep track of any of your personal information. They also use SSL-based security and bank-grade encryption. Bonds that are considered to be worthless are not rated. Unrated bonds are not rare for small businesses, owing to the high cost of obtaining a bond rating. Does this imply that Worthy bonds are a