Bond Duration Explained

What does a bond duration measure? Duration is the weighted average term to maturity of a bonds cash flows and therefore, is a valuable tool in assessing bond price sensitivity to interest rate shocks. It is the most common technique for quantifying this sensitivity and is generally used to approximate changes in the price of the bond for every 100 basis point change in yields( modified duration). As a general rule, the greater the value of duration, the more price volatility results from interest rate movements. Let's take a look at the formula that Frederick Macaulay devised to calculate duration.

Money Saving Tips - Reduce Your Monthly Bills

One of the main ways of reducing your monthly outgoings is to look at the options for transferring your bills to a cheaper provider. With the proliferation of price comparison websites it is now much easier to seek out the best deals for all types of household bills. A simple process of filling in a form on the selected service provider's website can have a significant impact on your wealth. Savings of 50 to 100 per month are within the reach of most people. The following types of bill may be reduced by shopping around... Gas Electricity Telephone Home Insurance Car Insurance Mortgage Travel Insurance Broadband Internet Life Insurance Credit Cards Car breakdown cover Loans Current account charges You can't shop around to reduce these types of bill;

How To Choose a Financial Advisor

OK, you've made the decision. It feels great! You're going to begin working with a Financial Advisor! But now, you have to find one. Where do start? What do you look for? How do you know that they're trustworthy? What if you make a bad decision? Wow, it's a lot of work. Maybe you'll postpone this, and do it another time when you're better prepared. Yeah, that makes sense, and it feels comfortable. Congratulations, you have just talked yourself out of it! If this sounds familiar, that's because it probably is. The selection of a Financial Advisor is an important one. But it's not as grueling and difficult as many perceive it to be.

5 Tips To A Better Family Budget

A budget is a plan that allows you to manage your money in order to achieve your financial goals. It also allows you to track, monitored and makes decision as to how you used your money. Starting a budget, you will need to define fixed monthly expenses like car payments, mortgages, insurance, rentals, etc. Then you need to have an idea of living expenses and the best way to do this is to record down these expenses for a month or so. Thus with these information, you can then start to set up the family budget. Below are five tips to help you make your budget better. 1) Do allow for in your budget a certain amount for the unexpected cost.

Tips To Save Money On Your Groceries

We all need to eat, but it doesn't have to be expensive. If you're looking for ways to feed your family without breaking the bank, keep reading for 7 great tips to save money on your groceries. 1. Clipping coupons is still cool. You can still save big by clipping coupons, whether out of your local flyers or manufacturer's advertisements in magazines or local newspapers. Clip merely four 50-cent coupons a week and you've just saved over a hundred dollars this year. 2. Stock up on pantry items. If a brand or product you love is on sale and isn't perishable, stock up now. Just remember that you already have 10 cans of your favorite pasta sauce before you buy more the next time you go out grocery shopping.

The Essential Guide To Saving Money

The poor would work their fingers to the bones for it, but the riches would sometimes take it for granted. Nevertheless, no matter what the picture of your financial background is like, there is no turning back from the fact that saving is important. What you do with your money today will directly affect your life tomorrow, and for many years to come. It will affect the way your emergencies and financial needs would be resolved. It will also create an impact on the lives of your loved ones, or anyone who is closely related to you for that matter. Saving money is something that should be instilled in you from young.

Monthly Budget Your Way to Financial Freedom

Why should we ever bother with doing a monthly budget? Let me point out some of the reasons. The world economy is going down, particularly in those countries where the working class subsists on credit. This is not good news if you do not have anything stashed for the rainy days. Just think of what you will do if you lose your job all of a sudden and you have credit card bills to pay, plus the mortgage and the car and all the insurance policies that you've got. Overspending is a status quo for a lot of people. It is not an exaggeration to say that most income earners are only three or so pay checks away from homelessness and starvation.

Financial Literacy - For Kids and Adults

Despite the current foreclosure crisis that seems to be the topic of virtually every newspaper these days, the need for personal financial education (financial literacy) is not a new concept. Indeed, the fact that the U.S. savings rate is at an all-time low, while the personal debt rate is at an all-time high, demonstrates just how important financial education is to our future (and the future of our kids). A large number of parents (myself included) are hoping to be able to either leave their children with a legacy (a small financial cushion at a minimum), or to at least be able to provide them with the means with which they can obtain the tools to help them along in life (money for college, education or business funding).

Cost Of Living Index Calculation

Cost of living is the cost of maintaining a specified standard of living, similar to a typical household budget. A Cost of living index is a numerical way of comparing cost of living, either over time, or by comparing different geographical locations. When you relocate to another geographic location, the cost of everything you spend your salary on will either cost more or less. Some of the costs may be higher in the new location and some of the costs may be lower. The difference in cost of living is typically reported as a "cost of living index. By selecting the appropriate costs that you will have to pay from your salary, you can use a tool to calculate the cost of living difference between 2 locations.

How Do I Save More Money?

One always has the questions, that I am only so much income and expenses that never end. Government doesn't stop to take taxes, bills that never stop coming, and income that doesn't rise. we are always blaming someone other than us for the lack of income in our lives and finally our lives itself. Many times we realize problems after hell has broken loose upon us, i.e., house is going to foreclosure, or not enough money to pay rent and landlord is sending out eviction notice or creditors are houding us. But this is all water under the bridge and this is not the correct approach to life. i believe the correct approach is given by Robert Kiyosaki in his best seller "Rich Dad, Poor Dad".