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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
August 30, 2010
Interest rates could sap bond profits
By
Gail Marks Jarvis
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT)
You can lose money in the safest of bonds, even U.S. Treasury bonds and general obligation municipal bonds.
I'm not talking about the potential for the world's debt problems leading to governments collapsing and failing to pay interest. Rather, I'm referring to the way people usually lose money in safe bonds, even when the government keeps paying interest as promised.
The way you lose is this: Rising interest rates poison the value of existing bonds. So when interest rates start rising, the bonds with low interest rates you bought recently will probably be worth less than they are now. That's because another investor won't want to buy your bond, which maybe is paying 3 percent, when that person can buy a similar new bond paying 4 percent. So if you want to sell your bond, you will lose money.
Keep in mind: You don't have to worry if you plan to hold on to an individual bond until it matures. You will keep getting interest payments like always, and when your bond matures you will get back your principal, or the original money you put into the bond. The only downside: If serious inflation kicks in, the low interest you have settled for today won't seem like much if prices rise for everything.
Although individual Treasurys are safe if held to maturity, bond funds can be riskier. Your fund could be loaded with low-interest bonds. So if interest rates rise, those bonds will lose value, and you will, too, as your mutual fund shares decline.
Bond fund managers try to mitigate the risks by buying a variety of bonds, but anyone can have trouble in a rising rate environment. This is important for retirees needing access to bond funds for income but less important to younger people saving for retirement, because with time a fund adjusts to higher rates.
Because interest rates are so unusually low at the moment given recession threats, financial advisers have been warning people to prepare for the possibility of higher rates in the future. The Leuthold Group said that although you would have made about 13 percent on 20-year Treasurys this year, that would turn into almost an 8 percent loss over the next 12 months if yields rise to 4.75 percent from the recent 3.7 percent.
Here's what advisers suggest.
BEWARE LONG-TERM: Although investors can pick up some extra yield by buying bonds that mature in more than 10 years, Envision Capital Management President Marilyn Cohen suggests concentrating on those that mature in five years or less. Bonds that mature quickly suffer more modest losses than those that mature in many years.
To cut risks, she said individuals could construct what's called a bond ladder, with a bond maturing in one year, another in two, another in three, another in four and so on. That way if interest rates go up, one of your bonds will mature each year and can be reinvested at a higher interest rate.
BLEND APPROACH: For clients who do not want to risk losing money, Atherton Trust Chief Executive Kraig Kast said his firm goes beyond the safest of bonds to create a variety that should hold up in different interest rate environments.
For example, he said, about 12 percent of a conservative portfolio would go into preferred stocks and solid common stocks paying a high dividend. About 35 percent would go into corporate bonds for companies rated A or above by rating firms. With both stocks and corporate bonds, the firm concentrates on companies that make products people need regardless of the economy such as Procter & Gamble, or food producer Archer Daniels Midland.
With about 29 percent in state and local municipal bonds, Kast concentrates on essential services like sewer and water. Most of the U.S. Treasurys in the portfolio mature in five years or less. For clients "scared to death about inflation," he chooses some Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, or TIPS, although they currently pay little interest.
KNOW THE RISKS: To increase yields, some investors put money into high-yield bond funds, but they are considered similar in risk to stocks. Cohen said high-yield bonds have become so popular, they are not paying enough to compensate investors for the risks they will be taking if the economy goes back into a recession.
Yet in small doses, Cohen noted, adding some riskier bonds to portfolios could be OK. He said 401(k) investors do this when they choose a well-diversified bond fund.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Gail Marks Jarvis is a personal finance columnist for the Chicago Tribune and author of "Saving for Retirement without Living Like a Pauper or Winning the Lottery." Comment by clicking here.
Previously:
08/23/10: Conquer college costs with a few key decisions
07/22/10: Bill would protect credit scores during mortgage modification
07/13/10: Economic indicators may not be best guide to investments
06/29/10: How to help a graduate invest in the future
06/08/10: Hare favored in tech race with tortoise
05/05/10: Pick up the pieces of 529 college-savings plans
03/25/10: No matter your age, there's an investment strategy for you
03/01/10: IRS tax credit rewards savers with low incomes
02/16/10: Your tax refund is a waste of money
02/06/10: Changes to credit card rules won't perfectly protect consumers
09/24/09: Recession's end doesn't make stock picking any easier
08/25/09: Weigh risks of being overly conservative with investments
07/06/09: Fear can force better investment planning
06/10/09: Best stock buys passed quickly, even for pros
05/12/09: On Wall Street, signs plant a seed of hope
04/08/09: Analysts debate the future of the rally
03/19/09: Gold unlikely to pan out as cure-all
02/29/09: Housing credit could provide sizable boost
02/19/09: Rebalancing being put in different light
02/04/09: Diversification doesn't always offer insulation
01/27/09: Taking steps can help regain some control
01/20/09: How to save for college during a recession
01/12/09: Bonds still risky option to stocks
12/24/08: Some predict mid-2009 for return to investing joy
12/09/08: A small dose of short funds may be useful
11/11/08: Mutual funds can get caught in downward spiral
10/27/08: Investors can bounce back from even the worst of times
10/20/08: Want to sell? Look at 401(k), but don't leap
10/16/08: Want to be like Buffett? There are ways
09/29/08: Money protection only goes so far, so know the risks
08/26/08: Retail stocks may not be best fit for investors
08/20/08: Rear-view mirror investing can be dangerous to a portfolio
07/01/08: What do we do? My daughter didn't get a scholarship
02/25/08: Before abandoning your mutual fund
02/14/08: Dirty little secret of some funds may be haunting
01/29/08: Sorting out the stock market
01/03/08: One word for 2008 crystal-ball gazers: Caution
12/11/07: Buy and hold isn't necessarily tried and true
11/26/07: Translating the falling dollar's implications for investors
11/13/07: Gradual retirement may not be key to happiness
11/05/07: Rate cut won't offer immunity to investors
10/29/07: Employers set to help workers save in 401(k) accounts
10/22/07: Playing bounce may be costly to stock investors
10/10/07: Investors find boring often can be fruitful
10/01/07: Make up lost time with swift, smart action
09/24/07: Balance is key for investing by retirees
09/18/07: Homeowners who wait see options fade
09/04/07: Easy matter to rate fund's performance
08/27/07: Mortgage mess could be good for savers
08/17/07: Small stocks are coming with large caveats
© 2007, Chicago Tribune Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
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