A Historical Look At Guaranteed Investment Certificates

By Amy Nutt

Guaranteed investment Certificates, (GIC) are Canadian investments that provide a guaranteed rate of return over a fixed period of time. GICs are normally provided by banks, credit unions, and trust companies.

The earliest forms of guaranteed fixed-income investments included such investments as bank notes and mutual funds. The first Canadian fund, Canadian Investment Fund Ltd. (CIF), was established in 1932. It changed its name to Spectrum United Canadian Investment Fund in 1996, and this fund changed name at the end of August 2002 to CI Canadian Investment Fund. Investing in guaranteed investment certificates, or GICs, has been the safe and sound choice from the time when registered retirement savings plans became available in 1957. GICs were created to give people a guaranteed return on an investment. Back in the 1970's, interest rates on investments were higher averaging about 7.7 per cent and as much as 15.8 per cent in 1982. Part of that high interest rate was due to higher price inflation than today.

Interest rates are lower now. Over the past five years, GICs with a five-year term have paid an average of less than 3 per cent a year. Because Guaranteed Investment Certificates are low risk, there is normally a lower rate of return. With a GIC, the financial institution will borrow the person's money for a specified amount of time which can be six months, one year, two years, or up to 10 years. When the GIC period has ended, your initial investment will be returned plus any accrued interest.

To own a GIC you must deposit at least $500.00. When the period has ended, one can then cash them as taxable income or renew it for another term. If you cash out before the term as ended, you will be required to pay a fee. GICs tend to pay a higher interest rate than bank savings accounts, but less most other investments. Interest rates tend to range from 1-9%.

There are other types of GICs such as Market Growth GICs. Their interest rates depend on the rate of growth in the stock market. This is a bit more risky as the market rates tend to fluctuate. Just like regular GICs, Market Growth GICs are low-risk because your original investment is guaranteed to be returned.

GICs are a popular investment choice due to their safety and security, guaranteed growth. (The interest rate is guaranteed with fixed-rate GICs,) flexible terms, and flexible payments. With some GICs, you can decide how you collect the interest you earn, such as monthly, annually or at maturity.

Guaranteed Investment Certificates make for a sound investment if you want a protected place to save your money. GICs could be used as a part of a fixed income portion of your portfolio, used for retirement supplemental income, or just to hold your money until you come up with a number of long-term financial strategies.

Guaranteed Investment Certificates have had a long history of providing Canadians with low risk financial planning investments for retirement or other investment endeavors. Investment portfolios will benefit from having an investment with a guaranteed rate of return. As well, these investments are often selected during periods of market volatility. - 23223

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A Guide to Gold Basics

By Lawrence Reaves

With the soaring prices of gold it is a good time to consider buying or selling your gold jewelry. You need to have some basic knowledge to make smart decisions. Gold jewelry seems like it never goes out of style. This is because it is beautiful and easy for most people to afford and wear.

Pure gold will not tarnish, rust or corrode and is the most malleable of all metals. Pure gold is too soft for jewelry so it is mixed with other metals, including silver, copper, nickel and zinc to give it strength and durability. The color of gold is determined by the type of metal alloys it is mix with and the percentage of each metal alloy.

Most people think all gold is yellow, but the fact is there are many variations of color that gold can be. Colored gold is just as "real" as golden colored gold. The color depends on what the gold is mixed with. Other alloys are mixed with gold to make it strong and to hold up under every day wear and tear that jewelry goes through. Craftsman learned through the ages that mixing gold with copper, silver and platinum would increase its durability. When gold is alloyed with other metals it changes the color of the finished product. An alloy of 75% gold, 16% silver and 9% cooper makes yellow gold. White gold is 75% gold, 4% silver, 4% copper and 17% palladium. Other combinations of alloys can make pink, green, peach and even black gold.

The alloys of gold have a lesser value per unit weight than pure gold. The standard in the gold trade is known as karatage which is commonly called karat. Pure gold is known as 24 karat gold and is usually marked with 24K. An alloy that is 50% gold is 12 karat gold and is marked with a 12K. An alloy that is 75% gold is 18 karat gold and is marked with 18K. High karat gold jewelry is softer and more resistant to tarnish; on the other hand, lower karat jewelry is stronger, but less resistant to tarnish.

Gold is highly valued and there is a limited supply and has been used as a medium of exchange or money for centuries. 6000 years ago is when the first transaction was done using pieces of gold and silver. The reason that gold has been used for this purpose for so long is because it has high value, durable, portable and can be divided easily. At one time the United States used a gold standard and maintained a stockpile of gold to back every dollar in circulation. It became too cumbersome and is no longer used by any nation. Gold coins were commonly used in transactions. Gold coins were issued in two types of units. Some were units of currency and some were issued in standard weights.

Today gold coins are no longer in wide use for financial transactions. Gold coins issued in specific weights are popular for people who want to purchase and invest in a small amount of gold. Gold coins are also collected and issued as commemorative coins. These types are a good investment because gold retains its value overtime. These are just some informative basic facts about gold. As you can see gold is a good investment whether it is in fine jewelry or coins. - 23223

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Traditional Sterling Silver Charm Bracelet

By George Pertonio

The sterling silver charm bracelet is one of the most classic jewelry items that transcends generations. It is worn by both old and young alike and is often seen from season to season in a new look in the fashion world.

The market has a variety of sterling silver charm bracelets ranging from the reasonably priced ones to exclusive high end designer charm bracelets.

Sterling silver charm bracelets have been around for many years. Back in the 19th century it was Queen Victoria who first wore this kind of a jewelry item. The charms on her bracelet actually contained family portraits showing her ancestry.

This led to a fad and eventually charm bracelets found themselves around the wrists of the masses.

Each charm bracelet tells a unique story and this is perhaps the most interactive type of jewelry in the market. Each charm can represent a particular genre of sport, travel or kitsch hobbies.

This is because you can keep adding charms according to your will. For example if you are traveling around the world you can pick up unique charms from different regions to end up with a sterling silver charm bracelet that tells the chronicles of your travel.

In fact you can select any theme that you like from sports to a hobby like surfing, golf, knitting, painting or gardening. Just display your interest on the charm bracelet by adding an item that reflects your interests.

The charm bracelet makes for an interesting gift item and can be personalized by the gift giver to match the personality of the wearer.

Since anything and everything can be creatively added to make a unique item that appeals to you or anyone who looks at your bracelet, you can find just the item to match your requirements and taste.

You can find some that are as unique as telephones, kitchen items, cars and even vacation sports to suit your mood and your need.

Although the fact that silver which is a valuable item is used to make these charm bracelets, the real appeal lies in the fact that it is an interactive piece of jewelry and you can increase or decrease the number of items and personalize it to your requirements.

This jewelry item combines two facets in one. You can find a wide selection of charms to add on to your bracelet in craft and hobby stores across the world at various price ranges.

Some manufacturers will charge you for the designs while others will simply charge you for the precious stones like diamonds or others that form part of the charm that can be latched on to the bracelet. - 23223

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Sterling silver jewelry is a great gift choice for family and loved ones. Tolearn more about choosing sterling silver charm bracelet please follow the links.

Triangle Formations In Forex Trading (Part II)

By Ahmad Hassam

What is the crowd psychology behind a descending triangle? Every time the currency price goes down to a certain level that forms the support there are buyers who want to hold that level stubbornly for their own reasons. Buyers thus push the price up each time the support level is tested. Spotting a descending triangle in a downtrend signals the downside breakout of the support level.

Thus when the price bounces off the support level, the bears take the opportunity to short again. Sellers are quite anxious to sell as they feel that the currency price should fall over time. This causes a domino effect. Prices go down even lower. Thus fulfilling a sustained downside breakout!

As with an ascending triangle, bulls and bears face a skirmish with both camps not feeling confident of the next market move. Spotting a descending triangle should allow you to be prepared for a downside breakout from the support level especially if it is a down trend.

When the support level is broken many of those long positions which have been placed above that level soon get stopped out. Prices tend to break in the middle or the final third part of the triangle formation.

It tends to give off even more bearish vibes than if it is formed during an uptrend if the descending triangle is formed during an existing downtrend. Unless you have reversal signals in the form of technicals or turn around of the market sentiment, you should always assume the continuation of the prevailing trend.

If the descending triangle appears in the midst of a downtrend, the triangle serves as a continuation pattern. A descending triangle should not be considered to be the final word on impending downside breakout. However, with that said prices also sometimes breakout from above the descending triangle successfully in a burst of bullish momentum.

Symmetrical Triangles: A symmetrical triangle has some resemblance to a wedge pattern. A symmetrical triangle consists of two converging trendlines that join a series of lower highs and higher lows. There are no horizontal lines in symmetrical triangles. This differentiates it from the ascending and the descending triangles.

The higher lows are formed when buyers of the currency pair are willing to pay a bit more to get a piece of action. As they are willing to accept less and less of the price over time, the lower highs reflect the mildly bearish conviction of the sellers.

A symmetrical triangle tends to be less reliable as compared to an ascending or descending triangle. There is no way to predict the future breakout direction until one of the symmetrical triangle lines is penetrated. Breakouts usually occur in the middle or the final third of the triangle as with the other sloping triangles.

You should always consider other pieces of information so that you can better pinpoint a higher probability trade set up when trading triangle breakouts. Decreased volatility can also be detected with the exponential moving averages and the Bollinger bands besides the triangle formation. - 23223

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Know These Forex Charts. Learn Forex Trading!

Stock Market Investing Is For Everyone

By Michael Swanson

Stock market investing has always seemed like a game of cat and mouse. When you have caught the mouse you are happy, however when it leaves or the market decreases you are extremely upset. Despite the present state of our economy people are still engaging in investing in the stock market. In fact the internet has opened up a lot of doors to online investments as well in stock picks.

With investing on the internet, you eliminate the middle man also known as your broker. You are able to make your own decisions about your investments and where you would like them to go. There are a wide array of different brokerage platforms that you can become apart of.

However, before you begin investing your hard earned money on the stock market in hopes of gaining a great return back in the process, there are a few factors that you should take into account. One factor that many people can not stress enough is the emotional aspect of your investment.

In order to become a successful investor you need to get yourself mentally ready to suffer any source of loses while investing your money on the market. Keep in mind that with the market, no one knows what is going to happen from day to day. You could have a massive amount of money and turn around the next day and it all be depleted.

It would also behoove you to gain an extensive knowledge concerning the technicalities of investing. Learning how to read basic charts and statistics will allow you to become a smart investor and not an impulsive investor. The main point of investing is to inadvertently see a return back; therefore you need to learn everything that comes with the trade.

You should also seek out as much information as you possibly can concerning a company that you are drawing an interest in investing in. Look over that companies financial reports and determine if you think it will be a good idea to invest your money in that particular company or not. After all everyone is into stock market investing in a means to earn an extra income not to lose everything. - 23223

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