We have identified a 5 year new issue Morgan Stanley Kangaroo bond that will yield 9.0 the first year, and then switch to a floating rate yield (the 3 mo. LIBOR rate plus 5%) in years 2 through 5.  The high yield and medium length maturity of this Australian dollar bond, when considered with its solid A-/A rating, compares very favorably with other high yielding instruments in our Foreign and World Fixed Income holdings.  We believe the dollar’s longer term weakening trend against many world currencies remains a major concern for investors seeking protection against its devaluation and a further erosion of its buying power, and we view this as an opportune time to increase our exposure to one of world’s better performing currencies and fundamentally strongest economies.

Wealth Preservation Concerns

Wealth preservation continues to be one of the biggest concerns among our clients.  In o

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The Federal Open Market Committee meets today, a meeting that occurs as consumers are gradually starting to spend again and the economy continues to improve. Although an interest rate hike is the last lever the Fed wants to pull, is this the meeting in which the “exceptionally low levels … for an extended period” language starts to get tweaked?

The Fed also appears committed to halting mortgage purchases, with the days of both record low mortgage rates and nearly zero mortgage rate volatility are numbered.

A cautious tone and pace from the Fed is to be expected, considering all the uncertainty about the sustainability of consumer spending and economic growth. The lingering question is, where is the economic growth going to come from? We need the growth to create the jobs that spurs the spending. Right now, everything is leaning against the pillar of government support.

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If you need to send funds abroad there are several factors that you should take into account. A valid bank account is used to send and receive funds anyplace. A legitimate company, for example, Caxton that has been in business for at least five years is also the best way to secure your finances. And being aware of the terms and conditions regarding international money transfers is also another important factor to keep in mind. Once you consider all these factors, it will be an easy task to transfer your money abroad without any problems or unexpected obstacles along the way.

A quick search online will reveal many service providers on money transfer abroad. There are hundreds of companies offering online services and most of them are quite good. One of the major competitors in the market today is Caxton. Some companies offer agent locations worldwide and online portals. Read more…

New datasets on the important role played by Bank-managed trust funds are now available on the Open Finances website .

Website users can now explore the diversity of donors who contribute to trust funds, the recipients of these funds, the development challenges addressed by the funds, and monetary contribution/ disbursement amounts.  The website makes it easy to use, reuse, and share data, including tailored visualizations that users can create through filters and easily share with social networks.

The World Bank Group portfolio consists of various types of trust funds, which have different roles globally and in the Bank Group’s activities. As of June 30, 2011, the Bank Group held $29.1 billion of funds in trust. Of

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Goldman Sachs (GS) has a floating rate debt issue denominated in Australian dollars, which resets its coupon rate quarterly at the Australian Bank Bill Swap Reference Rate (BBSW) plus 0.51%, matures in 48 months, and currently indicates a yield to maturity about 7%. The high yield and short maturity of this Aussie bond, when considered with its solid A- rating and enviable reputation, compares extremely favorably in relationship to other high yield instruments in our Foreign and World Fixed Income holdings, and we think Australia’s recent weaker than expected economic report and pull back of Aussie dollar presents a great opportunity for increasing exposure to the Australian currency in our basket of foreign fixed income holdings.  

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Morris Sheppard Texarkana Federal Credit Union invites its members to take advantage of their of their high yield savings account under regulars share savings. You can earn an interest rate of 1.51% APY when you open an account. This money in the bank deal is part of their requirements to become a member of the credit union.

Individuals who wants to earn this high interest savings account may deposit a minimum of $5 to open an account. You need to maintain an average daily balance of at least $50 to a maximum of $25,000 to earn this best interest rate. The earnings of this best savings account are compounded and paid every month. Please be reminded that the interest rate may change any time without notice.

This best savings account has several features that you can enjoy like direct deposit, payroll deduction options, direct withdrawals, free notary public, and free ATM card.

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It’s exciting to see increasing interest and activity in the Apps For Climate competition. With less than three weeks left before the March 16th submission deadline and a $15,000 first prize, we wanted to take a minute to publish the latest news.

All six judges have now been confirmed, and we are thrilled to have an absolutely outstanding panel:

Christiana Figueres
Executive Secretary, UNFCCC

Christiana Figueres was appointed Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in May 2010. With a long and distinguished career in the field, Ms. Figueres was a member of the Costa Rican climate change negotiating team 1995- 2009. S

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Income from railway infrastructure services.

At Durig Capital, we have developed a process to screen, review, select, purchase and monitor high yielding corporate bonds. Each week we screen thousands of corporate bond listings to find what we believe to currently be the best corporate bond for investors needing or seeking higher yields with the least amount of risk as possible relative to its projected return. The following is our review process showing why we believe this remarkable 7.5% bond with a short 3 1/2 year maturity passes the criteria for our clients.

Step 1 Assessing the Yield Curve

As confidence continues to return to the market after the new year, we have observed the price of many higher yielding bonds starting to strengthen, which is resulting in declining yields.

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“Another important factor has been the very low level of policy interest rates in the United States and in most other industrialized economies. Indeed, one of the purposes of these policies is to induce investors to shift into riskier and longer-term assets in order to lower the cost and increase the availability of capital to households and businesses. The more accommodative financial conditions, in turn, are intended to induce an increase in spending at a time when the level of output is expected to remain depressed for some time relative to the capacity of the economy to produce.”
— Federal Reserve Board of Governors Vice Chairman Don Kohn in speech Nov. 16, 2009

The Federal Open Market Committee meets Dec. 15 and 16 and maintaining interest rates at record lows “for an extended period” is still central to the Fed’s economic game plan.

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