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Personal Finance Guide
Understanding Stock Markets
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Let us first take common stocks. Consider both the earnings and the dividends as they relate to the price. Check the historical trading pattern of the shares concerned. This will give you a clue as to whether the stock has been a volatile performer and whether it has fluctuated with cyclical trends in the economy and the stock market.
One of the most important economic indicators is the bank prime rate — the rate of interest at which commercial banks lend money to their best customers. This interest rate is a good indicator of the general level of interest rates, since most other rates rise and fall with it.
You should seek to determine whether interest rates are likely to rise or fall in the near future. The financial press frequently discusses these matters. Often in the past, stock and bond prices have generally fallen when interest rates rose. As a result, if you expect a rise in interest rates, you should consider keeping your funds liquid. On the other hand, if you expect that interest rates will fall, you should consider investing in stocks and bonds as interest rates start to drop.
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Mortgage Basics
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When many people hear the word mortgages, they envision a complex tangle of long-term debt. Indeed, the world of mortgages abounds in variations of creative financing — a formidable-sounding obstacle for the neophyte. For many people, the purchase of a home represents the biggest single investment they make in a lifetime. Because they can seldom afford to pay cash on the barrel, they end up committing themselves to 20 or 30 years of mortgage payments. Yet, few stop to consider that the mere difference of 1 percent interest on, say, a $70,000 mortgage, can add more than $20,000 to the effective cost of buying the home over the full term of a 30-year loan. Since mortgages probably play such a big part in your life, you should develop a good working knowledge of this investment.
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Real Estate
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As with any other investment, an understanding of the principles — the basics — is critical to success. How are real estate prices determined? What are good sources of funds? What about expenses? Should you use professional help? Let's now look at these, and other, vital principles of real estate planning.
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Debt Consolidation
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When faced with an overwhelming debt load that can't be kept up with, let alone paid off, the options are limited to getting debt help. Declare personal bankruptcy and it will remain on the credit record for ten years.
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