Jemstep Blog

In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, we explored some of the basic building blocks related to interest rates. In this final part of the series, let’s consider what actually causes rates to go up and down. Our goal here is to equip you with some of the basic tools to understand credit markets. Understanding leads to prudent investment decisions, and it also makes the process of investing a lot more fun.

This is part 2 of our series on understanding interest rates and how they impact your investments. This article takes a look at, among other things, why bonds with shorter maturities are preferred by investors if they think interest rates are likely to rise.

Interest rates are a bit like gravity: everyone knows they exist, fewer can actually explain how they work, and they are actually not too difficult to grasp once you understand a few basic rules and practices. To begin, we need a foundational understanding of what interest rates actually are.

Portfolio management: It’s a phrase that conjures up the idea of hard work and complicated subject matter. But with the right approach, portfolio management can be a key to your long term investment success. Who knows, you may even have some fun with it along the way! Here are some basic building blocks to get you started in the right direction.

Asset allocation is at the heart of the portfolio management process. For investors seeking to enjoy risk-efficient returns over a long time period, prudent allocation decisions are most likely the most important component for sustained success. With this post we continue the recent focus on the role of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and suggest how in the course of conducting effective ETF research you can put together an intelligent allocation strategy based on individual ETF exposures.

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) have grown dynamically over the past decade, from less than $100 billion in 2000 to just under $800 billion in 2009 for the U.S. market alone. ETFs are a critically important feature of the investment landscape, and to help with your ETF research, here is a primer on the important things you need to know.

Asset markets are pretty unsettling these days. The S&P 500 lurches 2% in one direction, then 2% in the other direction, all in the course of a single trading day. Markets for risk assets are volatile, directionless and buffeted by multiple influencing variables. It can be unsettling even for the most seasoned veterans of many market cycles, let alone for the novice investor. In my experience following these three suggestions can help you to keep your head when everyone around you is losing theirs.