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When you are looking for a low risk, long term type of investment municipal bonds is the first place you should investigate. Tax free municipal bonds are bonds issued by local and state governments and their associated entities. These bonds guarantee the return of your investment in a specified number of years along with interest.

These bonds have an additional bonus attached to them. The profits you make from the money are tax free. The IRS has instituted this policy in an effort to have investors place their money into government programs. These bonds are issued so government authorities can pursue local infrastructure projects.

When you invest in tax free municipal bonds the interest rate you make will be slightly lower than on corporate bonds. This should not be a deterrent. The tax free status of the bonds more than compensates for the lower interest rate. Profits made from corporate bonds carry a high tax burden.

This type of investment is considered a long term investment. Municipal bonds generally carry a 20 – 40 year return rate on their purchase. Some bonds may be short term, but these are hard to find.

Municipal bonds can be purchased directly from the organization issuing the bonds at the initial offering or through a bonds broker. Government regulations require that the agency issuing the bonds begin the intended project within 5 years of issuing the bonds. If, for some reason, this deadline cannot be met, the agency will return your investment plus interest. At that time they may issue another bond offering.

Diversifying your investment portfolio is critical to its success. You should never place all your investments into one type of stock or bond or place all your money into one risk factor. You must, as a responsible investor, diversify your portfolio with low and high risk investments to ensure a good outcome. Municipal bonds are a great way to add a long term low risk balance to your portfolio.

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Q: Tax Free Municipal Bonds Are More Secure Than Other Investments?
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Where can one find the interest rates on municipal bonds?

Wow is a website that allows easy access to interest rates on municipal bonds. Other useful information sites include Ask and Forbes. Municipal bonds are essentially money loaned to the government.


What are corporate bonds issued for?

A corporate bond is a bond issued by a corporation for the purpose of raising funds and expanding the business. These bonds are usually long-term (i.e. at least one year) and generally offer a higher yield than some other investments. Corporate bonds carry a higher risk of default than other investments such as government bonds, depending on the given corporation and the state of the market.


What is a collection of various stocks bonds and other investments all grouped into a single unit called?

mutual fund


Why Municipal Bonds Are An Attractive Investment?

Municipal bonds are bonds issued by local governments or their associated agencies to raise money for particular projects. Most often, municipal bonds are issued to build roads, schools and to complete projects such as sewer systems. These bonds offer the bond holder payments of interest over a certain period of time as well as the return of their initial investment. One of the factors that make municipal bonds an attractive investment is the tax exempt status they carry. Interest payments to the bond holder will not be taxed on the federal level and most state and local municipalities will waive the taxes on a local bond. While the interest rates paid on municipal bonds is always lower than other bonds on the market, the tax exempt status outweighs this negative aspect. Another factor to consider is risk. More often than not, municipal bonds have a very low risk associated with their purchase. This is a safer choice when looking into long term investment options. Most bonds are repaid in 20 -40 years. Bonds are rated before they are issued and those with the highest ratings will be the most likely to pay their debt when it is due. Many investors prefer municipal bonds to corporate bonds. Bonds of both types, issued for the same amount, do not produce the same amount of income. Because corporate bonds are heavily taxed a municipal bond will always pay the bond holder more in the long run. Municipal bonds can be purchased directly from the office issuing the bonds at the initial offering or later from a bond holding company. Bond issuing companies are required to use the money within 5 years of issuance to begin the project for which they raised the capital. If the project is cancelled or fails to begin on time, bonds will be repaid with interest and cancelled. Because of the many guarantees that are associated with municipal bonds investors like to stockpile them in their portfolios for the long term. When considering a long term investment a local bond offering may be the correct choice.


What are stocks bonds and mutual funds?

stocks= regular investments hand-selected by the investor mutual funds= investments are chosen for the investor by other people bond= a long term investment in which you can only gain money and cannot lose any (bonds usually last 6-10 years

Related questions

wHA ARE tAXABLE mUNICIPAL bONDS Are they suitable for IRA investments. Why are they issued compared to Tax Exempt Municipal Bonds?

Taxable municipal bonds are bonds issued by governments (municipal bonds) that are NON-tax exempt (most munis are.) They are often better for IRA investments than tax-exempt bonds because they tend to pay higher interest rates and IRAs are tax exempt anyway. They are issued for a variety of reasons (often, they don't count against a bond issuers' cap) but, in part, because they are a good investment vehicle for IRAs and other tax exempt accounts.


Enjoy Tax Free Municipal Bonds?

When you purchase a municipal bond, you are essentially loaning money to a local government. This loan gives a government the opportunity to do construction projects and fulfill other needs of the community. A municipal bond can make an attractive investment for an investor, because it is something that is not taxed. There is no tax associated with a municipal bond. A lot of people choose to add a municipal bond or set of bonds to a retirement portfolio. The only downfall with a municipal bond is that its interest rate is usually a lot lower than other types of investments.


Where can one find the interest rates on municipal bonds?

Wow is a website that allows easy access to interest rates on municipal bonds. Other useful information sites include Ask and Forbes. Municipal bonds are essentially money loaned to the government.


Where can someone find municipal bonds?

Municipal bonds can be bought from many investment and portfolio management systems. An investor can consult their broker or other retainer to purchase bonds. A person who does not already use a financial investment service can find bonds though Fidelity's services.


What is professionally managed portfolios made up of stock's bonds and other investments?

Mutual Funds


Are municipal bonds tax free?

There are two types of tax free Municipal Bonds. The first is called a General Obligation and is usually the safer because it is backed by the issuer's ability to tax. Revenus Munis is the other tax free bond.


What is so special about Zero Coupon Municipal Bonds?

Zero Coupon Municipal Bonds are special because, unlike other bonds, they have no periodic interest payments. Rather, the investor receives one payment at maturity. This payment is equal to the amount invested, plus the interest earned, compounded semiannually.


What are Exempt income under income from other sources?

Exempt interest and exempt dividends from qualified municipal bonds.


What are simple ways to legally reduce tax exposure in the US?

Put income into tax free or tax deferred instruments. You can use 401(k) plans, IRAs (either Traditional or Roth), and if you have other investments above these, you can invest in municipal bond funds or individual municipal bonds if your main goal is to lower income taxes. These are a few ways to reduce the amount of taxes that you have.


What are corporate bonds issued for?

A corporate bond is a bond issued by a corporation for the purpose of raising funds and expanding the business. These bonds are usually long-term (i.e. at least one year) and generally offer a higher yield than some other investments. Corporate bonds carry a higher risk of default than other investments such as government bonds, depending on the given corporation and the state of the market.


What is a collection of various stocks bonds and other investments all grouped into a single unit called?

mutual fund


Who can issue a municipal bond?

A municipal bond can be issued by the local government or the bonds' agencies. Specifically, the bond's issuing can be including states, cities, counties and a lot of other government entities.