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	<title>Municipal Bond Rates</title>
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		<title>Tax-Free Bonds &amp; Bond Funds</title>
		<link>http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-53/</link>
		<comments>http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-53/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Sep 2010 14:42:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Leitz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Municipal Bond Rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-53/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Municipal bonds offer investors income that is tax-free, exempt from federal income tax.  Municipal bond funds are the easiest way to invest in them, and not pay income taxes on the dividends generated from these bonds.  Consider three factors before you invest.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Municipal bonds (munis) have been around for years and offer investors interest income that is tax-exempt, free from federal income taxes.&nbsp; This is important to many bond investors, because they buy bonds for the higher income they pay vs. CDs and savings accounts.&nbsp; Municipal bond funds invest in munis.&nbsp; Hence, if you buy the fund, you are invested in municipal bonds and receive dividends that are free of federal income taxes.</p>
<p>Municipal bonds are issued by states and local government entities to raise capital (money) for major projects.&nbsp; The U.S. government gives them a break by not levying income taxes on the interest they pay to investors.&nbsp; This makes it easier for the state of Ohio, for example, to sell bonds and raise money.&nbsp; It also allows the state to pay a somewhat lower interest rate than a corporation with a high credit rating would need to pay to attract investors.</p>
<p>When you invest in a municipal bond fund professional money managers&nbsp;manage a diversified portfolio of munis for you.&nbsp; Some fund families offer funds that are double tax-exempt.&nbsp; For example, an Ohio Tax-Exempt Bond Fund would pay Ohio&nbsp;residents dividends free from both federal and state income taxes.</p>
<p>There are three factors you should&nbsp;consider before investing in any muni bond fund.&nbsp; One, your tax bracket.&nbsp; Two, expenses.&nbsp; Three, interest rate risk.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s say that you are&nbsp;in the 25% tax bracket, which means that in 2008 your taxable income was over $65,100.&nbsp; You want to invest $10,000 into a bond fund.&nbsp; You find a high-quality taxable bond fund that will pay 6% in dividends, or about $600 a year.&nbsp; After paying 25% to the IRS, you net $450, or 4.5%.&nbsp; You&nbsp;pay tax on the interest (dividends) whether you receive it or simply allow it to reinvest&nbsp;and buy more shares in the fund.</p>
<p>In the 25% tax bracket, if you can find a muni bond fund that pays over 4.5% tax-exempt, it is&nbsp;to your advantage to invest in it.&nbsp; The higher your&nbsp;tax bracket, the greater the advantage.&nbsp; If&nbsp;your taxable income was over $200,300 in 2008, for&nbsp;example, you were in the 33% or 35% tax bracket.&nbsp; A&nbsp;6% taxable bond fund would have left you with only&nbsp;about 4% net after taxes.</p>
<p>Second, mutual fund expenses and sales charges only work against the investor.&nbsp; On a $10,000 investment, a 3% sales charge (load) can take $300 off the top, and yearly expenses could be .5% or more per year.&nbsp; Or, if you go with a major no-load fund family, a&nbsp;municipal bond fund investment has zero sales charges, and yearly expenses can be as low as .15% a year.</p>
<p>Third, all bonds and bond funds are subject to interest rate risk.&nbsp; This means that if interest rates go up, the value or price of bonds and bond funds that invest in them will fall.</p>
<p>A retired financial planner, James Leitz has an MBA (finance) and 35 years of investing experience. For 20 years he advised individual investors, working directly with them helping them to reach their financial goals.</p>
<p>Jim is the author of a complete investor guide, Invest Informed, designed for average investors or would-be investors of all levels of financial background and experience. To learn more about investments and investing and his new financial guide go to <a target="_new" href="http://www.investinformed.com">http://www.investinformed.com</a></p>
<p>Author: <a href="http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Leitz">James Leitz</a><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Tax-Free-Bonds-and-Bond-Funds&amp;id=2206575">EzineArticles.com</a><br /><a href="http://captionwit.com/">Humorous photo captions</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tax-Free Bonds &amp; Bond Funds</title>
		<link>http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-52/</link>
		<comments>http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-52/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Sep 2010 05:01:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Leitz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Municipal Bond Rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-52/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Municipal bonds offer investors income that is tax-free, exempt from federal income tax.  Municipal bond funds are the easiest way to invest in them, and not pay income taxes on the dividends generated from these bonds.  Consider three factors before you invest.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Municipal bonds (munis) have been around for years and offer investors interest income that is tax-exempt, free from federal income taxes.&nbsp; This is important to many bond investors, because they buy bonds for the higher income they pay vs. CDs and savings accounts.&nbsp; Municipal bond funds invest in munis.&nbsp; Hence, if you buy the fund, you are invested in municipal bonds and receive dividends that are free of federal income taxes.</p>
<p>Municipal bonds are issued by states and local government entities to raise capital (money) for major projects.&nbsp; The U.S. government gives them a break by not levying income taxes on the interest they pay to investors.&nbsp; This makes it easier for the state of Ohio, for example, to sell bonds and raise money.&nbsp; It also allows the state to pay a somewhat lower interest rate than a corporation with a high credit rating would need to pay to attract investors.</p>
<p>When you invest in a municipal bond fund professional money managers&nbsp;manage a diversified portfolio of munis for you.&nbsp; Some fund families offer funds that are double tax-exempt.&nbsp; For example, an Ohio Tax-Exempt Bond Fund would pay Ohio&nbsp;residents dividends free from both federal and state income taxes.</p>
<p>There are three factors you should&nbsp;consider before investing in any muni bond fund.&nbsp; One, your tax bracket.&nbsp; Two, expenses.&nbsp; Three, interest rate risk.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s say that you are&nbsp;in the 25% tax bracket, which means that in 2008 your taxable income was over $65,100.&nbsp; You want to invest $10,000 into a bond fund.&nbsp; You find a high-quality taxable bond fund that will pay 6% in dividends, or about $600 a year.&nbsp; After paying 25% to the IRS, you net $450, or 4.5%.&nbsp; You&nbsp;pay tax on the interest (dividends) whether you receive it or simply allow it to reinvest&nbsp;and buy more shares in the fund.</p>
<p>In the 25% tax bracket, if you can find a muni bond fund that pays over 4.5% tax-exempt, it is&nbsp;to your advantage to invest in it.&nbsp; The higher your&nbsp;tax bracket, the greater the advantage.&nbsp; If&nbsp;your taxable income was over $200,300 in 2008, for&nbsp;example, you were in the 33% or 35% tax bracket.&nbsp; A&nbsp;6% taxable bond fund would have left you with only&nbsp;about 4% net after taxes.</p>
<p>Second, mutual fund expenses and sales charges only work against the investor.&nbsp; On a $10,000 investment, a 3% sales charge (load) can take $300 off the top, and yearly expenses could be .5% or more per year.&nbsp; Or, if you go with a major no-load fund family, a&nbsp;municipal bond fund investment has zero sales charges, and yearly expenses can be as low as .15% a year.</p>
<p>Third, all bonds and bond funds are subject to interest rate risk.&nbsp; This means that if interest rates go up, the value or price of bonds and bond funds that invest in them will fall.</p>
<p>A retired financial planner, James Leitz has an MBA (finance) and 35 years of investing experience. For 20 years he advised individual investors, working directly with them helping them to reach their financial goals.</p>
<p>Jim is the author of a complete investor guide, Invest Informed, designed for average investors or would-be investors of all levels of financial background and experience. To learn more about investments and investing and his new financial guide go to <a target="_new" href="http://www.investinformed.com">http://www.investinformed.com</a></p>
<p>Author: <a href="http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Leitz">James Leitz</a><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Tax-Free-Bonds-and-Bond-Funds&amp;id=2206575">EzineArticles.com</a><br /><a href="http://intriguingnews.com/">Video news</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tax-Free Bonds &amp; Bond Funds</title>
		<link>http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-51/</link>
		<comments>http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-51/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:09:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Leitz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Municipal Bond Rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-51/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Municipal bonds offer investors income that is tax-free, exempt from federal income tax.  Municipal bond funds are the easiest way to invest in them, and not pay income taxes on the dividends generated from these bonds.  Consider three factors before you invest.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Municipal bonds (munis) have been around for years and offer investors interest income that is tax-exempt, free from federal income taxes.&nbsp; This is important to many bond investors, because they buy bonds for the higher income they pay vs. CDs and savings accounts.&nbsp; Municipal bond funds invest in munis.&nbsp; Hence, if you buy the fund, you are invested in municipal bonds and receive dividends that are free of federal income taxes.</p>
<p>Municipal bonds are issued by states and local government entities to raise capital (money) for major projects.&nbsp; The U.S. government gives them a break by not levying income taxes on the interest they pay to investors.&nbsp; This makes it easier for the state of Ohio, for example, to sell bonds and raise money.&nbsp; It also allows the state to pay a somewhat lower interest rate than a corporation with a high credit rating would need to pay to attract investors.</p>
<p>When you invest in a municipal bond fund professional money managers&nbsp;manage a diversified portfolio of munis for you.&nbsp; Some fund families offer funds that are double tax-exempt.&nbsp; For example, an Ohio Tax-Exempt Bond Fund would pay Ohio&nbsp;residents dividends free from both federal and state income taxes.</p>
<p>There are three factors you should&nbsp;consider before investing in any muni bond fund.&nbsp; One, your tax bracket.&nbsp; Two, expenses.&nbsp; Three, interest rate risk.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s say that you are&nbsp;in the 25% tax bracket, which means that in 2008 your taxable income was over $65,100.&nbsp; You want to invest $10,000 into a bond fund.&nbsp; You find a high-quality taxable bond fund that will pay 6% in dividends, or about $600 a year.&nbsp; After paying 25% to the IRS, you net $450, or 4.5%.&nbsp; You&nbsp;pay tax on the interest (dividends) whether you receive it or simply allow it to reinvest&nbsp;and buy more shares in the fund.</p>
<p>In the 25% tax bracket, if you can find a muni bond fund that pays over 4.5% tax-exempt, it is&nbsp;to your advantage to invest in it.&nbsp; The higher your&nbsp;tax bracket, the greater the advantage.&nbsp; If&nbsp;your taxable income was over $200,300 in 2008, for&nbsp;example, you were in the 33% or 35% tax bracket.&nbsp; A&nbsp;6% taxable bond fund would have left you with only&nbsp;about 4% net after taxes.</p>
<p>Second, mutual fund expenses and sales charges only work against the investor.&nbsp; On a $10,000 investment, a 3% sales charge (load) can take $300 off the top, and yearly expenses could be .5% or more per year.&nbsp; Or, if you go with a major no-load fund family, a&nbsp;municipal bond fund investment has zero sales charges, and yearly expenses can be as low as .15% a year.</p>
<p>Third, all bonds and bond funds are subject to interest rate risk.&nbsp; This means that if interest rates go up, the value or price of bonds and bond funds that invest in them will fall.</p>
<p>A retired financial planner, James Leitz has an MBA (finance) and 35 years of investing experience. For 20 years he advised individual investors, working directly with them helping them to reach their financial goals.</p>
<p>Jim is the author of a complete investor guide, Invest Informed, designed for average investors or would-be investors of all levels of financial background and experience. To learn more about investments and investing and his new financial guide go to <a target="_new" href="http://www.investinformed.com">http://www.investinformed.com</a></p>
<p>Author: <a href="http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Leitz">James Leitz</a><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Tax-Free-Bonds-and-Bond-Funds&amp;id=2206575">EzineArticles.com</a><br /><a href="http://alphaandroid.com/">Android apps</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Investment Grade Municipal Bonds For The Intermediate Term</title>
		<link>http://municipalbondrates.org/the-investment-grade-municipal-bonds-for-the-intermediate-term/</link>
		<comments>http://municipalbondrates.org/the-investment-grade-municipal-bonds-for-the-intermediate-term/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:22:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael C Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Municipal Bond Rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://municipalbondrates.org/the-investment-grade-municipal-bonds-for-the-intermediate-term/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many municipality bonds are usually the general obligation bonds (GO). This actually means the issuing authority can use your money in a way it deems fit, like paying for janitors in the country hospital or to buy some fresh cars for the police.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Many municipality bonds are usually the general obligation bonds (GO). This actually means the issuing authority can use your money in a way it deems fit, like paying for janitors in the country hospital or to buy some fresh cars for the police.</p>
<p>Some municipal bonds may only be used for some specified purposes. Like for instance these funds can be used by the country to carpet a tool road. Now the tool which will be collected from the motorist will be used for repaying the owners of the bond.</p>
<p>Many people consider the GO bonds as a safer option as government can usually pay the interest from any type of money it collects, like speeding ticket fine or some taxes. These are considered safer bonds. This is so because the tool booths of the municipality will usually continue to churn in money even if the tax base for property moves downhill.</p>
<p>Historically it has been seen that municipal bonds usually low return rate. The huge attraction of the municipal bond is due to its tax free interest on the federal scale. For this reason, the bonds usually have interest rates which are normally lower than those of the corporate bonds. As a result many big investors having a high tax rate park their funds in the municipality bonds for reducing their federal taxes. These bonds though are not that advantageous for the lower tax bracket investors.</p>
<p>These bonds are also not best for the tax sheltered investment schemes like the Roth or the conventional IRAs. This is so because the tax free income accumulating in their retirement account is total waste for its tax shelter facility. The interest income accruing from the bonds is usually taxable by states as well as cities.</p>
<p>You have a choice of thousand of municipality bonds to choose from but these are not that easy to purchase. The bond brokers usually like to service the large institutions which spend huge amount of dollars on these bonds.</p>
<p>Michael has been writing articles online for 10 years. Check out his latest website <a target="_new" href="http://www.watersoftenerproblems.org/">Water Softener Problems</a> which help people find more about <a target="_new" href="http://www.watersoftenerproblems.org/electric-water-softener/">electric water softener</a>.</p>
<p>Author: <a href="http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_C_Miller">Michael C Miller</a><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Investment-Grade-Municipal-Bonds-For-The-Intermediate-Term&amp;id=4961341">EzineArticles.com</a><br /><a href="http://ywywy.com/q/unix-ipc/">Unix inter-process communication (IPC)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tax-Free Bonds &amp; Bond Funds</title>
		<link>http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-50/</link>
		<comments>http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-50/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Sep 2010 04:58:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Leitz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Municipal Bond Rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-50/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Municipal bonds offer investors income that is tax-free, exempt from federal income tax.  Municipal bond funds are the easiest way to invest in them, and not pay income taxes on the dividends generated from these bonds.  Consider three factors before you invest.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Municipal bonds (munis) have been around for years and offer investors interest income that is tax-exempt, free from federal income taxes.&nbsp; This is important to many bond investors, because they buy bonds for the higher income they pay vs. CDs and savings accounts.&nbsp; Municipal bond funds invest in munis.&nbsp; Hence, if you buy the fund, you are invested in municipal bonds and receive dividends that are free of federal income taxes.</p>
<p>Municipal bonds are issued by states and local government entities to raise capital (money) for major projects.&nbsp; The U.S. government gives them a break by not levying income taxes on the interest they pay to investors.&nbsp; This makes it easier for the state of Ohio, for example, to sell bonds and raise money.&nbsp; It also allows the state to pay a somewhat lower interest rate than a corporation with a high credit rating would need to pay to attract investors.</p>
<p>When you invest in a municipal bond fund professional money managers&nbsp;manage a diversified portfolio of munis for you.&nbsp; Some fund families offer funds that are double tax-exempt.&nbsp; For example, an Ohio Tax-Exempt Bond Fund would pay Ohio&nbsp;residents dividends free from both federal and state income taxes.</p>
<p>There are three factors you should&nbsp;consider before investing in any muni bond fund.&nbsp; One, your tax bracket.&nbsp; Two, expenses.&nbsp; Three, interest rate risk.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s say that you are&nbsp;in the 25% tax bracket, which means that in 2008 your taxable income was over $65,100.&nbsp; You want to invest $10,000 into a bond fund.&nbsp; You find a high-quality taxable bond fund that will pay 6% in dividends, or about $600 a year.&nbsp; After paying 25% to the IRS, you net $450, or 4.5%.&nbsp; You&nbsp;pay tax on the interest (dividends) whether you receive it or simply allow it to reinvest&nbsp;and buy more shares in the fund.</p>
<p>In the 25% tax bracket, if you can find a muni bond fund that pays over 4.5% tax-exempt, it is&nbsp;to your advantage to invest in it.&nbsp; The higher your&nbsp;tax bracket, the greater the advantage.&nbsp; If&nbsp;your taxable income was over $200,300 in 2008, for&nbsp;example, you were in the 33% or 35% tax bracket.&nbsp; A&nbsp;6% taxable bond fund would have left you with only&nbsp;about 4% net after taxes.</p>
<p>Second, mutual fund expenses and sales charges only work against the investor.&nbsp; On a $10,000 investment, a 3% sales charge (load) can take $300 off the top, and yearly expenses could be .5% or more per year.&nbsp; Or, if you go with a major no-load fund family, a&nbsp;municipal bond fund investment has zero sales charges, and yearly expenses can be as low as .15% a year.</p>
<p>Third, all bonds and bond funds are subject to interest rate risk.&nbsp; This means that if interest rates go up, the value or price of bonds and bond funds that invest in them will fall.</p>
<p>A retired financial planner, James Leitz has an MBA (finance) and 35 years of investing experience. For 20 years he advised individual investors, working directly with them helping them to reach their financial goals.</p>
<p>Jim is the author of a complete investor guide, Invest Informed, designed for average investors or would-be investors of all levels of financial background and experience. To learn more about investments and investing and his new financial guide go to <a target="_new" href="http://www.investinformed.com">http://www.investinformed.com</a></p>
<p>Author: <a href="http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Leitz">James Leitz</a><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Tax-Free-Bonds-and-Bond-Funds&amp;id=2206575">EzineArticles.com</a><br /><a href="http://ywywy.com/q/">Digital economy, mobile technology</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tax-Free Bonds &amp; Bond Funds</title>
		<link>http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-49/</link>
		<comments>http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-49/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:00:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Leitz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Municipal Bond Rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-49/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Municipal bonds offer investors income that is tax-free, exempt from federal income tax.  Municipal bond funds are the easiest way to invest in them, and not pay income taxes on the dividends generated from these bonds.  Consider three factors before you invest.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Municipal bonds (munis) have been around for years and offer investors interest income that is tax-exempt, free from federal income taxes.&nbsp; This is important to many bond investors, because they buy bonds for the higher income they pay vs. CDs and savings accounts.&nbsp; Municipal bond funds invest in munis.&nbsp; Hence, if you buy the fund, you are invested in municipal bonds and receive dividends that are free of federal income taxes.</p>
<p>Municipal bonds are issued by states and local government entities to raise capital (money) for major projects.&nbsp; The U.S. government gives them a break by not levying income taxes on the interest they pay to investors.&nbsp; This makes it easier for the state of Ohio, for example, to sell bonds and raise money.&nbsp; It also allows the state to pay a somewhat lower interest rate than a corporation with a high credit rating would need to pay to attract investors.</p>
<p>When you invest in a municipal bond fund professional money managers&nbsp;manage a diversified portfolio of munis for you.&nbsp; Some fund families offer funds that are double tax-exempt.&nbsp; For example, an Ohio Tax-Exempt Bond Fund would pay Ohio&nbsp;residents dividends free from both federal and state income taxes.</p>
<p>There are three factors you should&nbsp;consider before investing in any muni bond fund.&nbsp; One, your tax bracket.&nbsp; Two, expenses.&nbsp; Three, interest rate risk.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s say that you are&nbsp;in the 25% tax bracket, which means that in 2008 your taxable income was over $65,100.&nbsp; You want to invest $10,000 into a bond fund.&nbsp; You find a high-quality taxable bond fund that will pay 6% in dividends, or about $600 a year.&nbsp; After paying 25% to the IRS, you net $450, or 4.5%.&nbsp; You&nbsp;pay tax on the interest (dividends) whether you receive it or simply allow it to reinvest&nbsp;and buy more shares in the fund.</p>
<p>In the 25% tax bracket, if you can find a muni bond fund that pays over 4.5% tax-exempt, it is&nbsp;to your advantage to invest in it.&nbsp; The higher your&nbsp;tax bracket, the greater the advantage.&nbsp; If&nbsp;your taxable income was over $200,300 in 2008, for&nbsp;example, you were in the 33% or 35% tax bracket.&nbsp; A&nbsp;6% taxable bond fund would have left you with only&nbsp;about 4% net after taxes.</p>
<p>Second, mutual fund expenses and sales charges only work against the investor.&nbsp; On a $10,000 investment, a 3% sales charge (load) can take $300 off the top, and yearly expenses could be .5% or more per year.&nbsp; Or, if you go with a major no-load fund family, a&nbsp;municipal bond fund investment has zero sales charges, and yearly expenses can be as low as .15% a year.</p>
<p>Third, all bonds and bond funds are subject to interest rate risk.&nbsp; This means that if interest rates go up, the value or price of bonds and bond funds that invest in them will fall.</p>
<p>A retired financial planner, James Leitz has an MBA (finance) and 35 years of investing experience. For 20 years he advised individual investors, working directly with them helping them to reach their financial goals.</p>
<p>Jim is the author of a complete investor guide, Invest Informed, designed for average investors or would-be investors of all levels of financial background and experience. To learn more about investments and investing and his new financial guide go to <a target="_new" href="http://www.investinformed.com">http://www.investinformed.com</a></p>
<p>Author: <a href="http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Leitz">James Leitz</a><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Tax-Free-Bonds-and-Bond-Funds&amp;id=2206575">EzineArticles.com</a><br /><a href="http://betterdollar.com/shopping/us-state-by-state-sales-taxes/">US State tax list</a></p>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tax-Free Bonds &amp; Bond Funds</title>
		<link>http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-48/</link>
		<comments>http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-48/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:47:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Leitz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Municipal Bond Rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-48/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Municipal bonds offer investors income that is tax-free, exempt from federal income tax.  Municipal bond funds are the easiest way to invest in them, and not pay income taxes on the dividends generated from these bonds.  Consider three factors before you invest.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Municipal bonds (munis) have been around for years and offer investors interest income that is tax-exempt, free from federal income taxes.&nbsp; This is important to many bond investors, because they buy bonds for the higher income they pay vs. CDs and savings accounts.&nbsp; Municipal bond funds invest in munis.&nbsp; Hence, if you buy the fund, you are invested in municipal bonds and receive dividends that are free of federal income taxes.</p>
<p>Municipal bonds are issued by states and local government entities to raise capital (money) for major projects.&nbsp; The U.S. government gives them a break by not levying income taxes on the interest they pay to investors.&nbsp; This makes it easier for the state of Ohio, for example, to sell bonds and raise money.&nbsp; It also allows the state to pay a somewhat lower interest rate than a corporation with a high credit rating would need to pay to attract investors.</p>
<p>When you invest in a municipal bond fund professional money managers&nbsp;manage a diversified portfolio of munis for you.&nbsp; Some fund families offer funds that are double tax-exempt.&nbsp; For example, an Ohio Tax-Exempt Bond Fund would pay Ohio&nbsp;residents dividends free from both federal and state income taxes.</p>
<p>There are three factors you should&nbsp;consider before investing in any muni bond fund.&nbsp; One, your tax bracket.&nbsp; Two, expenses.&nbsp; Three, interest rate risk.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s say that you are&nbsp;in the 25% tax bracket, which means that in 2008 your taxable income was over $65,100.&nbsp; You want to invest $10,000 into a bond fund.&nbsp; You find a high-quality taxable bond fund that will pay 6% in dividends, or about $600 a year.&nbsp; After paying 25% to the IRS, you net $450, or 4.5%.&nbsp; You&nbsp;pay tax on the interest (dividends) whether you receive it or simply allow it to reinvest&nbsp;and buy more shares in the fund.</p>
<p>In the 25% tax bracket, if you can find a muni bond fund that pays over 4.5% tax-exempt, it is&nbsp;to your advantage to invest in it.&nbsp; The higher your&nbsp;tax bracket, the greater the advantage.&nbsp; If&nbsp;your taxable income was over $200,300 in 2008, for&nbsp;example, you were in the 33% or 35% tax bracket.&nbsp; A&nbsp;6% taxable bond fund would have left you with only&nbsp;about 4% net after taxes.</p>
<p>Second, mutual fund expenses and sales charges only work against the investor.&nbsp; On a $10,000 investment, a 3% sales charge (load) can take $300 off the top, and yearly expenses could be .5% or more per year.&nbsp; Or, if you go with a major no-load fund family, a&nbsp;municipal bond fund investment has zero sales charges, and yearly expenses can be as low as .15% a year.</p>
<p>Third, all bonds and bond funds are subject to interest rate risk.&nbsp; This means that if interest rates go up, the value or price of bonds and bond funds that invest in them will fall.</p>
<p>A retired financial planner, James Leitz has an MBA (finance) and 35 years of investing experience. For 20 years he advised individual investors, working directly with them helping them to reach their financial goals.</p>
<p>Jim is the author of a complete investor guide, Invest Informed, designed for average investors or would-be investors of all levels of financial background and experience. To learn more about investments and investing and his new financial guide go to <a target="_new" href="http://www.investinformed.com">http://www.investinformed.com</a></p>
<p>Author: <a href="http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Leitz">James Leitz</a><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Tax-Free-Bonds-and-Bond-Funds&amp;id=2206575">EzineArticles.com</a><br /><a href="http://foodtocure.com/">Healing food: natural way to cure cancer</a></p>
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		<title>Tax-Free Bonds &amp; Bond Funds</title>
		<link>http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-47/</link>
		<comments>http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-47/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:51:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Leitz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Municipal Bond Rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-47/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Municipal bonds offer investors income that is tax-free, exempt from federal income tax.  Municipal bond funds are the easiest way to invest in them, and not pay income taxes on the dividends generated from these bonds.  Consider three factors before you invest.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Municipal bonds (munis) have been around for years and offer investors interest income that is tax-exempt, free from federal income taxes.&nbsp; This is important to many bond investors, because they buy bonds for the higher income they pay vs. CDs and savings accounts.&nbsp; Municipal bond funds invest in munis.&nbsp; Hence, if you buy the fund, you are invested in municipal bonds and receive dividends that are free of federal income taxes.</p>
<p>Municipal bonds are issued by states and local government entities to raise capital (money) for major projects.&nbsp; The U.S. government gives them a break by not levying income taxes on the interest they pay to investors.&nbsp; This makes it easier for the state of Ohio, for example, to sell bonds and raise money.&nbsp; It also allows the state to pay a somewhat lower interest rate than a corporation with a high credit rating would need to pay to attract investors.</p>
<p>When you invest in a municipal bond fund professional money managers&nbsp;manage a diversified portfolio of munis for you.&nbsp; Some fund families offer funds that are double tax-exempt.&nbsp; For example, an Ohio Tax-Exempt Bond Fund would pay Ohio&nbsp;residents dividends free from both federal and state income taxes.</p>
<p>There are three factors you should&nbsp;consider before investing in any muni bond fund.&nbsp; One, your tax bracket.&nbsp; Two, expenses.&nbsp; Three, interest rate risk.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s say that you are&nbsp;in the 25% tax bracket, which means that in 2008 your taxable income was over $65,100.&nbsp; You want to invest $10,000 into a bond fund.&nbsp; You find a high-quality taxable bond fund that will pay 6% in dividends, or about $600 a year.&nbsp; After paying 25% to the IRS, you net $450, or 4.5%.&nbsp; You&nbsp;pay tax on the interest (dividends) whether you receive it or simply allow it to reinvest&nbsp;and buy more shares in the fund.</p>
<p>In the 25% tax bracket, if you can find a muni bond fund that pays over 4.5% tax-exempt, it is&nbsp;to your advantage to invest in it.&nbsp; The higher your&nbsp;tax bracket, the greater the advantage.&nbsp; If&nbsp;your taxable income was over $200,300 in 2008, for&nbsp;example, you were in the 33% or 35% tax bracket.&nbsp; A&nbsp;6% taxable bond fund would have left you with only&nbsp;about 4% net after taxes.</p>
<p>Second, mutual fund expenses and sales charges only work against the investor.&nbsp; On a $10,000 investment, a 3% sales charge (load) can take $300 off the top, and yearly expenses could be .5% or more per year.&nbsp; Or, if you go with a major no-load fund family, a&nbsp;municipal bond fund investment has zero sales charges, and yearly expenses can be as low as .15% a year.</p>
<p>Third, all bonds and bond funds are subject to interest rate risk.&nbsp; This means that if interest rates go up, the value or price of bonds and bond funds that invest in them will fall.</p>
<p>A retired financial planner, James Leitz has an MBA (finance) and 35 years of investing experience. For 20 years he advised individual investors, working directly with them helping them to reach their financial goals.</p>
<p>Jim is the author of a complete investor guide, Invest Informed, designed for average investors or would-be investors of all levels of financial background and experience. To learn more about investments and investing and his new financial guide go to <a target="_new" href="http://www.investinformed.com">http://www.investinformed.com</a></p>
<p>Author: <a href="http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Leitz">James Leitz</a><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Tax-Free-Bonds-and-Bond-Funds&amp;id=2206575">EzineArticles.com</a><br /><a href="http://canacanyon.com/">Buy electrical pressure cooker</a></p>
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		<title>Tax-Free Bonds &amp; Bond Funds</title>
		<link>http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-46/</link>
		<comments>http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-46/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:46:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Leitz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Municipal Bond Rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://municipalbondrates.org/tax-free-bonds-bond-funds-46/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Municipal bonds offer investors income that is tax-free, exempt from federal income tax.  Municipal bond funds are the easiest way to invest in them, and not pay income taxes on the dividends generated from these bonds.  Consider three factors before you invest.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Municipal bonds (munis) have been around for years and offer investors interest income that is tax-exempt, free from federal income taxes.&nbsp; This is important to many bond investors, because they buy bonds for the higher income they pay vs. CDs and savings accounts.&nbsp; Municipal bond funds invest in munis.&nbsp; Hence, if you buy the fund, you are invested in municipal bonds and receive dividends that are free of federal income taxes.</p>
<p>Municipal bonds are issued by states and local government entities to raise capital (money) for major projects.&nbsp; The U.S. government gives them a break by not levying income taxes on the interest they pay to investors.&nbsp; This makes it easier for the state of Ohio, for example, to sell bonds and raise money.&nbsp; It also allows the state to pay a somewhat lower interest rate than a corporation with a high credit rating would need to pay to attract investors.</p>
<p>When you invest in a municipal bond fund professional money managers&nbsp;manage a diversified portfolio of munis for you.&nbsp; Some fund families offer funds that are double tax-exempt.&nbsp; For example, an Ohio Tax-Exempt Bond Fund would pay Ohio&nbsp;residents dividends free from both federal and state income taxes.</p>
<p>There are three factors you should&nbsp;consider before investing in any muni bond fund.&nbsp; One, your tax bracket.&nbsp; Two, expenses.&nbsp; Three, interest rate risk.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s say that you are&nbsp;in the 25% tax bracket, which means that in 2008 your taxable income was over $65,100.&nbsp; You want to invest $10,000 into a bond fund.&nbsp; You find a high-quality taxable bond fund that will pay 6% in dividends, or about $600 a year.&nbsp; After paying 25% to the IRS, you net $450, or 4.5%.&nbsp; You&nbsp;pay tax on the interest (dividends) whether you receive it or simply allow it to reinvest&nbsp;and buy more shares in the fund.</p>
<p>In the 25% tax bracket, if you can find a muni bond fund that pays over 4.5% tax-exempt, it is&nbsp;to your advantage to invest in it.&nbsp; The higher your&nbsp;tax bracket, the greater the advantage.&nbsp; If&nbsp;your taxable income was over $200,300 in 2008, for&nbsp;example, you were in the 33% or 35% tax bracket.&nbsp; A&nbsp;6% taxable bond fund would have left you with only&nbsp;about 4% net after taxes.</p>
<p>Second, mutual fund expenses and sales charges only work against the investor.&nbsp; On a $10,000 investment, a 3% sales charge (load) can take $300 off the top, and yearly expenses could be .5% or more per year.&nbsp; Or, if you go with a major no-load fund family, a&nbsp;municipal bond fund investment has zero sales charges, and yearly expenses can be as low as .15% a year.</p>
<p>Third, all bonds and bond funds are subject to interest rate risk.&nbsp; This means that if interest rates go up, the value or price of bonds and bond funds that invest in them will fall.</p>
<p>A retired financial planner, James Leitz has an MBA (finance) and 35 years of investing experience. For 20 years he advised individual investors, working directly with them helping them to reach their financial goals.</p>
<p>Jim is the author of a complete investor guide, Invest Informed, designed for average investors or would-be investors of all levels of financial background and experience. To learn more about investments and investing and his new financial guide go to <a target="_new" href="http://www.investinformed.com">http://www.investinformed.com</a></p>
<p>Author: <a href="http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Leitz">James Leitz</a><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Tax-Free-Bonds-and-Bond-Funds&amp;id=2206575">EzineArticles.com</a><br /><a href="http://canacanyon.com/">Electrical Pressure Cooker Online</a></p>
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		<title>Analysis of the Call Feature on Municipal Debt.(Statistical Data Included): An article from: Government Finance Review [HTML] [Digital]</title>
		<link>http://municipalbondrates.org/analysis-of-the-call-feature-on-municipal-debt-statistical-data-included-an-article-from-government-finance-review-html-digital/</link>
		<comments>http://municipalbondrates.org/analysis-of-the-call-feature-on-municipal-debt-statistical-data-included-an-article-from-government-finance-review-html-digital/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:50:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Municipal Bond Rates</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Municipal Bond Rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[analysis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[article]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Call]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Data]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Debt.Statistical]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[from]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Included]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Municipal]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://municipalbondrates.org/analysis-of-the-call-feature-on-municipal-debt-statistical-data-included-an-article-from-government-finance-review-html-digital/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
  This digital document is an article from Government Finance Review, published by Government Finance Officers Association on December 1, 1999. The length of the article is 4101 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Analysis-Feature-Municipal-Statistical-Included/dp/B00099LN8A/ref=sr_1_16/180-4669883-2368041?ie=UTF8&#038;s=books&#038;qid=1279026762&#038;sr=8-16?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=municipal-bonds-20"><img style="float:left;width: 150px;height:150px;margin-right: 10px;" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/nav2/dp/no-image-avail-img-map._V192545771_AA300_.gif" alt="Analysis of the Call Feature on Municipal Debt.(Statistical Data Included): An article from: Government Finance Review" /></a></p>
<p>  This digital document is an article from Government Finance Review, published by Government Finance Officers Association on December 1, 1999. The length of the article is 4101 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.Citation DetailsTitle: Analysis of the Call Feature on Municipal Debt.(Statistical Data Included)Author: Duane StockPublication: Government Finance Review (Magazine/Journal)Date: December 1, 1999Publisher: Government Finance Officers AssociationVolume: 15  Issue: 6  Page: 13Article Type: Statistical Data IncludedDistributed by Thomson Gale</p>
<p>   <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Analysis-Feature-Municipal-Statistical-Included/dp/B00099LN8A/ref=sr_1_16/180-4669883-2368041?ie=UTF8&#038;s=books&#038;qid=1279026762&#038;sr=8-16?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=municipal-bonds-20" title="More at Amazon">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
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