by Pete Veslick

Anyone who has money to invest is hurt by low interest rates. If you want to buy things on credit such as a car you might like the interest rates where they are now but people who have money sitting around are not happy. Right now the saying time is money does not really apply to bank cds and other investments where you make money by lending it to banks.

The people that are hurt by low interest rates are those people that like to invest in bank certificate of deposits (CDs) and other investment that are guaranteed by the government. Government bonds would also fall into that category. Seniors often have their money in this type of safe investment vehicle because they need to be guaranteed that they will not lose the money. In exchange for the low risk, they are willing to make less …

by Ron Harper

Now hat its a new year everyone is asking what the best investments are. While at the end of the year 2008 bank CD rates were very popular, they have grown a bit cold and just aren’t providing the great return that they used too.

Are there any other alternatives to investing? Of course there are. What about simple old-fashioned bank savings and checking accounts? Many people have found that savings account at their local banks are using quite a bit higher returns than CD rates.

Why not try something else that works. Online banking. It makes sense because there is very little overhead for the bank itself, and thus the bank is able to offer quite a bit more in return than a normal brick and mortar location would.

It is true that some banks have kicked the bucket, and many people wonder what the future of banking …

By Robert Boyd

What to do with your hard earned savings now that the hard times are in? Invest or deposit it in a bank in the form of Certificate of Deposit otherwise known as CD? With the uncertainty high based on the severity of the financial meltdown, investing your money in business is a very risky proposition. Placing your money in banks as CD is the safest way.

A CD is commonly called “time deposit”. It is similar to your ordinary savings account except that you can’t withdraw it easily. A CD have fixed terms or duration where you have to keep your money in the bank. The common term is 3 months but some offer up to 5 years. During these times, you can’t withdraw your money, but you are guaranteed to earn fixed interest rates. This service is offered by banks, thrift institutions, and credit unions. Your …

When people ask me if I think crude oil is going to $50 or $150, I nod sagely and say: “Yes, probably.” I’m not being flip. I’m simply giving both the short-term and the long-term timeframes. Short-term, crude oil is probably heading lower, even though it’s nearly 60% off its highs. The last chance to hold the line on oil prices was at OPEC’s emergency meeting. And the oil cartel choked like a cat on a hairball. They cut 1.5 million barrels per day of production when they needed to cut about 3 million barrels per day. The OPEC meeting was the last obstacle in the way of deflationary forces that are driving oil prices lower in the short-term. Long-term, there are forces that should drive oil much higher. And one of ...