Municipal bonds, or “muni bonds,” comprise debt securities issued by various states, cities, counties and other governmental entities to raise money to build roads, schools and a host of other projects for the public. These municipal securities regularly pay interest payments, usually semi-annually, and the original investment or principal amount at the time of maturity. Interest paid on such bonds is generally exempt from federal taxes, making them especially attractive to people in higher income tax brackets. Thus, risk-averse investors looking to earn a regular tax-free income may consider municipal bonds mutual funds. These mutual funds are believed to provide…
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Brazilian officials have cordoned off a massive parcel of degraded land in the Amazon and leased it to a private carbon credit company to safeguard and restore. Source link
Image source: Getty Images Leveraging the power of the stock market is a proven strategy for unlocking a second income stream through dividends. And while it takes time for compounding to work its magic, even investors starting out with modest sums can go on to enjoy tremendous returns. So let’s say someone’s starting small and aiming to earn an extra £5,000 each year. How much money do they need to invest in the stock market? And how long will the journey take? Crunching the numbers Let’s start by exploring an index investing strategy. The FTSE 100’s one of the most…
Markets also reacted to the latest tariff news. President Donald Trump announced tariff rates on dozens of countries and pushed back the scheduled effective date to Aug. 7, adding more uncertainty to the global trade picture. ▶ Read more about S&P 500 drop Democrats decry firing Bureau of Labor Statistics director Senate Democrats are quickly jumping on the dismissal of Erika McEntarfer, the director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, warning that it shows Trump is acting like a dictator. In a Senate floor speech, Democratic leader Sen. Chuck Schumer said, “Donald Trump sometimes admires dictators, he admires them. Well,…
Image source: Getty Images When it comes to high dividend yields, few FTSE stocks come close to beating Ashmore Group’s (LSE:ASHM) current 9.5% payout. This yield’s largely been driven by management maintaining dividends despite its share price tumbling by more than 50% over the last five years. So if dividends are seemingly here to stay, is this secretly a lucrative opportunity for income investors? The bull case Ashmore’s share price weakness since 2020 has been driven predominantly by poor returns within emerging markets. As an investment specialist in this field, performance has suffered greatly as economically weaker countries struggled to…
Image source: Getty Images Retiring with a £1m SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension) is a financial goal shared by most investors. After all, who doesn’t love the idea of being a millionaire and enjoying the financial freedom it provides? The good news is, even investors from modest backgrounds can reach this milestone. But how long does it take? And how much money do you need to invest? The path to seven figures By consistently drip feeding small sums of capital each month into high-quality businesses, the wealth-building process eventually snowballs into something spectacular. And by leveraging the tax relief advantages of…
Image source: The Motley Fool Warren Buffett’s every move is analysed under a microscope — and with good reason. As the driving force behind Berkshire Hathaway, he’s created one of the most successful investment records in history. But what does his latest trading activity reveal? And are there lessons here for UK investors? While Buffett doesn’t typically invest in UK-listed companies, many shares on the FTSE 100 have similar characteristics to those in his portfolio — global reach, pricing power, and consistent cash generation. In particular, two recent Berkshire Holdings — Johnson & Johnson and Constellation Brands — remind me…
Image source: Getty Images The FTSE 100 stormed through the 9,000 mark in July. And some familiar names led the charge, with Rolls-Royce shares up 14% during the month. At the other end of the scale, shares in housebuilders were among some of the biggest fallers. But I think there are other opportunities worth considering, both from the FTSE 100 and elsewhere. Bunzl Bunzl‘s (LSE:BNZL) a growth stock. It’s a distributor of things like carrier bags, food packaging, and safety equipment that aims to expand by acquiring smaller businesses. The reason I say it’s a growth stock is that you…
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Image source: Getty Images Lloyds (LSE:LLOY) shares are among some of the most popular investments among UK investors. And it’s not entirely hard to understand why. After all, the banking giant serves a mission-critical role within the UK economy that gives it several desirable defensive traits. And pairing that with a tasty-looking 4.2% dividend yield, snapping up some shares could be a terrific way to unlock a reliable and consistent passive income. So let’s say an investor wants to earn £1,000 a month from Lloyds dividends. How many shares do they need to buy? And is it actually a good…