Re: Newbies to investing
I plan on building one of these once I get enough money saved up.
CD Ladders: A Smart Savings Strategy
Linda Builds a Ladder
To understand how it works, let’s look at an example. Linda has $5,000 in excess cash and wants it to earn as much interest as possible without risking her principal. At the moment, her bank's five-year CD offers the highest rate, but she's nervous about locking up her money that long, and is wary of rates rising after she commits herself.
The ladder strategy directly addresses both concerns. As shown in the chart, instead of putting all her money in a five-year CD, she splits it among five different CDs, with terms ranging between one and five years. As each one matures, she reinvests the proceeds in a new five-year certificate.
Attachment 7004
By diversifying across five different CDs, Linda avoids an all-or-nothing bet that the current five-year rate is the best one that will be available over that time period. She also gains some liquidity: While each CD still has a penalty for early withdrawal, she'll never have to wait more than a year to access a portion of her money.
Put Your Rungs Close Together or Far Apart
Instead of a tall multi-year ladder, you can also create a shorter, more liquid one. For example, if you're holding cash for emergency needs, consider splitting it into three CDs with maturities ranging from one to three months. As each one matures, reinvest the proceeds in a new three-month CD. That way, you'll always be within a month of getting your hands on your money.
Last edited by JTH; 01-30-2010 at 07:17 PM.
I'm looking for an entry below $EMW's 669, but I'll take whatever the market is willing to give.
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