Five sites where you can find smart interest rates.

 Although we hear, a lot of opinions about interest rates, and their trends and effects, very few understand the importance and importance/relevance of these rates in many areas of our lives! After many decades of involvement in political campaigns, leadership, leadership training/planning, real estate, financial sales and consulting, etc., I firmly believed, a gain, from understanding, about these and how they affect, many things , in our lives! Whether related to personal, organizational, and/or, public finance/expenses, home ownership and related costs, credit related issues, business matters, stock and bond pricing, etc., interest rates are, indeed, significantly , matters! With that in mind, this article will attempt to consider, examine, review, and discuss, briefly, 5 of these areas, and how cost of money makes a significant difference

1. Bond Prices and Interest Rates: Bond prices are usually the opposite - related to interest rates! When these rates go down, prices go up, and when they go up, the reverse happens! Bonds, as is known, have a par value, which is the price, at the end of the term, paid up. Markets typically set these at $100, which represents $1,000 per bond at maturity. However, during this period, the pricing may rise or fall, which affects the liquidity related issues!

2.Mortgage Rates: For the past few years, we have been seeing and experiencing record-low, mortgage interest rates, which have helped the overall, real estate/housing market, in particular, in terms of value addition! In most areas of this country, we are seeing home prices at their highest, by a significant, dramatic amount! When this rate is lower, a home buyer is able to buy more homes for his rupee, as his monthly payment is much lower! However, consider what could be the possible impact and implications, when these rates inevitably rise?

3 Consumer Loans: Helping the Automobile Industry in terms of lower cost of borrowing, consumer financing, etc.! However, not as much as other vehicles, the rates on credit card loans are low, and often, short-term promotions, deals are offered! However, since most of this is variable, and based on an index etc, what happens when it increases?

4. Business Lending: Another area that has been affected is the business cost of borrowing! Currently, they have access to relatively, cheap - money, which helps reduce the cost of borrowing, overall operations, purchasing inventory, etc. But, what happens, when this tick-up happens?

5. Impact on stock market prices: For some time now, because bonds have paid very little, in terms of dividends etc., many have assumed, the stock market, the only game, in town! In addition, many corporations have, better-off, than they probably are, and we have seen, the ratio of prices is higher than before! How long will it run? How high can it go?

Many factors affect these issues, notably: real and/or perceived inflation; consumer confidence; Politics/Government Actions/Federal Reserve etc. The more you know, and understand, hopefully, the better prepared you will be.