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omes to investing your money, you’ll probably know by now that you have numerous options to choose from.

In fact, it can feel like a bit of a minefield and sometimes you may not know if you’ve made the right choice.

Should you choose a bond fund, equity fund, property fund or a money market cash fund? Or any other type of fund?

So, what is a Money Market fund?

They are essentially unit trusts that aim to provide investors with an income from risk-free, short-term cash and cash-like holdings.

Some investors have been selling their share funds and have opted for security by pouring millions into these types of funds. In our experience, this type of investor will tend not to have a proper risk assessed portfolio, rather a collection of disparate investments, and may be doing it all themselves.

The money manager of their choice will place this money into bank deposits, certificates of deposit*, very short-term fixed interest securities and floating rate notes**.

Most Money Market funds require relatively low minimum investments - typically around £500. They are also quite low-charging, typically with no initial charges and an annual management fee between 0.25% and 0.50%.

So, in short, these funds are cheap, accessible and low risk. In these turbulent investment times, what could be better?

However, if you are paying an annual fee for a Money Market fund, it would be reasonable to expect that the fund manager would beat the return available from conventional, high street savings accounts.

Unfortunately, most Money Market funds aren’t performing better than traditional savings accounts!

Just take a look at their track record performance:

1 year - 3.8%

5 Year - 15.7%

10 Year - 41.2%

Put simply, leading savings deposit accounts would do similar or better!

So what is going on here?

The problem is that some funds are taking more risk than others, which drags the averages down. Conventional Money Market funds invest in deposit accounts and short-term, high-quality debt. But, lately, some funds have taken to investing in riskier assets such as lower-grade corporate (company) debt and longer-term loans.

The idea of course is to generate a better return. The downside is that defaults are occurring more frequently and with less liquidity (yet another repercussion of the credit crunch).

As an example, one leading fund has actually produced a negative (-3.9%) return over a year. This is worrying, since these funds are supposed to protect your capital.

So, taking the scope of returns into account, these funds actually seem quite expensive in terms of running charges. What’s more, the investment strategy of some funds is hardly low-risk and consequently are all exposed to some degree of market volatility.

In addition, it is difficult to determine the quality of the debt instruments your money is being invested in. US Funds have been feeling the impact of the subprime debt crisis for some time now, with falling interest rates putting pressure on returns. So the question is; will it soon be a similar story in the UK?

Since there are a number of market-leading, easy access savings accounts that are paying interest rates of 6 - 6.5% without any market risk at all, then if you are going to invest in a Money Market Fund, on paper it may NOT be the best option for your money.

* Certificates of deposit = A time deposit (i.e. a deposit with a specified maturity) made at a bank which pays fixed or floating rates of interest. The lender receives a certificate that a deposit has been made which can then be sold in the secondary market whenever cash is needed.

** Floating Rate Notes = Bonds and other debt instruments that carry a variable (i.e. floating) rate of interest, usually linked to a reference rate such as the LIBOR.

# Source: Investment Management Association, IMA. March 2008.

The Financial Tips Bottom Line

We have written many articles on the folly of ‘jumping ship’ and having no clear investment philosophy.

It really can’t be stressed enough - be an investor, not a gambler.

ACTION POINT

If you have a Money Market Fund, review this urgently. Contact your planner or adviser, and ensure you are getting the most from your investments.

Ever wondered what money market funds are and how they can help you make the most out of your money?

Well, money market funds are fixed, short term investments in low risk holdings or securities. By law money market funds must invest in low risk mutual funds making them a good way for existing investors to diversify their interests or for newcomers to launch themselves into the marketplace.

Choosing a Money Market Fund

Money market funds can generate returns in a relatively short time span in accordance with interest rates, and can be redeemed at any time, which is why they are an ideal low risk option for people wanting to preserve their money in a volatile market.

These money market funds are essentially part of a mutual fund which invests in such things as government securities and low risk stocks and bonds. However, because money market funds are part of mutual funds they are not secured investments and are therefore not insured to cover losses.

Losses in the money market are rare as money market shares are able to consistently maintain a net asset value of $1.00 per share. The net asset value of a share is usually determined at the end of a trading day and it is only when investments perform very poorly that the value will drop below $1.00.

Investing In Money Market Funds

Some money market mutual funds can offer tax exemptions by investing in short term debts. However, before investing make sure you work out your final tax obligations.

In order to find the best mutual funds you need to consider how the investment can work for you. For example, money market funds all have a ranking in the marketplace so be sure to do your research and find out where they sit.

The next step is to work out how much money you have to invest as this will determine the best mutual funds to help you establish the portfolio you are after. There are money market directories that can be used to compare different funds and calculate expected risks.

You also need to be aware of the rates and charges that come with money market funds. Although these will differ between funds, most incur an initial sales fee, ongoing management fees and transaction fees. To be competitive money market funds will offer different packages for different classes of investors. Some packages may include a flat rate advisory fee while others will incur a fee that decreases as your portfolio value increases. Fees can also be allocated according to the value of a group of funds instead of a single fund.



Finding the Best Mutual Fund

Money market funds require compulsory professional management, undertaken by third party mutual fund managers. This means control of your fund is put into the hands of your fund manager, another reason to ensure you are choosing the right money market fund.

Mutual fund managers research different investment options and have the power to buy, sell and trade your funds on the market. A skilled fund manager will have the ability to forecast the financial viability of a certain asset or investment and make adjustments in accordance with the fund’s set financial principals.

Another major role of mutual fund managers is to predict the financial situation of the fund itself. This means managers need to calculate how much money will be entering and exiting the fund through investors in order to plan for future investments.

Like any investments, money market funds can have both positive and negative returns, but at all costs are the most low risk way of investing your money into the marketplace.

Investment in money market instruments is a common strategy that financial experts advice people who aim at building wealth to make use of.

But then, thousands of people in different occupations other than commerce or business related careers might be interested in this kind of investment but lack the way forward.

Surprisingly, even some renowned entrepreneurs or even scholars in the same field are very disoriented with what happens in the money or stock exchange markets.

Other people who currently are investors or players of the same market depend fully on the knowledge and expertise of the stockbrokers and do not strive to understand the operations.

For the sake of those needing basic information about the stock exchange markets, this article will tackle part of the substantial data that investors need to learn about.

What is a money market?

It is a well-structured system of exchange where contributors can loan and borrow huge amounts of money for a given period of time not exceeding one year.

Who can be the contributors?

Money markets are a great opportunity for governments, big institutions and other businesses to execute money.

Also the individuals with a desire to be participants but invest in smaller amounts while taking the advantage of high security and liquidity of their funds are welcome.

Why do individuals participate?

People who become participants of the money markets do it because they feel that money kept in the banks is safe but lying dormant.

If it were invested in these markets in form of the available instruments, the owners can wait until such a time when the interest rates on them are favorable and sell them.

It is the value of the next best option foregone as a result of making a decision to hold funds in cash that these participants avoids by investing in stock markets.

You see, by keeping dormant funds in the banks because you got no immediate need for it generates nothing than if the same was transacted in such a money market for a given period of time.

The instruments at the money markets

Individual investors mostly choose to buy the short-term money market instruments because these are deemed to be safer and can easily be converted to cash easily.

These can range from a day to a full year but a good percentage mature after three months or even less.

They are actively traded in the market where investors buy securities from other investors, and not from issuing companies and therefore the cash proceeds go to an investor rather than to the principal entity openly.

This is what financiers call the secondary markets, and it makes it possible for an investor to sell them ahead of end date at the current price but foregoing the interest amount that would have been gained if such instruments were held till maturity.

The pre-purchase decisions

It is very important that ahead of making a purchase decision for these instruments, you consult persons who specialize in these.

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A money market account (MMA) is a high interest savings account, which can be opened quickly and easily at almost any bank, like any regular savings account. MMA pays higher interest than a regular account, has higher minimum balance requirements, $1,000 to $2,500, and allows three to six withdrawals per month.  

The money deposited in a money market account is invested through the bank or credit union, which collects the return. The interest paid to the account beneficiary is left in the account, but the bank loans that money to other accounts by charging a slightly higher interest for the loan than the interest paid to the account beneficiary. Therefore, the bank makes money by selling money, but it offers the flexibility to the account beneficiary to get the money quickly and easily and without having to pay any sort of penalties. 

A certificate of deposit (CD) is issued by commercial banks and brokerage firms, with specified interest rate and maturity date. Maturity date may be from three months to five years and the funds may not be withdrawn on demand before the maturity date. At the end of the term, which is typically three months up to one year, the deposit is returned with interest.  

Certificates of deposit are relatively safe and account beneficiaries know the return they will receive before maturity date. CDs have higher returns than savings accounts and they protect the beneficiary from the fluctuations of the stock market. On the other hand, the returns are lower than other investments, including money market accounts and the money is tied up until maturity, without the option to get it out without paying a harsh penalty.  

Money market accounts provide greater liquidity than certificates of deposit since the beneficiary may withdraw the money at any time without penalty, but they tend to have lower interest rates than certificates of deposit. On the other hand, a certificate of deposit is purchased for quite long time. Investors know that penalties for early withdrawal are expensive depending on how much money is invested in the CD. Also, by withdrawing the money before maturity means that investors lose as much as 6 months of the interest that the investment has already earned. 

Conclusively, certificates of deposit offer an easy solution for risk-adverse investors, who want only to maintain their capital as they can calculate expected earnings on maturity. However, money market accounts are preferable. The reason is that brokerages firms automatically sweep the uninvested cash into money markets to earn interest between investments. This is ideal for the regular investors, who can use the funds immediately to purchase stocks, bonds, or mutual funds.

Financial instruments found in the debt market include:

1. Term Deposits

2. Government bonds

3. Treasury Bills (T-Bills)

4. Money Market Funds

5. Corporate Bonds and Debentures

6. Domestic Bond Funds.

In this article, we will only discuss the term deposits, government bonds, treasury bills and money market fund.

1. Term DepositsTerm Deposits are qualifying instruments for tax shelter and will share the following characteristics.

a) Short-Term Deposit: less than 1 year

b) Long-Term Deposit: to 5 years.

Interest Rate: depends on length of deposit and competitive interest rates available in the marketplace.Long-term investments are called Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs) and can be purchased for a lesser amount such as $500. They are also called a Certificate of Deposit (CD). Rates may vary as little as 0.10% amongst the deposit takers.Term Deposits may be cashed prior to maturity, but this may incur a penalty. GICs generally cannot be cashed before they mature, although some deposit takers are now more flexible.

2. Government saving bonds

Country residency is required and guaranteed by the country of issuer.

a) Are registered bonds that provide protection against loss, theft or destruction.

b) Are not transferable.

c) Can be purchased for a minimum of $100 to a maximum of $500,000.

d) The interest is taxable and is competitive with GICs.

e)  Mature in 10 to 12 years.

In Canada, Canadian saving bonds are issued as either R bonds or C bonds.

In US, US saving bonds are issued as series EE bonds, Series I BondsThe investment risk for government savings bonds Issued by Canadian government or US government is nil, since the bond is guaranteed by the federal government.

3) Treasury bills (T bill)Treasury bills are a short term money market instrument and issued by the federal government in terms of 30, 60, 91, 182 and 364 days. They are sold by auction.Banks and investment houses buy at wholesale in multiples of $5 million denominations. They then sell these T-Bills to brokers and investment dealers who break down their purchases into $1,000 lots.

T bills are sold discount to their face values and also sold on the secondary market and their value fluctuates depending on competitive interest rates at the times of resell.The short-term nature of T-Bills does not cause a large exposure to interest rate risk, but to some extent there is an inflation risk.If a T-Bill is sold before maturity, any gain is taxed as interest.

4. Money market fundsMoney market fund holds T bills and other short term money market contracts. Investors pool the investments through the mutual fund. Units in this fund can be bought and sold daily. Money market funds produce capital gains although their primary function is to generate interest income. Interest is generally paid monthly, while capital gains are paid annually.The benefits of money market funds include

a) Security of principal

b) Liquidity.

c) Eligible for plan registration

I hope this information will help. If you need more information, you can read the complete series of the above subject at my home page:

Kyle J. Norton

http://lifeanddisabitityinsuranceunderwriter.blogspot.com

/http://financialinvesting12.blogspot.com/

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