Personal Finance

When you buy a bond, you’re loaning money to the bond’s issuer—which could be a corporation, a local municipality, a government agency or the federal government—with the intention of receiving back your initial investment and, in most cases, interest. But not all bonds are created equal.

Pump-and-dump stock scams are nothing new. These scams have been a mainstay of financial fraudsters for centuries. And while technology has changed the way they operate, the underlying principles and motivations of these unlawful practices remain the same.

Reading, writing, arithmetic … and finance? Teaching kids about financial concepts and prudent decision-making can help them become financially proficient adults and deserves a spot alongside early learning basics. Here are four tips to help build a foundation for financial fluency.

1. Talk About Money

Beginning discussions about money, budgeting and saving when kids are young helps to normalize the conversation.

Digital integration is a key component of modern society, with investors increasingly using mobile devices to access financial accounts and online applications allowing for investments to be made quickly from anywhere with phone service or Wi-Fi. However, with this convenience comes risk—scammers understand this reliance and continue to exploit it to steal data and wealth from investors.

If you’ve ever collected a horde of spare coins in a jar—saving them for years before placing them in rolls and depositing them at the bank—you’ve had an introduction to the principle of micro-investing. Micro-investing refers to the process of regularly investing small amounts of money to build up a stake over time while participating in financial markets.

As you might have learned from your heavy coin jar, even spare change can gradually grow into a significant sum if saved regularly. And for many of us, doing without these funds wouldn’t impact our lifestyle.

Money management and investment strategies might not seem like the most romantic conversation topics, but they’re among the most important when you’re thinking of marriage or a long-term partnership. Disagreements over money are a common source of tension for couples and often cited as a reason for divorce or a parting of ways, making these discussions impossible to avoid as you build a life together and plan and save for your future.

Getting a pay raise can be exciting and even life-changing. And while there’s nothing wrong with the occasional splurge (if you can afford it), consider dedicating part of your new pay hike to a long-term wealth-building strategy.

If you want to maximize the impact of your raise, here are some ways you might use the extra cash.

Interval funds are closed-end investment companies that might appeal to investors looking for different ways to diversify their portfolio by providing access and exposure to illiquid strategies or alternative assets.

Did you know that, in most cases, you must start taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your retirement accounts each year once you reach age 73? IRS rules require that you take withdrawals from individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and employer-sponsored retirement plans to avoid costly penalties.

Be sure you understand the requirements about RMDs and how they apply to you.

Health savings accounts (HSAs) are investment accounts that allow you to set aside pre-tax dollars for “qualified medical expenses” to pay for outlays not covered by your health insurance plan. By setting aside money pre-tax, your contributions don’t count toward your adjusted gross income at the end of the year. But in order to take advantage of HSAs, you’ll need to understand how they work and the rules that apply.