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Child Savings and Investment

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
What are you doing about your child's savings?

Are you investing for your child?

Having children is not cheap by any means these days, especially when you consider the long term basis. The older your children get, the more they will end up costing you, especially when you consider education costs which are rising with every passing year. It may seem easy to put saving and investing for your child’s future off, since higher education is so far away when your kids are young, but it is absolutely vital that you start saving now if you want to make sure that your children have everything they need in life, even far into the future. Surveys are luckily beginning to suggest that as a whole, we are beginning to realize how important it is to save ahead of time for the future. Saving and investing for the future of your children is a necessary parental responsibility. Here is some basic information on how to save for your children, and a look at some of the available financial products that may help you with this process.

* Bank Accounts –

The first step that many parents take toward saving for the futures of their children is to open a savings account on the behalf of each child, making small cash deposits over time. Most banks have accounts that are designed specifically to tailor to children, often offering a higher interest rate and other incentives like savings club memberships for kids, piggy banks, badges and other toys. Even if you are not sure how often you will be able to make deposits, it is still a good idea to set a deposit account up as soon as possible so that it is there any time you want to put money aside. It is surprising how quickly this money can add up if you are diligent about depositing it.

* Tax –

Children are subject to income taxes on their bank accounts just as adults are. They do receive a tax allowance, and they will not be taxed on the interest as long as their total income does not exceed this allowance over the span of the financial year. This only applies to savings accrued by relative or friend gifts so the money that you deposit will be naturally subject to the tax amount.

* Trust Funds for Children –

Trust funds are a unique way for parents to invest money into their children’s futures, creating a fund that belongs to the child but only after they reach a certain age. Most trusts last until the child turns 18, meaning as soon as they reach adulthood they will have access to a savings fund of money that will help them with purchases like buying a car, going to school and so on. Money can be invested into these funds every year, and you can choose between savings funds, shares funds and stakeholder funds depending on your needs and the needs of your family.

There are lots of other possibilities when it comes to savings methods for your children, including bonds, savings accounts, trust funds, investments, shares and stocks. Some are not designed specifically for children, but all can benefit the child as long as you are willing to manage them on the behalf of your children until they are old enough to handle the management their own selves.

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Originally posted 2008-12-18 05:17:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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How Do Savings Bonds Work?

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
Savings Bonds

What are Savings Bonds?

Savings bonds are a major offering in credit unions and at banks. It is important to know what savings bonds are all about so that you can understand whether or not they will benefit you in any way. This page is going to take you through some of the basics of what savings bonds are and how they are used.

What are Savings Bonds?

Savings bonds are securities that are issued by the United States Treasury Department. They are designed to provide funding dollars for the United States Government. In return for making use of your money, the government can then pay you interest. This discussion is going to specifically focus on covering EE Savings Bonds and I Savings Bonds.

How much interest is earned in Savings Bonds?

The interest rates generally depend upon the economic conditions. As interest rates in general begin to rise, so will the interest rates that are paid on these savings bonds. If you are looking for exact numbers based on the current conditions, the best resource is the website for the Bureau of Public Debt. In general, you will find that the interest rates are fairly competitive as far as safe, government backed investments go, and you may even benefit from additional tax incentives to enhance the returns that you receive.

What Tax Benefits are offered by Savings Bonds?

This is really going to depend on your individual situation. Depending on your situation, you may be able to earn some really nice benefits simply by using savings bonds. For starters, for example, savings bonds do not pay periodic interest that is subject to an income tax. Instead, they increase in value over the span of years. What this means is that you can delay claiming the interest until your bonds are redeemed, or until they mature, which is around 30 years following their issuance. If you do not want to claim the income now, but you want to claim the income later instead, then savings bonds can make this possible.

Another tax benefit that is associated with savings bonds is the Educational Tax Exclusion, or the Educational Savings Bond Program. If you cash your bonds in for use for qualified higher education related expenses, you may be able to exclude that income all together from your taxes. It is important that you are sure to follow the rule regarding the expenses, income limits and other regulations that exist if you want to take full advantage of this. For more information about this exclusion program, visit the website for the Savings Bond for Education Program.

Finally, savings bond interest is exempt both from state income taxes and local income taxes. What this means is that you can spend more of what you earn without worrying about the taxes. Depending on your state that you live in, this may be a big deal, but it may be insignificant instead so find out about your state’s regulations before you invest.

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Originally posted 2008-12-10 05:03:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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