Buying Bonds On Etrade
A bond is an investment that involves loaning money to a corporation or government for a specified period of time. The interest rate on the debt is fixed. When you invest in bonds, you are providing cash to companies or government agencies that want to finance projects or programs. When you invest in bonds, you can typically count on receiving interest payments every six months. E*Trade is an online investing platform that provides opportunities to buy and sell all sorts of assets, including bonds. This article will outline the steps to take in buying bonds on E*Trade.
buying bonds on etrade
Backed by the full faith and credit of the US government, Treasury bonds are considered the highest credit quality and most liquid fixed income investments available. They range in maturity from short term (generally 1-3 years) to intermediate term (3-10 years) to longer term (10+ years), providing investors a variety of time horizons and risk levels. While Treasuries generally offer lower yields relative to other bonds, they are considered a safe haven in times of economic uncertainty or market volatility.
E*TRADE charges $0 commission for online US-listed stock, ETF, mutual fund, and options trades. Exclusions may apply and E*TRADE reserves the right to charge variable commission rates. The standard options contract fee is $0.65 per contract (or $0.50 per contract for customers who execute at least 30 stock, ETF, and options trades per quarter). The retail online $0 commission does not apply to Over-the-Counter (OTC) securities transactions, foreign stock transactions, large block transactions requiring special handling, futues, or fixed income investments. Service charges apply for trades placed through a broker ($25). Stock plan account transactions are subject to a separate commission schedule. All fees and expenses as described in a fund's prospectus still apply. Additional regulatory and exchange fees may apply. For more information about pricing, visit etrade.com/pricing.
Before investing in bonds, you should carefully consider and understand the risks involved. All bonds are subject to market risk and interest rate risk and you may lose money. Bonds sold by issuers with lower credit ratings may offer higher yields than bonds issued by higher-rated or "investment grade" issuers, but are usually associated with higher risks. High-yield bonds generally have a greater risk of default, which increases the risk that an issuer may be unable to pay interest and principal on the issue. In addition, high-yield bonds tend to have higher interest rate risk and liquidity risk, particularly in volatile market conditions, which makes it more difficult to sell the bonds.
Additionally, Treasuries are susceptible to fluctuations in interest rates, and because interest rates move inversely with bond prices, there is a risk that the value of existing bonds will fall as interest rates rise. The longer the maturity, the more sensitive its market value is to changes in interest rates.
The US Treasury issues new bonds at regularly scheduled auctions. E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley customers can view the Treasury Auction Schedule and place orders, or buy and sell Treasuries on the secondary market in the Bond Resource Center at any time.
To get started with bonds, visit our comprehensive Bond Resource Center. Use our Advanced Screener to quickly find the right bonds for you. Or call our Fixed Income Specialists at (866-420-0007) if you need additional help.
All bonds and fixed income products are subject to interest rate risk and you may lose money. Bonds sold by issuers with lower credit ratings may offer higher yields than bonds issued by higher rated or "investment grade" issuers, but are usually associated with higher risks. High yield bonds, also known as "junk bonds", generally have a greater risk of default, which increases the risk that an issuer may be unable to pay interest and principal on the issue. In addition, high yield bonds tend to have higher interest rate risk and liquidity risk, particularly in volatile market conditions, which makes it more difficult to sell the bonds. Before investing in high yield bonds, you should carefully consider and understand the risks associated with investing in high yield bonds.
You may also purchase bonds on the secondary market by transacting with someone who already owns the bond, such as another investor or securities dealer. If you want to sell your bonds prior to maturity, that would also be done on the secondary market. Depending on price movement, you may incur a gain or loss on the sale of your bonds in the secondary market.
Corporate bonds are issued by public or private corporations. Corporations issue bonds for a variety of reasons. They can help finance general business expenses, expand operations, or provide a source of funding for acquisitions. Corporate bonds generally carry more risk than government-issued bonds but offer higher yields in return.
Municipal bonds are issued by states, cities, counties, and other local governments to help fund public projects. Municipal bonds are popular amongst bond investors due to their tax advantages. Most municipal bonds are tax-exempt at the federal level, and may offer tax exemptions at state and local levels for residents of the issuing state.
There are two main categories of municipal bonds: general obligation (GO) and revenue bonds. GO bonds are secured by the taxing authority of the issuing state or municipality. Revenue bonds are backed by the income generated by the public project the bond is funding.
Treasury bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government. As a result, they are generally considered to be the safest bond investments. Due to their high credit quality and low risk profile, Treasury bonds typically offer lower yields compared to other investments. Interest income from Treasury bonds are usually exempt from state and local taxes and are only subject to federal taxes. The US Treasury issues new bonds with varying maturities at regularly scheduled auctions. You can view the Treasury Auction Schedule to see when the Treasury is issuing new bonds. Or, you can buy and sell Treasuries on the secondary market on our Bond Resource Center at any time.
This page focuses on buying for yourself or a child whose account is linked to yours. If you are planning to give a savings bond as a gift, also see our page on Giving savings bonds as gifts. You can print a certificate announcing your gift. See our selection of announcement cards.
In any one calendar year, you may buy up to $10,000 in Series EE electronic savings bonds AND up to $10,000 in Series I electronic savings bonds for yourself as owner of the bonds. That is in addition to the amount you can spend on buying savings bonds for a child or as gifts.
For example: If you want to buy $50 Series I savings bonds and you ask your employer to send $25 from each paycheck to your TreasuryDirect account, we issue a $50 bond for you after every other payday. You don't have to think about it again or do anything else. You keep getting more savings bonds automatically until you change or end your Payroll Savings Plan.
We may issue multiple bonds to fill your order. The bonds may be of different denominations. We use $50, $100, $200, $500, and $1,000 bonds. Again, the amount of your purchase can be any multiple of $50, from $50 to $5,000. You need to tell us only the amount. We determine denominations.
On Form 8888, you also specify who will own the bonds. That means, you can give paper savings bonds to yourself or to anyone else (as a gift). If you have enough money in your refund, you can buy multiple bonds and, if you wish, you can give them multiple registrations.
For Notes, Bonds, Bills, and FRNs, you may use reinvestments to continue to hold Treasury marketable securities. In a reinvestment, you are buying the same type of security with the funds from a maturing one. For example, you can use the money from a maturing 52-week bill to buy another 52-week bill.
If you meet the qualifications, you can proceed with opening a TreasuryDirect account. This account allows you to purchase bonds (including Series EE bonds) as well as Treasury bills, Treasury notes, Treasury bonds and TIPS right from the government. 041b061a72