“When your dream appears as an opportunity, you must have ready cash to take it home with you.”

- Anonymous

Welcome to Money-Smarts, MsMoney.com's weekly newsletter of financial facts, features, and tools. Money-Smarts is designed to provide quick and useful information to help secure your financial future. Enjoy, and tell a friend about MsMoney.com!

In This Week's Issue:

• Market Summary for Friday, October 27, 2000
• Tips for the Week: Daily Advice to Help Get You Through the Week
• Read the Latest: The Female Finance Factor
• Run the Numbers: What’s the Rate of Return of Various Investments?

Market Summary for Friday, October 27:

Close

Net Change

Percent Change

DJIA

10590.62

+210.50

+2.03%

NASDAQ

3278.36

+6.18

+0.19%

S&P 500

1379.57

+15.13

+1.11%

30-Year Bond

5.74%

----

N/A

Source: Reuters

Tips for the Week: Daily Advice to Help Get You Through the Week

Monday: Consider international investments. With more than 50% of the world’s capital market opportunities existing outside the U.S., a purely domestic investment strategy can severely limit your long-term earnings potential.

Tuesday: Look for imaginative ways to provide less costly care for your children--check out neighborhood art classes, tennis or music lessons, or volunteer centers. These options are frequently less expensive than childcare centers, expose your children to new interests and skills, and some providers can even arrange to pick your kids up from school.

Wednesday: With bonds, the longer the period to maturity, the greater the potential for price fluctuation. That is why long-term bonds generally offer a higher interest rate--to compensate for the greater level of risk. Learn more about investing in bonds.

Thursday: Take yourself and your financial objectives seriously, or no one else will. Financial choices that you make today will determine what you can and can’t do with all your tomorrows. Learn more about setting--and sticking to--your financial goals.

Friday: The best antidote for investment risk is to make informed decisions, take consistent action, and invest for long-term wealth. Learn more about risk reduction strategies.

Read the Latest: The Female Finance Factor

By Dr. Judith Briles

Contrary to popular belief, women and money do go hand-in-hand. The current perception is that most women continue to be tentative about managing their finances, either online or off, because historically, men have handled the majority of the family's finances. Not so anymore.

In a recent research study of more than 1000 men and women, the first WingspanBank.com Financial Index confirmed just the opposite. In fact, the study showed, women, on average, hold the primary responsibility for managing most of the financial activities for their household, including the checking account, paying and reviewing bills, deciding where to bank, saving, investing, and creating a budget.

Furthermore, women are twice as likely as men are to assume the title of Chief Financial Officer of their family. More-->

Run the Numbers: What's the Rate of Return for Various Investments?

Click here to calculate the future value of a lump sum investment depending on what interest rate it’s earning.

Questions

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