Fixed bond interest rates
2. Fidelity commissioned Corporate Insight to study bond pricing, available online, for self-directed retail investors from five brokers that offer corporate and municipal bonds. The study compared online bond prices for over 20, 000 municipal and corporate inventory matches between September 2nd and October 6th, 2015. It compared municipal and corporate inventories offered online in quantities of at least $10, 000 face or par value. The study found on average that three competitors that bundled their markups or fees into their online bond prices were asking an average of $13.97 more per bond. Corporate Insight determined the average cost differential by calculating the difference between the costs of matching corporate and municipal bond inventory at Fidelity vs. these markup-based firms in the study, then averaging the differences across all of the competitor firms. Hypothetical cost savings of $286 is based on an average size order of $22, 000 face or par value bonds and average cost differential of $13 per bond.
3. For the purposes of FDIC insurance coverage limits, all depository assets of the accountholder at the institution that issued the CD will generally be counted toward the aggregate limit (usually $250, 000) for each applicable category of account. FDIC insurance does not cover market losses. All of the new issue brokered CDs Fidelity offers are FDIC insured. In some cases, CDs may be purchased on the secondary market at a price that reflects a premium to their principal value. This premium is ineligible for FDIC insurance. For details on FDIC insurance limits, see . 4. Fixed annuities available at Fidelity are issued by third-party insurance companies, which are not affiliated with any Fidelity Investments company. These products are distributed by Fidelity Insurance Agency, Inc., and, for certain products, Fidelity Brokerage Services, Member NYSE, SIPC . Some deferred fixed annuities have a market value adjustment (MVA), which generally applies if a client surrenders the contract or withdraws funds in excess of the free withdrawal amount before the end of the guarantee period. The amount the client receives will be adjusted based on interest rate conditions at that time.
Each individual's situation is unique and therefore seeking additional guidance from a tax advisor is suggested. Although deferred fixed annuities offer tax-deferral, if you are considering one to fund a qualified retirement plan or IRA, you should do so for the annuity's features and benefits other than tax deferral. In such cases, tax deferral is not an additional benefit of the deferred fixed annuity.
5. A contract's financial guarantees are solely the responsibility of and are subject to the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
You could lose money by investing in a money market fund. An investment in a money market fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Before investing, always read a money market fund’s prospectus for policies specific to that fund.
In general, the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk, liquidity risk, call risk, and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so holding them until maturity to avoid losses caused by price volatility is not possible. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.
High-yield/non-investment-grade bonds involve greater price volatility and risk of default than investment-grade bonds.
ETFs are subject to market fluctuation and the risks of their underlying investments. ETFs are subject to management fees and other expenses. Unlike mutual funds, ETF shares are bought and sold at market price, which may be higher or lower than their NAV, and are not individually redeemed from the fund.
Fidelity makes certain new issue products available without a separate transaction fee. Fidelity may receive compensation from issuers for participating in the offering as a selling group member and/or underwriter. For representative assisted treasury auction orders, a $19.95 transaction fee applies.