U. S. Savings Bonds

Your financial institution sells and redeems government savings bonds. When you purchase a savings bond, you pay half the value of the bond. When the bond matures, you can cash it in for the face value. When you buy a savings bond, you are lending the government money. The extra money you get when you cash the bond is the interest the government pays to use your money.

Tips to care for your savings bonds:

• Put them in a safe place.
• Keep records by recording the serial numbers and the date the bonds mature.

Investing

A way to make your money grow is to invest it. Investing is buying something in the belief that it will grow in value. Investing money can be risky. You can turn your hobby into an investment. If you collect items such as Baseball cards, other trading cards, comic books, coins, dolls, etc., you are investing money. To make your investment grow in value, you need to know which items are valuable and which are not.

Tips On Collectibles:

1. Be knowledgeable. Join a club, attend shows, read books and price guides that deal with what you collect.
2. Look in unlikely places. Shop at yard sales, flea markets, and junk stores. Someone else's junk might be your treasure.
3. Keep records. Keep a list of what you have and include what price you paid for each item along with what you sold or traded it for.
4. Keep your collection in good condition. Items that are in mint condition are worth more. Store your items in containers that will keep them looking new.

Turning your hobby into an investment is great! But you need to enjoy collecting. Investing in collectibles only for the money may be disappointing.

Planting the Seeds of a Savings Habit

The best way to build a savings account is to make saving a habit. Save something every time you get some money. Pay yourself first and treat savings like a bill you owe.

Think of these deposits like seeds you plant in a garden. These small seeds will turn into a lot of greenery if you plant and care for them. Small deposits, made regularly, to your savings account will turn into a lot of greenery too.

Where does money come from?

Ever wonder where money actually comes from? Well, paper money is produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, a division of the U.S. Treasury Department, which is based in Washington, DC.

Coins, on the other hand, are produced by the U.S. Mint, also a division of the U.S. treasury Department, which has production facilities located throughout the United States, including Philadelphia, PA; Denver, CO; San Francisco, CA; and West Point, NY.

The most commonly produced bill is the $1 bill. In 1995, the most recent year for which production figures are available, the Bureau produced more than 4 billion $1 bills. Stretched end-to-end, the bills would circle the globe 15 times!

The Bureau also produces about 70 percent of the nation's postage stamps, with the other 30% being printed by private companies. The Mint, in addition to producing our country's coin supply, is also responsible for keeping the nations gold deposits safe at Fort Knox, KY.

Magic Money

Money is used to make a lot of things happen. Here's an easy magic trick you can do!

While you look away, have a friend pick one of 5 nickels and remember the date. Tell him to hold it tightly in his hand and think of the date for at least 30 seconds. Then tell him to put it back on the table and mix up the coins. When you turn around you touch each one and then just like magic you can tell your friend the date of the nickel he picked.

The Secret: The coin your friend picked will be the warmest from being held tightly in his hand!