The truth is safe high yield investing depends on your own definition of what is safe and what is high yield. To some of us safe investments means almost no risk whatsoever while for many others a better description might be “safer” investments. And of course high yield is very much in the eye of the beholder. I might consider 10% to be a very high yield while you could turn your nose up at anything less than 25% fitting the description.

So what can be done for someone who wants both a high yield but also insists on having a safe investment at the same time? Well to even get close to this kind of compromise you would need to have a largish investment of around $10,000 that you are prepared to tie up for at least 60 months. And for that kind of level of investment you might expect an interest rate of 4% through a Certificate of Deposit (also known as a CD). Not exactly an interest rate that is going to set the world on fire but that unfortunately is the price of safety and low risk.

At this point you are probably thinking but what about all the adverts you see on the internet offering much higher yields and guaranteeing the safety of your investment? Well before you start thinking about putting your hard earned cash into these investment schemes you might want to do some very serious checking on the people and companies offering them. At the very least you should call the Better Business Bureau and also speak to your states consumer affairs office. It is vital that you keep in mind that high yield and safety are usually very unlikely bedfellows and of course the scammers prey on the greedy.

So to answer the question of whether you can actually find any safe high yield investing opportunities is really down to your own definition of the term.

Gold exchange funds or ETF or GETF are bought and sold online just like you would buy shares from any other type of company. You will keep these shares in a brokerage account. Though you aren’t actually buying the gold bullion, you are only buying shares of companies that invest in gold, this is a great way to buy gold without worrying about the downsides of owning gold.

Owning the physical gold coins or bullion can also be a risky proposition if you’ve got loose lips. If you tell too many people that you’ve got that gold stored in your home safe, you may just find that the wrong person will overhear and before you know it your home is robbed… or worse.

Since it can be difficult to own physical gold, for one thing if you want to sell it many buyers will want to personally inspect the gold, using EFT’s is another option.

While owning EFT’s can help you avoid many of the negatives associated with owning gold, it is not without it’s own downsides. For one thing, while physical gold can be a great long term investment, EFT’s are not. They are only short term investments, you want to buy low and sell high.

If you already have a brokerage account it’s relatively easy to get involved with buying and selling EFT’s. Just make sure that you realize that it’s just like any other stock trading and there is a real risk of losing your money.

Remember that with EFT’s you are only buying stock in a company, that means that if the company should fail your stock is worth less than the paper it was printed on, just like with any other types of stocks you may buy. You don’t actually have possession of the gold so there is still a fairly big risk.

Using EFT’s is best when you are using it as a short term investment vehicle. These aren’t the same as actually buying gold coins or gold bullion which can be an excellent recession proof long term investment strategy. When you purchase stocks in a company you have little control over the decisions that company makes and you are at the mercy of the management and board of directors which doesn’t provide you with much security…just look around to what has happened over the last couple of years.

If you’re interested in playing the market and benefitting from short term price hikes than
gold exchange traded funds may be a good option for you and your investment portfolio. If you are looking for something that can provide you with long term stability you should most likely stick to investing in actual gold, either coins or bullion, since these have value in their own right and you’re not depending on the value of a company.

Some of the most common programs available to assist the first time home buyer are: Fannie May, FHA loans, VA loans, and programs through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Each office will have it’s own unique requirements and programs.

For example, Fannie May (FannieMay.com) programs will provide incentives for first time buyers such as low down payments, financing options for people with bad credit, no appraisal fees, and very flexible mortgage loan terms.

If you’ve got a blemished credit record and a low credit score, you may find that financing can still be had through the Federal Housing Administration. This can be really helpful if you’ve had a somewhat spotty work history or have a bankruptcy on your credit report. Even with so many strikes against you, you still may qualify for a FHA loan.

FHA requires only a minimal down payment. Currently it’s less than 4% down. Under FHA guidelines you can also borrow your down payment from friends or family. FHA are the only loans to allow for you to borrow money for a down payment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs offers mortgage help to active military personnel as well as retired military. The VA will guarantee up to 25% of the home loan amount which will help vets receive mortgages from their local bank or mortgage broker. To find out exactly what is available, go to: VA.gov.

The best thing you can do is to be proactive. Now is a great time to buy a home. With historically low interest rates, a glut of homes on the market, an unprecedented number of distressed homeowners, and many sources that are waiting and willing to lend a hand, now is a great time to jump into home ownership.

Be willing to invest some time to find what programs are just right for you. Make sure that you carefully check out what all the requirements are for any given program to see if you qualify.

Also, be careful that you only buy as much house as you can afford. That is part of the problem right now for many homeowners. The bank leant them
“X” amount of money so that is what they thought they could afford.

Unfortunately the bank doesn’t take into consideration the fact that you like to eat out a lot or that you want to take family vacations once a year. The point is, don’t think you have to go all the way up to your budget, you decide what monthly payment you will be comfortable with… and don’t budge from that amount.

With so many first time home buyer incentives now is a great time to buy your first home. Don’t be scared, just do your homework, set up a realistic budget (one that allows you to put money into a savings account every month) and find any programs that may help.

Visit the websites for each program such as the V.A, FHA, Fannie May, and HUD. Find out what programs they have and which ones you qualify for. Do yourself a favor and carefully check out the requirements for each one before you download and fill out an application. Don’t waste your time applying for programs that you aren’t qualified for hoping to ’sneak’ in.

Another good resource to find programs is with your local lender or real estate agent. These professionals should have a pretty good idea of what is available and since they know a little about you and your situation, they should be able to steer you in the right direction. This can be a huge time saver.

Some people look around and they see how many distressed homeowners are out there and that scares them off of buying their own home. It really shouldn’t. While it’s true that things happen in life and something bad could happen to you, if you enter into your home buying with your eyes open you’ll be fine.

Many homeowners today are in trouble because of poor planning. The banks approved them for higher mortgages than they could really afford. They were either adjustable rate mortgages which became impossible to pay when the rates went up, or they were just extended to the max of their budget and didn’t have any money saved for that rainy day. As long as you don’t make those mistakes you’ll most likely be fine.

With so many distressed properties on the market, you can find a great deal on your new home. That and the fact that interest rates are still very low make this one of the best times in history to buy your new home.

Remember when you’re figuring out your monthly payment to take your insurance premiums and property taxes into consideration. If your bank doesn’t force you to escrow for your property taxes and insurance, do it anyway. It will make paying these things much easier when the time comes and you don’t have to worry about not having the money when the bills come due.

As long as you keep control of your finances and don’t get ‘talked into’ buying more home than you can comfortably afford, you’ll be fine. Don’t wait to enter the housing market until things ‘get better’. Once that happens you’ll pay a lot more for your home. As long as you use your head and not run on pure emotion the whole process will pay off big.

There is no first time home buyer discount per se, but what there is is a lot of help from various agencies. Find the one that works for you.

Many government agencies such as Fannie May, Housing and Urban Development, V.A. and the FHA all offer some type of housing assistance for the first time home buyer. The exact programs will vary from one agency to another as will the requirements for each program.

A good place to start is with an online search. Go to each agency and see what programs they have and what the requirements are. You will most likely find a few that you qualify for. Some of them will require you to be pre-approved for a home loan from your local lender. Make sure you follow the instructions perfectly so you don’t slow down the process.

Here is some general information for the first time home buyer:

1. You, and only you, can determine how much house you can afford. The bank will look only at your finances not your lifestyle. If you enjoy spending two weeks every year in Europe, don’t overextend on your mortgage payments. Many people mistakenly think that if the bank approves them for a certain amount than that is what they can afford.

That’s not always the case. Again, the bank only looks at the numbers and not your lifestyle. You should always keep a little space between what you have to pay and what you can really afford.

2. There are many things that have to be factored into that monthly payment. Not only will you pay the principle and interest for your mortgage loan, you will also have to include your home owners insurance premiums and property taxes (this is what’s called: PITI).

So even if you can afford your principle and interest you have to make sure that you can also afford your property taxes and insurance too. I once owned a home where the property tax portion of my monthly payment was more than the actual mortgage amount! Needless to say, I don’t live in that state anymore.

3. Do not skip the inspection. If you hire a qualified inspector you can save yourself a lot of grief down the road. While not fool proof, and inspection will give you a really good idea what problems, if any, your new home has. If the electrical or plumbing will need to be repaired sometime soon that will most likely be able to be found out by an inspection.

If you find problems with the home that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a deal breaker. Many times you can use a slight problem as a negotiating tool to bring down the price.

Even though the tax credit has expired, it’s still a great time to buy since there are still many
first time home buyer assistance programs around.

To increase your chances of making money, and not losing money, there are some simple steps you can take. Remember though, all types of investing carry some risk, though you may be able to mitigate a lot of the risk by gaining knowledge, you can’t guarantee you’ll make money so never invest more than you can afford to lose.

One thing you should do first is to figure out how much money you can allocate to buy mining shares. The general rule is to have about 10% of your portfolio made up with precious metals, but since mining has it’s own unique dangers not all of your precious metals allocation should come from mining company shares.

Pick your companies. Some people prefer to go with just one large cap company for their mining shares allocation. Other’s prefer to have several mining companies as part of their portfolio, so if one company fails they aren’t completely out in the cold.

Still others enjoy the thrill of investing in younger companies that don’t have much of a track record. This can give them huge paydays if the company does well. Of course, the risk is much greater too.

When choosing your stocks consider the debt, cash flow and mineral reserves of a chosen company.

It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the countries that the mining company does business in as this can provide clues to various threats to their bottom line. We all know there are some very unstable regions around the world, if the company you are looking at does business in these areas they may face issues that will force them to slow down, or shut down, production.

Remember, that mines need to pay for the equipment and workers to run their mines. Keep this in mind as well when researching companies. Depending on their location they may or may not have access to sufficient labor pools and other resources.

You can also buy shares in a company that owns the gold, not just the mine. These are called EFT’s. They are bought and sold like stocks, they are stocks. You don’t actually own any stock in the mining companies themselves most of the time, and you don’t actually own any gold. Keep these factors in mind before you decide whether or not EFT’s are the right way for you to go.

For many investors looking for a hedge against falling dollar values, investing in gold mining stocks just makes a lot of sense. If you think it makes sense for you too, there are many places you can go to purchase them. Do your homework first though so you can end up with the pot of gold instead of just the shaft.

Of course, in order to make money on your gold investment you need to buy right. When buying gold you can either buy gold bars or gold coins.

Of course, when it comes to investing your ultimate goal is to make money when you sell, more money than you paid for the gold when you bought it.

To get the most out of your sale you have to consider when and to whom you will sell when the time comes. Will you sell all your gold in one batch or will you sell it off a little here and a little there? The reason you want to consider these issues now is that it can help you figure out what types of gold you should buy.

If you want to sell off your gold over time, you’re probably better off buying coins since you can sell one or all of your coins but if you had only gold bars you can’t just sell a portion of the gold bar.

Make sure that you consider your exit strategy when buying your gold. The types of coins you buy will have a lot to do with how easy they are to sell as well. All of this will need to be thought about before you start your investing career.

If possible, you should try to find a reputable local dealer. More than likely you will be spending a lot of time investing in gold. It’s always a good idea to have someone close to home who you can ask questions of and learn from.

If you either don’t have anyone close to home, or you simply don’t trust the people you find locally, you can always turn to the internet to find dealers. While it’s always important to ensure that the dealers you work with are reputable, it’s probably even more important when finding online dealers.

It can be hard to gauge the trustworthiness of someone you can’t actually talk to in person. Do a search on Google and look for testimonials.

Don’t ever be afraid to ask for help and ask questions. The best thing you can do for yourself is to take a lot of time to educate yourself. Don’t every just turn your money over to a dealer and let them make all the decisions about what type of gold is best for you to invest in. Always be an active partner in your investing.

Investing in gold can be a great way to hedge against certain economic conditions. As with all investing, the amount of success you have will be in direct proportion to the amount of knowledge you have. Take the time to get solid gold investment advice and never be afraid to ask questions.

Many government agencies such as Fannie May, Housing and Urban Development, V.A. and the FHA all offer some type of housing assistance for the first time home buyer. The exact programs will vary from one agency to another as will the requirements for each program.

A good place to start is with an online search. Go to each agency and see what programs they have and what the requirements are. You will most likely find a few that you qualify for. Some of them will require you to be pre-approved for a home loan from your local lender. Make sure you follow the instructions perfectly so you don’t slow down the process.

Here is some general information for the first time home buyer:

1. You, and only you, can determine how much house you can afford. The bank will look only at your finances not your lifestyle. If you enjoy spending two weeks every year in Europe, don’t overextend on your mortgage payments. Many people mistakenly think that if the bank approves them for a certain amount than that is what they can afford.

That’s not always the case. Again, the bank only looks at the numbers and not your lifestyle. You should always keep a little space between what you have to pay and what you can really afford.

2. There are many things that have to be factored into that monthly payment. Not only will you pay the principle and interest for your mortgage loan, you will also have to include your home owners insurance premiums and property taxes (this is what’s called: PITI).

So even if you can afford your principle and interest you have to make sure that you can also afford your property taxes and insurance too. I once owned a home where the property tax portion of my monthly payment was more than the actual mortgage amount! Needless to say, I don’t live in that state anymore.

3. Do not skip the inspection. If you hire a qualified inspector you can save yourself a lot of grief down the road. While not fool proof, and inspection will give you a really good idea what problems, if any, your new home has. If the electrical or plumbing will need to be repaired sometime soon that will most likely be able to be found out by an inspection.

If you find problems with the home that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a deal breaker. Many times you can use a slight problem as a negotiating tool to bring down the price.

Even though the tax credit has expired, it’s still a great time to buy since there are still many
first time home buyer assistance programs around.

Buying a home, whether it’s your first or your tenth, takes time. You have to be willing to invest the time you need to make a smart decision. This process is called due diligence. It means that you and only you have to make sure that the deal is a good deal for you.

You can’t just sit back and trust that the bank will watch out for you. Many homeowners are in trouble today for doing just that. They thought that since they got approved for a certain loan amount that that was the amount they could afford.

They never stopped to consider that the bank only looks at the numbers of their financial situation. With them it’s all black and white. They don’t know that you need a lot of extra money every month because you like to travel, or buy new shoes. Only you know that. Make sure you take those factors into consideration before you buy.

Another thing you have to do is have an inspection on any property before you buy it. I would recommend finding a good inspector on your own and not relying solely on the recommendations of your realtor. I hate to make it sound like you can’t trust your realtor, but like with any other profession, some are better than others.

If they are hungry for the sale they might suggest someone who could ‘fudge’ some details of the inspection. It’s not likely but to be safe, find your own inspector.

If a problem is found during inspection consider it without emotion. Too many homeowners throw common sense out the window because they have an emotional attachment to a property. Instead allow your business mind to click on. Sometimes a small problem can be a great bargaining chip. You may be able to get them to come down on the price (even more than just the cost of the repair) or they may make other concessions.

Even if your bank doesn’t make you escrow for your property taxes and insurance, you should do it anyway. It’s better to make sure you have the money when you need it. One of the houses I owned I didn’t escrow and I thought for sure that I could save the money. Well, you guessed it, when the bills came due I didn’t have it. I had to really scramble to make those payments. Never again. No matter what the bank may say, I’m going to escrow.

I hope you take this first time home buyer advice to heart. The best advice in the world won’t do you any good if you ignore it. When you pick out your home listen to your heart but when it comes to the financials of that home, listen only to your head.

Think of it like this, when you make a purchase with a credit card the person you buy the product or service from doesn’t actually have anything of value backing up that purchase. They are essentially allowing you to back it up with a ‘promise to pay’.

If you don’t pay your bill, they simply won’t get paid. If that happens in a wide spread manner, such as it is in the economy right now, that means a lot of companies don’t have any money coming in.

With E gold, on the other hand. You are buying goods or services and it’s like you’re handing over the exact amount of gold to cover the purchase price.

It’s a lot like how things used to be in the past. Think of the old west where someone would go into the general store and pay for their goods with a certain number of ounces of gold. That had real, tangible value and that is the concept behind e gold.

Today’s paper currency is only as good as the government behind it. It isn’t directly tied to an actual gold reserve like it used to be. In the past when the government printed up a billion dollars in currency they had a billion dollars of gold stored away in a vault. They didn’t print more money than what they had in actual gold reserves.

It doesn’t work that way anymore, at least not in the U.S. Our current system of currency is based off of a debt mentality. The treasury can print more money when and if they think it’s necessary and they don’t have to worry about tying it to any actual gold standard.

Many people believe that it’s inevitable to move back to the gold standard method for determining the amount of currency in circulation. Part of the current economic meltdown is due to the fact that there is nothing ‘propping’ up our currency.

Investing with gold backed currency is a growing trend since virtually every country in the world recognizes the value of gold. Again, when you are investing worldwide and with the currencies of different countries being worth different amounts, it can be a challenge.

But when you are using egold to invest you are relying on a set value since there is actual gold bullion backing up that investment.

To learn more about e gold investment just go online. There you will be able to find all the information you need to explain the concept as well as explain the advantages of making investments which are backed up with actual gold reserves.