What is gilt?
Gilt is a discount shopping website that offers its members access to exclusive, luxury clothing, accessories, home decor, and more at up to 70% off retail prices.
How does gilt work?
Gilt works by offering its members access to exclusive sales events. During these events, members can purchase clothing, accessories, home decor, and more at up to 70% off retail prices.
What are some of the benefits of being a member of gilt?
Some of the benefits of being a member of gilt include access to exclusive sales events, up to 70% off retail prices on clothing, accessories, home decor, and more, and free shipping on orders over $100.
Gilt yields hit all-time lows
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note dipped below 2 percent on Wednesday for the first time in history, and the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond dropped to a record low of 3.07 percent.
Bonds with shorter maturities have also been bid up to historic levels. The yield on the two-year Treasury note fell to 0.27 percent on Wednesday, just 12 basis points above its all-time low of 0.15 percent set in July.
The extraordinarily low yields are a sign that investors are extremely risk averse and are willing to lock in rock-bottom returns in order to minimize their exposure to potential losses.
The sell-off in bond markets came after the Federal Reserve released minutes from its July meeting which showed that some policymakers were discussing whether or not to raise interest rates this year.
While most policymakers still believe that it will be appropriate to raise rates sometime this year, the minutes revealed that there is growing division among Fed officials about when exactly that should happen.
10-year Treasury yield falls to record low
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US 10-year Treasury yield falls to record low of 1.32%
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Bond prices rise as investors seek safety
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Yield on 30-year Treasury note falls to all-time low
The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell to a record low Wednesday, as investors sought safety amid concerns about the global economy.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note declined to 1.32%, down from 1.36% on Tuesday. The yield has fallen for six straight days, its longest losing streak in more than two years.
The 30-year Treasury bond yield also hit a record low Wednesday, declining to 2.02%.
Bond prices rise as yields fall.
Treasury prices rise on concerns about Europe
The price of U.S. Treasury securities rose Monday as investors dumped stocks and bought safe havens amid mounting concerns about the European debt crisis.
The sell-off in stocks was broad-based, with the S&P 500 index dropping 2.5 percent. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite to its price, fell to 2.06 percent from 2.14 percent late Friday.
"Treasurys are rallying because investors are looking for a safe haven," said David Kelly, chief global strategist at JPMorgan Funds. "There's a lot of fear in the market."
The yield on the two-year Treasury note fell to 0.27 percent from 0.29 percent, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond dropped to 3.20 percent from 3.29 percent.
Investors have been fleeing stocks and buying Treasurys all year as they've grown increasingly jittery about the economy and Europe's debt crisis. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note hit a record low of 1.39 percent last month as people sought safety in government bonds.
Why you should own gilts in your portfolio
There are a few compelling reasons why you should own gilts in your portfolio. Let's take a look at some of the key benefits:
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Diversification: By adding gilts to your portfolio, you can help to diversify your risk and reduce your overall volatility. This can be especially important during times of market turbulence.
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Liquidity: Gilts are highly liquid investments, which means you can sell them quickly if needed. This is an important consideration, especially if you need to access your money quickly.
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Stability: Gilts are considered one of the most stable investments available. This makes them a good option for investors who are looking for stability and certainty in their portfolio.
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Income: Gilts pay regular interest payments, which can provide a steady stream of income for investors. This can be helpful during periods of market volatility, when other types of investments may be less reliable.
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Tax Benefits: Gilts offer a range of tax benefits, including the ability to offset taxable income with the interest payments received and the ability to use them as collateral for certain types of loans.