How does a trader leverage the purchase of bonds? and Strong Bonds retreat in Garmisch, Germany, January 2011

How does a trader leverage the purchase of bonds?

(Assuming this is done.)

Also, any info regarding a good place to start in the bond market would be nice.

Thanks


Bond best answer:

Answer by Bond Dog
If you're talking about big, institutional traders like banks and insurance companies, they leverage their bond investments using a tool called a repurchase agreement. It's a way to pledge a bond as collateral against a loan used to buy the bond. But this tool isn't really available to individual investors. For individuals, if you want to leverage a bond investment, you are pretty much limited to margin loans from your broker.

The best place I know for good online information regarding getting started in bond investing is InvestingInBonds.com. See the link below. There are also numerous books on the subject. One you may want to look at is "The Bond Bible" by Marilyn Cohen.

Bond

Strong Bonds retreat in Garmisch, Germany, January 2011


Image by US Army Africa
The Alps above Garmisch, Germany.

U.S. Army Africa photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Davis

Enjoying an afternoon of snow and sun, laughing children and smiling adults scatter along the sledding slop, whizzing down the hill or watching others go by in Garmisch, Germany. This past weekend 22 U.S. Army Africa couples and their 42 children went to Edelweiss Lodge and Resort for a Strong Bonds marriage retreat.

"This weekend put our lives on pause so we could breathe each other in again," said Amiia Coffey, whose husband recently returned from deployment. "It let us step away from our crazy lives to focus on each other and how different we are."

Military couples need the skills to effectively communicate through the normal challenges of marriage and specific military challenges, such as deployment, said Chaplain (Col.) Jonathan McGraw. This weekend was added after the previous November session filled within 24 hours and as an addition to the budget was funded by the command, not Strong Bonds, said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Clyde Scott.

"Army leaders feel it is very important for Soldiers to have a strong marital relations and that's why they fund this program," said McGraw.

Strong Bonds is a chaplain-led, fully-funded, Army-wide program training couples, families and single soldiers. As the instructor of the weekend seminar McGraw returned to familiar ground. He was part of the team stationed at Schofield Barracks in 1997 that pioneered the program, Building Strong and Ready Families, which functioned as the blueprint for today's Strong Bonds.

This was the fourth seminar at which the USARAF chaplains used Mark Gungor's "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage" as the center of the training, said Scott. At first he was skeptical of what looked like just another DVD seminar, but soon realized that Gungor uses humor to open discussion on taboo subjects such as sex in an objective and non-offensive way. Participants enjoyed the use of humor to discuss the topics of communication, Scott said.

"The guy spoke from a neutral standpoint; he wasn't just a man up there, he was going after both men and women," said Sgt. Maj. Jon Matthews. "I think that's the funny part. When he's going on talking and you look at your spouse and think, 'That's you!'"

The next USARAF couples retreat will be April 15-17. Strong Bonds programs are offered through the unit's corresponding Chaplain's office, said McGraw.

"It's a worthwhile experience," said Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Davis. "You go to a retreat and it doesn't give you all the answers, but it helps you continue. It's training for how to get past the rough spots you can't foresee."


To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

Official Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/usarmyafrica

Official YouTube video channel: www.youtube.com/usarmyafrica

---

Orignal From: How does a trader leverage the purchase of bonds? and Strong Bonds retreat in Garmisch, Germany, January 2011