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What is a commodity?
A commodity is usually a raw material or agricultural good which has an extremely high demand and very little price differentiation between competitors.
If a good will not increase or decrease significantly in quality regardless of who brings it to market, and the demand is very high (such as for a good used in the production of many other products) it might be considered a commodity. Examples would be oil, silver, gold, steel and wheat, but a full list would be very extensive.
Commodities futures are actively traded on exchanges worldwide. There are boards which standardize the minimum quality levels of commodities being traded, and this is called "basis grade."
There are also many exchanges on which commodities futures are traded, including the Chicago Board of Trade (CME), the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYME), the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the London Metal Exchange (LME), and so on.
Many retail-level investors are drawn toward commodities because they like the idea of investing in tangible things which are familiar, but commodities markets can be very volatile.
How Volatile are Commodities?
Should I Invest in Commodities?
What is Cash Flow After Taxes?
Cash flow after taxes (CFAT) is nearly the same thing as EBITDA, but with taxes left in
What Are the Contribution Limits for My SIMPLE IRA?
SIMPLEs allow higher employee deferrals than most retirement accounts. A of 2015, they are able to defer up to $12,500 a year, but if an employee is over 50
What are the Withdrawal Rules for My Keogh Plan?
Once you are age 59½, you may begin to make penalty-free withdrawals and only pay income taxes on the amount you withdraw
How Do I Invest Money in My Cash-Balance Plan?
Employees do not have control of their own accounts in a Cash Balance plan, but they can possibly influence contribution
What Are the Contribution Limits For My Thrift Savings Plan?
Contribution limits for the TSP are the same as regular 401(k)s. Employees and employers using the TSP will have the same contribution limits as 401(k) plans.
What is a commodity etf?
Commodity ETFs are focused on tracking the performance of commodity prices and their derivatives contracts
What is an Investment Center?
An investment center is an almost autonomous division of a company whose purpose is to generate returns on invested money
What is the Ascending Triangle (Bullish) Pattern?
The Ascending Triangle pattern forms when a currency pair price tests a resistance level and creates a horizontal top line
What is the Broadening Bottom (Bearish) Pattern?
The Broadening Bottom pattern forms when a currency pair price makes higher highs and lower lows following two widening trends
What is a Fixed Income Security?
A fixed income security is one designed to pay interest/coupon payments on a predetermined basis, or a fixed schedule