Unlike fixed-interest securities, stocks can potentially provide a considerable degree of inflation protection.

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Keep in mind that municipal securities are subject to a number of risks including, but not limited to: Interest Rate Risk, the risk that the market value of fixed-income securities may fluctuate when interest rates change, and Prepayment Risk, the risk that the issuers of individual securities may prepay them at a time when interest rates have declined.

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Interest rates on global fixed-income securities currently range from less than 1% to 5%.

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TIPS, that is Treasury Inflation Protected Securities, offer fixed annual interest payments, but with TIPS the final repayment of principal varies with the Consumer Price Index.

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Lower interest rates mean higher prices for fixed income securities and gold, a proxy today for deflation.

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Funds that invest in fixed income municipal securities are not guaranteed and are subject to interest rate, inflation, and credit risks.

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Insurance companies often have long term liabilities that they wish to hedge, which require low risk and predictable cash flows and fixed income securities such as government bonds that offer a predictable stream of payments by way of interest and principal payments.

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