Cities and states have long relied on investor IOUs. We’re talking about municipal bonds, longtime investor darlings for their historically low default rates compared with corporate debt and their ability to generate tax-free income for retirees, or those approaching retirement. The U.S. muni market turned in an impressive performance in 2014, clocking a return of nearly 9% […]

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Let’s do free association with the word bond. What ideas come to mind? For starters, slow, low returns, and complicated. And the bond market (aka “fixed income”) is where the Fed and central banks meet giant financial institutions, like investment banks and insurance companies, to argue weighty matters like interest rates, inflation, and money supply. Ugh. […]

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Investors looking to add fixed income to their portfolios face a trade-off of sorts: The safest government bonds currently pay very low yields, while higher-yielding corporate bonds are more prone to default and recently suffered a slump. In the current low interest rate environment, how can investors decide? Although there’s no one-size-fits-all formula, high-yield corporate […]

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Some investors seem to think of bonds like a famous infomercial: some bond investors just “set it and forget it” when it comes to a bond portfolio. However, there are some important steps in the preparation and maintenance of a bond portfolio. Diversifying a bond portfolio is just as important as diversifying a stock portfolio, […]

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Recent record-high U.S stock prices may be great for younger investors who are trying to grow their wealth. But when the stock rally coincides with record highs in the bond market, it doesn’t make things particularly easy for a different type of investor: retirees trying to find safe and relatively decent yields. How are retirees […]

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If you are in or nearing retirement, you may be watching rising interest rates with a mixture of optimism and fear. The optimism comes from hopes of finally getting more out of your certificates of deposit and other short-term savings. The fear is that investments in the bond market might continue to sag, making yields […]

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As a young investor, you will likely favor a stock-focused portfolio to take advantage of higher growth potential, despite the added risk. With many more years ahead of you, this makes perfect sense. But it’s also important to consider fixed income investments like bonds and evaluate your exposure to stock market volatility and downturns.  Maybe […]

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Cookies and milk. Hansel and Gretel. Stocks and bonds. Some things just seem to go together. But as familiar as the phrase “stocks and bonds” might be, the truth is, many investors are unsure of what bonds are and how they work. This might cause some to shy away from bonds in their portfolio allocation. […]

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Socially responsible investments are trending among individual investors and businesses looking to promote environmental, social, and governance efforts (ESG). So-called “green bond” investing might help investors marry their long-term investment goals with their social values. Green bonds were created to fund projects that have positive environmental and/or climate benefits, but, actually, they’ve been around for at […]

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Most people don’t spend a lot of time in junkyards, right? They’re strange places, usually off the beaten path, full of low-quality, often dangerous items that no longer fit into the regular world. But there are rare times when junkyards are the only place you can find an item that fits a specific need. All […]

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