A Quick Guide to the Fixed-Income Universe. Buying bonds: in your best interest ; Constructing your portfolio's foundation ; A (mostly) heroic history of bonds ; Interest, sweet interest -- Bonds of Many Distinct Flavors. US treasury bonds: as safe as safe can be ; Getting down to business: corporate bonds ; Powerful and a tad mysterious: agency bonds ; (Practically) tax-free: municipal bonds ; International bonds and other seemingly exotic offerings -- Bonds as Portfolio Cement. Return, risk, and realism ; The art of science of portfolio-building ; Slicing the pie: how much should be in bonds? ; Making your preliminary bond choices -- A Manual for Smart Bond Shopping. Planning your bond buys and sells ; Diving (carefully!) into the individual bond marketplace ; Choosing bond funds wisely -- Bonds as Good Friends of Retirees. Satisfying your need for steady cash ; Ensuring financial security in old age -- The Part of Tens. Ten most common misconceptions about bonds ; Ten mistakes bond investors need to avoid -- Appendix: Helpful Web Resources for Successful Bond Investing.
Summary:
This plain-English guide clearly explains the pros and cons of investing in bonds, how they differ from stocks, and the best (and worst!) ways to select and purchase bonds for your needs. You'll get up to speed on the different bond varieties and see how to get the best prices when you sell. Covers the ups and downs of today's market, which reinforces the importance of bonds in a portfolio, explains how a radical fall in interest rates make bond investing trickier than ever, explores the historic downgrade of U.S. Treasuries and its possible effects on government bonds.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.