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Interest Rate Sensitivity and Bond Pricing April 2016 A set of easy-to-calculate formulas can reveal how much a bond’s price will change in reaction to an increase or decrease in yield.
What Bond Calls Mean for Your Cash Flow April 2016 Call provisions allow an issuer to redeem a bond. The type of call provision and the yield to call should be considered before purchase.
Bond Pricing Made Simple November 2015 A bond’s price is the value of expected cash flows. Learn how to calculate traditional, perpetuity and zero-coupon prices.
Liquidity: The Hidden Risk in the Municipal Market January 2015 Relatively low liquidity with infrequent trading activity for many muni bonds places an importance on portfolio structure and credit quality.
Why Buy Bonds If Interest Rates Will Rise? May 2013 Starting a bond ladder creates income now and produces cash flow that can be used to reinvest if and when interest rates do rise.
Using Bonds Instead of Stocks for Portfolio Income October 2012 Maximizing consistent and predictable cash flow is key for meeting retirement objectives. Municipal bonds can help investors accomplish this.
Bond Strategies for Those Fearful of Inflation June 2012 Stronger inflation is the upside case for investors using bond ladders and holding their bonds to maturity, because of higher interest rates to reinvest into.
How to Make Money From Bonds October 2011 Utilizing a bond ladder while paying attention to the yield curve can help you create a portfolio for achieving your financial goals
Seeking Tax-Free Income From Closed-End Funds June 2011 Closed-end municipal bond funds provide income that is exempt from federal taxes, but investors should be selective when choosing among them.
Tug of War in the Bond Market June 2011 Investors worried about higher interest rates should be preemptive. Consider lowering duration and looking at variable-rate bonds.
Corporate Bond Analysis: What to Consider May 2011 Corporate bond investors need to look beyond yield and focus on an issuer’s character, capacity, collateral and conditions.
How Safe Are Municipal Bonds? March 2011 The odds of default are low for municipal bonds, but investors do have to contend with interest rate, headline and new bond issuance risks.
TIPS and the Nature of Inflation Protection December 2010 The total return of Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) is influenced both by trailing inflation and expectations for future inflation.
The Muni Market Turmoil Continues: What's Going on and How to Respond January 2009 There have been a number of very bad years in the municipal bond market. But 2008 is in a league of its own--without any doubt, the worst year ever in the municipal bond market. And the most likely outlook is continued volatility. What lies behind the current declines, and a look at what actions investors may want to consider.
Turmoil in the Marketplace: What's Going on With Municipals? May 2008 Losses from the current credit market crisis have affected bond insurance firms--firms that guarantee municipal bonds--and placed the entire municipal bond market under a cloud. There has been little clarity about how the problems affect the bonds under guarantee. Shedding some light on what's going on in the muni markets.
How to Buy Individual Bonds: A Fixed-Income Toolkit February 2008 Once you make the choice to invest in individual bonds, the question is: How do you buy them? Guidelines for evaluating Web sites and locating a bond broker.
EE Savings Bonds November 2007 EE Savings Bonds are low-risk, U.S. government-backed securities. Here's what you need to know before investing.
An Investor's Guide to Inflation-Protected Securities May 2007 In 1997, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities were introduced to help protect investors against the erosion of purchasing power. One year later the concept was extended to the savings bond program. A closer look at how these securities have performed, and how they work.
An Investor's Guide to Closed-End Muni Funds September 2006 The main promise of closed-end municipal bond funds is higher yield, but that higher yield comes at a cost of higher risk. What you should know about investing in closed-end muni funds
Cutting Through the Bond Market Fog When Shopping for Munis May 2006 Trying to buy or sell municipal bonds? If so, you may need some help cutting through the fog of bond market pricing and trading. Shopping for bonds is not nearly as clear-cut as shopping for individual stocks. How to shop for municipal bonds, using the Internet both as a source of bonds for purchase, as well as for information.
Fine-Tuning Your Portfolio: A Look at Bond Swaps February 2006 Bond investing strategies range from a buy-and-hold approach to complex tactical trades involving views on inflation and interest rates. The right strategy for you depends on your goals, timeframe and risk tolerance. But if you manage a portfolio of individual bonds, one strategy you might want to consider is the bond swap.
Muni Trading Gets Real: Current Prices on the Internet May 2005 Municipal bond trades are now reported on a real-time basis through the InvestinginBonds.com Web site. A look at how individual investors can use this information to buy and sell municipal bonds - and get a handle on bond commissions.
Bond Market Strategies for a Rising Rate Environment February 2005 Bonds: The current "consensus" is that short-term interest rates are likely to rise. That leaves many questions open, including what, if anything, you should do about it. A look at strategies that will serve you best when interest rates are rising.
How to Buy International Bonds and Funds August 2004 Bonds: Although not a must-have category, individuals with very large bond portfolios may choose to invest a small portion in the international bond area. How do you accomplish this? A look at the different options.
Foreign Interest: A Closer Look at the International Bond Markets May 2004 Bonds: Over the past few years, returns from all types of international bonds have ranged from good to spectacular. As always after good returns from a sector, the question arises: Is there still a case to be made for investing in international bonds?
Inflation Protection: I Savings Bonds February 2004 I Savings Bonds are a vehicle for protecting fixed-income investments against inflation. They are the newest and most attractive of the savings bonds.
TIPS for Inflation-Proofing Your Portfolio: A Guide to Inflation-Indexed Securities February 2004 Treasury Inflation-Indexed Securities--TIPS--were introduced in 1997, and designed so that principal and interest payments would be protected against inflation. Are these right for you? A look at TIPS, TIPS funds, and I savings bonds.
TIPS for Inflation-Proofing Your Portfolio: A Guide to Inflation-Indexed Securities February 2004 Treasury Inflation-Indexed Securities (TIPS) were introduced in 1997, and designed so that principal and interest payments would be protected against inflation. Are these right for you? A look at TIPS, TIPS funds, and I savings bonds.
Are Junk Bonds for You? A Look at High-Yield Bonds October 2003 One-year returns of junk bond funds averaged 20% in 2003 after a two-year slump, tracking the stock market rebound. Is now a good time for indviduals to invest in this sector?
How to Shop for Bonds: Pricing Munis on the Internet April 2003 Buying municipal bonds is a little like buying a car--shopping around and doing some comparison. The frustrating aspect of munis is pricing and markups. The situation is improving, with pricing information slowly becoming available on the Internet.
Putting Together a Portfolio of Municipal Bond Investments February 2003 Any decision you make about fixed-income investments regarding maturities will involve trade-offs between the amount of income generated by your portfolio and the risk to the value of principal.
In Today's Investment Environment, Bank CDs Deserve a Fresh Look February 2003 With rising bond default rates and the lowest Treasury yields in more than a generation, investors would be wise to reconsider long-term bank time deposits as a way to earn safe returns in excess of money market yields.
Maximizing Your Profits When Investing in Bonds January 2003 The experts can agree neither on which way interest rates will go next nor on what the shape of the yield curve means for interest rates in the future. However, you can still get significant information from studying the yield curve.
What You Need to know About Investing in Municipal Bonds October 2002 Munis deserve their popularity among individual investors. They are sound and relatively uncomplicated instruments. Nonetheless, buying individual municipal bonds is not quite as simple as buying Treasuries.
What You Need to Know About Investing in Municipal Bonds October 2002 Munis deserve their popularity among individual investors. They are sound and relatively uncomplicated instruments. Nonetheless, buying individual municipal bonds is not quite as simple as buying Treasuries.
Investing in U.S. Treasuries and the Treasury Direct Program April 2002 Treasuries have a number of features that make them extremely attractive to individual investors. And if you buy through Treasury Direct, you eliminate all commission costs as well as any cost for maintaining an account.
Bond Basics: An Investor's Guide to the Many Meanings of Yield January 2002 The term "yield" can be confusing to investors because it has a number of different meanings. Even more confusing is the fact that these meanings are not directly comparable for individual bonds and for bond funds.
Why Bond Prices Go Up and Down November 2001 Since the late 1970s, changes in the interest rate environment have become the greatest single determinant of bond returns, and managing interest rate risk has become the most critical variable in the management of bond portfolios.
How Credit Ratings Affect Bond Valuations November 2001 Since the late 1970s, changes in the interest rate environment have become the greatest single determinant of bond returns, and managing interest rate risk has become the most critical variable in the management of bond portfolios.
You CAN Lose With Bonds November 2001 Many investors put money in bonds to receive interest income and assume their original investment - their principal - will not change in value. However, this assumption is wrong! What you can do to protect your money.
Bond Basics for Individuals: A Guide to Buying and Selling June 2001 In the bond markets, individual investors--even the wealthy--are all little guys. To protect your own interests, if you want to buy individual bonds you need to become an informed investor.
