Morningstar's Guide to Fixed-Income Investing
Tips, strategies, and picks for better bond investing.
Special Report
Evidently bonds are now the cool kids and no longer the wallflowers at the dance.
Despite stubbornly low interest rates, bond funds continue to attract investors: Combined, taxable-bond and municipal-bond funds enjoyed inflows of nearly $427 billion during the past year, dwarfing the flows into other fund types during that same time.
What's the allure?
For those investors at the precipice of or in retirement, bonds are a must-own. They can add much needed ballast to a portfolio during the drawdown phase. Depending on type, bonds can provide portfolio diversification benefits to those investors far from retirement, too. And they're useful for anyone who's funding a shorter-term goal.
Yet investing in bonds can be confusing. Should you stick with high-quality bonds or dabble in lower-quality fare? Go taxable or tax-free? Long or short? Bonds or bond funds? Or maybe you don't even need bonds at all, but you're not quite sure.
Morningstar's Guide to Fixed-Income Investing is designed to help answer those questions. Here you'll find articles and videos that will empower you to make the best investment decisions about what role bonds should play in your portfolio.
What Role Do Bonds Play in an Era of Ultralow Yields?
Are Bond Funds 'Broken' as Diversifiers?
What Role Do Bonds Play in a Portfolio?
Cash Versus Bond Fund: Which Is Better?
What Type of Bond Funds Do You Need?
How Much of a Portfolio Should Be Invested in Bonds?
Handle These Bond Categories With Care
A Checklist for Taxable-Bond-Fund Investors
The Best Taxable Bond Funds
The Best Municipal Bond Funds
Should You Add Flavor to a Vanilla Bond Portfolio?
How Do Interest Rates Affect Your Bonds?
Short-Term Treasury ETFs Offer Safety, but Not Much Else
Are Dividend-Paying Stocks a Good Substitute for Bonds?
How and Why to Invest in Bonds: A Morningstar View
What Are the Right Bonds for Retirees Today?
What Kind of Bonds Should I Hold?