The fixed-income markets are characterized by a broad spectrum of different products, structures and issuers. This provides investors with a wide variety of fixed-income financial tools, but it also complicates the process of selecting the right products for your portfolio.
Bonds are typically liquid investments, meaning they can be sold before maturity.
However, if you sell a bond before maturity, it could be worth more or less than what you paid for it. In broad terms, the bond market can be divided into municipal bonds , mortgage-backed securities , corporate bonds , government bonds , U.S. agency securities and zero coupon bonds . To learn more about bond portfolios, Bond Market Outlook, bond basics or current yields, please read the Bond Portfolios and Strategies section. View A.G. Edwards' Municipal Bond Inventory and Upcoming New Issues too. Municipal Bonds Municipal bonds are the only investments available that provide federally tax-free income but may be subject to state, local and the alternative minimum tax.