Matt's specialty is tech stocks. Check out Matt's daily Ask Matt feature on the Tech Investor page.
Bond funds offer advantages to bearish investors, who want to exchange stellar returns for safety.
Depending on the types of bonds the fund invests in, you can earn more stable returns vs. funds that invest in the stock market, which is very uncertain right now. That depends on when you need the money you're investing. In the current tech stock environment, you want to make sure you have at least three years before you need the cash. Cisco is a well-run company and its products are at the core of future telecommunications demand. There are just two problems.