Since most investors choose fixed income securities to decrease risk, not to increase it, make sure you're comfortable with the level of risk in any bond fund you're considering. Don't buy bond funds with loads. Some funds levy sales charges, or front-end loads, when investors join the fund. Finally, some funds charge 12b-1 fees, which are used to pay marketing and distribution costs of the funds. Learn how brokers operate.
Investors can buy into funds directly or through a broker.
Also, since brokerages routinely buy bond fund shares in large quantities, it's important to ask brokers if they receive an incentive for their recommendations. Index performance is not illustrative of any particular investment. An investment cannot be made in an index. Performance data represent past performance. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate.