Bond Investing For Dummies, 2nd Edition
Your friendly guide to navigating the bond and bond fund marketBonds and bond funds can be among the safest and most reliable investments you make to ensure an ample and dependable retirement income — if you choose wisely! This plain-English guide explains the pros and cons of investing in bonds, how they differ from stocks, and the best (and worst!) ways to select and purchase bonds.Bond appetit — get a crash course on what makes a bond a bond, how they're bought and sold, and how they're ratedNot your grandfather's bonds — discover the advantages and potential drawbacks of bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury, corporations, government agencies, municipalities, and other (sometimes more exotic) entitiesTo risk or not to risk — assess just how much investment risk you should be taking and how — by using a mix of bonds — you can minimize that risk for optimal returnBonds away — grasp the role of bond brokers, get the scoop on researching bond prices and true yields, and find out how to avoid getting stuck with fixed-income rip-offsProtect your bond nest egg — find out if your bond portfolio is enough to replace your paycheck — and pare down or beef up your fixed-income allocation accordinglyOpen the book and find:The key reason to invest in bonds or bond fundsAn introduction to Treasuries, corporate bonds, and moreThe science of portfolio buildingGuidance for making the right bond selectionsThe 4-1-1 on interest and taxes on interestTips for working with a bond broker or agentCommon misconceptions about bondsA helpful Q&A with bond fund guru Dan FussLearn to:Buy and sell bonds and bond fundsMeasure bond returns and riskDiversify your portfolioAvoid common investing mistakes