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Bond Allocator
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How to Invest in a Bond
Like many other investments, bonds also require investors to take greater risk for greater returns, and they can experience wide swings in price and yield.
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Should You Buy Taxable Muni Bonds?
WSJ.comWhat do you get when you throw out the chief reason investors buy municipal bonds—their tax-free status?Apparently, a truckload of buyers.This year through Monday, issuers have originated $19.6 billion in taxable municipal bonds, nearly ...
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By Jason Zweig; What's Eating Your Munis?
WSJ.comMunicipal bonds are beginning to look tempting—but investors who buy munis in haste can unwittingly hand over their first year's worth of income to their broker.
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The 100% Stock Solution
WSJ.comMost investors hold a mix of stocks and bonds, hoping for both growth and safety. Then there are people like Daniel White.The 36-year-old Chicago lawyer keeps all his investments in the stock market. His 401(k) plan is invested in equities, ...
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By Jason Zweig; How Funky Is Your 401(k)?
WSJ.comIs the invasion of the "offbeat bond funds" about to reach your 401(k)?Over the past three years, bond funds that invest outside the mainstream of U.S. Treasurys and investment-grade corporate debt—in high-yield bonds, foreign and ...
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Higher Yields in a Low-Interest World
WSJ.comThe pickings are growing increasingly slim for retirees looking to boost the income generated by their savings.To earn yields of 5% or more, investors—who once would have relied on the relative safety of bank certificates of deposit or ...
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Is This the Best Time for Investors? Don't Bet On It.
WSJ.comThese have been good times—surprisingly good times—for investors.Interest rates on Treasury bonds are near historic lows. Corporate bonds, including those for blue-chip and riskier companies, are booming.
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Will iPhones still exist when Apple bonds mature? What the company might be selling when its 30-year bonds mature
MarketWatchApple is about to introduce a major financial innovation, issuing tranches of fixed-rate debt in three-, five-, 10- and 30-year durations, according to a regulatory filing from the company. But some investors — not to mention fanboys — may ...
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'Junk' Bonds Signal Trouble
WSJ.comHigh-yield bond prices are perched at record highs, but there are signs of trouble ahead.That means investors must keep a keen eye on the high-yield bond mutual funds they own—and should favor actively managed mutual funds over passively ...
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Should you buy Apple bonds? Despite the brand’s appeal, they may not make sense for most
MarketWatchApple’s first bond sale in more than a decade is sure to get attention. But pros say most investors will want to stick with the stock.The maker of iPads, iPhones and Macbooks made headlines Tuesday saying it planned to sell $15 billion to ...
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The Case for Muni Bonds
WSJ.comDo municipal-bond funds make sense in retirement accounts?Most retirement savings are sheltered in individual retirement accounts, 401(k)s and other tax-deferred vehicles, so many people don't think of munis when they think of saving for ...
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Snapping Up Real Estate
WSJ.comInvesting directly in property can be an attractive alternative to low-yielding bonds but isn't for everyone. Investors should know the real-estate market, be wary of what can go wrong and, because properties can be illiquid, have plenty of ...
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Rethinking Rising Rates
WSJ.comWorries that the economy will fall into recession are fading. Now, many investors are bracing for the day when interest rates start to rise, ending a three-decade-long bull market in bonds.
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Is investors’ favorite strategy doomed to fail? Why the 60/40 asset allocation model may no longer work
MarketWatchOne of the most time-honored strategies in investing may have finally run its course.Generations of investors and financial advisers have relied on the so-called 60-40 asset allocation model, which calls for a portfolio with 60% invested in ...
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Why high-yielding muni bond funds are falling; Tax treatment uncertainty, high volatility rattle investors
MarketWatchNEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Enthusiasm for closed-end municipal bond funds, long a favorite of income-starved investors, is starting to wane.The funds, which use leverage to magnify yield, have been a go-to investment. But prices are down in ...
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Pay Off That Mortgage Now!
WSJ.comWant to beat the Treasury market? Pay off your mortgage.Repaying a mortgage early offers, in essence, a risk-free return in the form of the interest saved. Nowadays anyone with a mortgage of 4% or 5% can earn more by repaying the loan than ...
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Are Commodities a Buy? Recent Price Drops Mean Time Could Be Ripe to Diversify
WSJ.comYour investment portfolio already has stocks and bonds. Do you need to add commodities such as soybeans, copper and oil as well?Some experts argue that you should—and that this may be a good moment in which to make the move.
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The Risk of Safety
WSJ.comSafety has rarely been more expensive—or more dangerous.For the past five years, the Federal Reserve has pushed down the interest rates on traditionally safe assets such as Treasury bonds to near record lows, in hopes of sparking the ...
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Is That a Condo in Your IRA?
WSJ.comMost investors use individual retirement accounts to buy stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Gordon Berger uses one to buy distressed homes and apartment buildings, which he fixes up and rents out.
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Seeking Yield in Direct Loans
WSJ.comFrustrated with low-yielding bonds, some investors are pooling their money to make loans directly to companies.Their vehicle? So-called direct-lending funds, which make loans to midsize companies, typically those with revenue between $10 ...
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The Intelligent Investor; Norway: The New Yale? Wealthy investors are embracing the Yale model of 'alternative investments.' But there may be a better strategy.
WSJ.comUNLESS YOU'VE somehow kept your wealth a secret, your financial adviser has probably already urged you to "add alternatives" to your portfolio, or simply "invest like Yale." But here's a comeback to use next time this topic comes up: Tell ...
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Italian Securities Battered Amid Election Gridlock
WSJ.comMILAN—Investors hammered Italian stocks, bonds and government securities early Tuesday after the country's election produced an uncertain outcome, raising the prospect that Italians may have to return to the polls and sparking fears of a ...
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Buy savings bonds with your tax refund? The Treasury Department is pushing it, but advisers warn against it
MarketWatchUncle Sam is pitching savings bonds as a good place to sock your tax refund, but financial advisers and other experts recommend thinking twice.
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Bond Funds: The Downside
WSJ.comShort-term bond funds are booming, but they aren't as safe as you might think.The actively managed mutual funds are generally considered less risky than other types of bond funds. That is because the short-term funds invest largely in ...
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By Jason Zweig; Emerging Markets: Should You Bond With Azerbaijan?
WSJ.comWhen you reach for yield, think about how far around the globe you should stretch.Lately, investors haven't been able to get enough emerging-market bonds, issued by governments and companies in dozens of countries in Latin America, Europe, ...
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Should you sell your bonds? Doing the math on the prospect of rising interest rates
MarketWatchDespite several years’ worth of dire warnings from analysts about a bubble in the bond market, that asset class has continued to perform well. But investing pros say there’s reason to think this time the gloomy outlook may be for ...
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Are junk bonds really ‘junk’? High-yield bonds aren’t nearly as risky as most investors believe.
MarketWatchMost portfolio managers will tell you that high-yield bonds — corporate bonds issued by companies with relatively weak prospects or balance sheets - are “risky,” and that they should only make up a small percentage of a portfolio. Grandma, ...
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What Are CDs Good For?
WSJ.comLow interest rates have undercut the appeal of certificates of deposit for years. Now, some fans of the plain-vanilla savings tools are turning to them as protection against the risk that rates will suddenly rise.
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Putting Stocks in Hock: Securities Are Backing for More Big Loans
WSJ.comWith loans still hard to come by, wealthy investors are embracing a somewhat surprising and potentially risky strategy: pawning their stocks and bonds.
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By Jason Zweig; A 'Bucket List' for Better Diversification
WSJ.comIf you care about risk, not just return, you could be forgiven for just wanting to bury your money in your backyard.With bond prices near all-time highs and yields near record lows, the returns on many bonds are doomed to be negative after ...
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By Mark Hulbert; Beware the 'Great Rotation'
WSJ.comThe most cited bullish argument these days, at least among the couple of hundred investment advisers I monitor, is that the stock market will "melt up" as investors sour on bonds and transfer the trillions they have in fixed-income mutual ...
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Low Yields Spell Trouble for Retirees
WSJ.comRetirees trying to make their nest eggs last as long as they do may want to start paying more attention to the outlook for bonds and spend less time worrying about stocks.
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When Investments Get Pricey, It's Time to Play Defense
WSJ.comStocks are at record highs. The multi-decade bull market for bonds is likely over. But these days, even playing defense requires treading carefully.
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How to Find a Good Financial Adviser
Ask the right questions before you hand over your money
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How to Create an Investment Portfolio
A balanced portfolio can have a bigger impact on long-term performance than individual stock picking
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How to Invest for Retirement
Investing for retirement is more complicated than opening an IRA or maxing out your 401(k)
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How to Choose a Stock Mutual Fund
When choosing a stock mutual fund, consider performance, manager track record and cost before investing.
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How to Invest in a CD
Even in times of interest rate uncertainty, a certificate of deposit (CD) can still be part of your cash strategy.