For a supposedly boring investment, bonds have shown their capricious side lately. The bond bull market, widely thought to be sputtering out last year, has roared on in 2014. This year’s rally has left even the most seasoned fixed-income investors scratching their heads—and older investors in a challenging spot. Read the article here >>>
Unconstrained bond funds are being pitched as a way around rising rates but they don’t seem to be holding up their end of the bargain very well; maybe it’s time to look at individual bonds. Read the article here >>>
For retirees hoping to sleep at night, “laddering” bonds ensures that each year a batch of individual bonds will mature, providing the income needed for that year. There’s another option: defined-maturity bond ETFs, which resemble individual bonds right up to their distributions and maturity dates. But laddering with either ETFs or individual bonds brings its own set of trade-offs. Read the article here >>>
In these videos, Stephen Huxley and Brent Burns of Asset Dedication sit down with Dave Littell and David Nanigian of The American College to discuss ways financial plans can be connected to investments. After creating these videos, The American College adopted many of the discussed concepts into the curriculum for their Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®) designation. Enjoy!