How To Get Great Performance Out of Bond Funds
After the market problems of the past 3 years that invariably began with the weaknesses in the US credit system, a lot of investors have re-evaluated their risk tolerance and rediscovered the importance of a proper asset allocation model. In almost every case, investors watched their savings get shaved by half.
Those dark market days that tested new lows and personal strength pushed the ideals of risk tolerance to the surface and made both conservative and aggressive investors alike realize that risk tolerance has to be paramount. For conservative investors, that has meant no longer being able to rely on term deposits and treasuries to contribute to the growth of an investment portfolio.
As for the aggressive investor, the implications were equally hard-hitting. As the aggressive investor re-evaluated their appetite for risk, the importance of proper asset allocation resurfaced and forced the aggressive investor to reconsider the income class of investments. This less-aggressive class has often been ignored outright by aggressive investors.
Over the past decade or so, bond funds (which are part of the income class) have evolved tremendously. These funds now invest in high yield, below-investment grade investments that not only provide a greater income stream but can react with the same voracity as some equity class securities.
The reality is that these high yield investments can be more volatile and provide more income that some of the more conservative equity funds. And the most interesting (or important, depending on your position) is that these bond funds incorporate considerably less real risk than equity funds.
All things being equal, a bond fund will be much less risky than an equity fund. The problem that bond funds have faced is in their rating system, with Moody\’s and Standard and Poor\’s having come under fire after the credit crisis. Therefore, what was an investment grade and low-paying bond two years ago is now B-rated with higher rates as the spreads between government and corporate bonds widened. The result? The bond investor benefits.
Some of the best bond funds will generate returns far greater than conservative equity funds. Expenses are low because trading is lower. Overall, bond funds can provide better returns than equity funds, with less risk. They are clearly worth considering.
Learn more about Where To Invest and the best Bond Funds at Christopher Fitch\’s website, the Mutual Fund Site.org.