Book 4

Looking at Bond Investing

Contents at a Glance

  1. Chapter 1: Bond Fundamentals
    1. Understanding What Makes a Bond a Bond
    2. Why Hold Bonds?
    3. Introducing the Major Players in the Bond Market
    4. Buying Solo or Buying in Bulk
    5. The Triumphs and Failures of Fixed-Income Investing
    6. Realizing How Crucial Bonds Are Today
    7. Viewing Recent Developments, Largely for the Better
  2. Chapter 2: All about the Interest
    1. The Tricky Business That Is Calculating Rates of Return
    2. Measuring the Desirability of a Bond
    3. Understanding Yield
    4. Recognizing Total Return (This Is What Matters Most!)
    5. Measuring the Volatility of Your Bond Holdings
    6. Returning to the Bonds of Babylonia
  3. Chapter 3: Types of Bonds
    1. Exploring the Many Ways of Investing with Uncle Sam
    2. Industrial Returns: Corporate Bonds
    3. Lots of Protection, a Touch of Confusion: Agency Bonds
    4. Banking Your Money on Other People’s Mortgages
    5. (Almost) Tax-Free Havens: Municipal Bonds
  4. Chapter 4: Investing (Carefully!) in Individual Bonds
    1. Navigating Today’s Individual Bond Market
    2. Dealing with Brokers and Other Financial Professionals
    3. Doing It Yourself Online
    4. Perfecting the Art of Laddering
  5. Chapter 5: Picking a Bond Fund That Will Serve You for Life
    1. Defining the Basic Kinds of Funds
    2. What Matters Most in Choosing a Bond Fund of Any Sort