How do I buy fixed income?
How can I invest in fixed income funds? Investors who prefer to invest through funds can consider either bond mutual funds or bond exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Bond mutual funds and ETFs can offer professionally managed, diversified investments for investors, for a fee.
How can I invest in fixed income funds? Investors who prefer to invest through funds can consider either bond mutual funds or bond exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Bond mutual funds and ETFs can offer professionally managed, diversified investments for investors, for a fee.
Fixed-income investing is a great way to earn consistent investment income and reduce risk. Investments such as bonds, CDs, and money-market funds can help diversify your portfolio and protect your capital when the market fluctuates.
You can buy bonds from the bond market via a broker, through an ETF or directly from the U.S. government. Corporate, government, municipal, and zero-coupon bonds are four important types of bonds. By James Royal, Ph. D.
Investments that can be appropriate include bank CDs or short-term bond funds. If your investing timeline is longer, and you're willing to take more risk in order to potentially earn higher yields, you might consider longer-term Treasury bonds or investment-grade corporate or municipal bonds.
The Bottom Line
Types include government bonds, corporate bonds, or fixed-income ETFs. Fixed-income securities are rated by credit agencies that assess the default risk for investors. These investments typically pay a lower rate of return than other investments.
Treasuries are generally considered"risk-free" since the federal government guarantees them and has never (yet) defaulted. These government bonds are often best for investors seeking a safe haven for their money, particularly during volatile market periods. They offer high liquidity due to an active secondary market.
Although it seems that fixed income investments are risk-free and 100% safe, nothing is further from the truth. Fixed income investments run credit risk, market risk, movement penalties, hidden fees, transparency in results, among many others.
Fixed-income investing can be a good strategy for new investors who want stability and regular income. Bonds and other fixed-income assets offer reliable returns and can help manage risk, as they are less volatile than stocks.
Fixed income has outperformed both cash and equities during recessions in the US since 1972. Interest rates tend to begin to decline three months ahead of recessions and reach a cycle low about five months into recessions.
How much is a $100 savings bond worth after 20 years?
| Face Value | Purchase Amount | 20-Year Value (Purchased May 2000) |
|---|---|---|
| $50 Bond | $100 | $109.52 |
| $100 Bond | $200 | $219.04 |
| $500 Bond | $400 | $547.60 |
| $1,000 Bond | $800 | $1,095.20 |
| ETF | Expense ratio | Yield to maturity |
|---|---|---|
| iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) | 0.49% | 7.6% |
| Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF (VMBS) | 0.04% | 4.6% |
| JPMorgan Ultra-Short Income ETF (JPST) | 0.18% | 5.4% |
| SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF (SPTS) | 0.03% | 4.5% |
You can buy individual bonds through your brokerage, which will provide a search tool to find bond issues that fit your needs. If you want Treasury bonds, you can buy them directly using Treasury Direct, avoiding the fees and commissions from a broker. Alternatively, you can buy a bond mutual fund or ETF.
- High-yield savings accounts.
- Certificates of deposit (CDs) and share certificates.
- Money market accounts.
- Treasury securities.
- Series I bonds.
- Municipal bonds.
- Corporate bonds.
- Money market funds.
Fixed-income investments are debt investments that pay a fixed interest rate on a set schedule. They enable investors to earn stable income until the investment matures. The income is the base return an investor makes from the investment. Upon maturity, an investor will receive their principal back.
Fixed income investing can be a particularly good option if you're living on an actual fixed income and looking for ways to maximize your savings.
Fixed-income investments, or bonds as they are commonly known, typically provide a premium above inflation and experience less return volatility compared with shares. Fixed income is held for the steady income stream the regular coupon payments provide.
Both EE and I savings bonds earn interest monthly. Interest is compounded semiannually, meaning that every 6 months we apply the bond's interest rate to a new principal value. The new principal is the sum of the prior principal and the interest earned in the previous 6 months.
New issues are sold at auction, and to participate, you must sign up with your broker or at TreasuryDirect.gov. Auctions happen every four weeks for 52-week T-bills and weekly for shorter-term T-bills. (See below for more info on buying T-bills in the secondary market.)
- Private credit.
- Individual stocks.
- Real estate.
- Fine art.
- Debt.
- A business.
- Private startups.
- Cryptocurrencies.
How do I buy government bonds?
TreasuryDirect.gov is the one and only place to electronically buy and redeem U.S. Savings Bonds. We also offer electronic sales and auctions of other U.S.-backed investments to the general public, financial professionals, and state and local governments.
The initial yield is only good for the first six months you own the bond. After that, the investment acts like any other variable vehicle, meaning rates could go down and you have no control over it. And if you wait until, say, 2025 to buy an I bond, the initial rate could be well below current levels.
The interest earned on fixed-income investments like bonds and notes is often subject to income tax. There are different taxation rules for government, corporate, and municipal bonds.
What causes bond prices to fall? Bond prices move in inverse fashion to interest rates, reflecting an important bond investing consideration known as interest rate risk. If bond yields decline, the value of bonds already on the market move higher. If bond yields rise, existing bonds lose value.
Certificates of deposit, or CDs, are fixed income investments that generally pay a set rate of interest over a fixed time period.
