Bond Investing For Dummies

by Russell Wild

Everything on bonds, bond funds, and more! Updated for the new economy

Whether you're looking for income, diversification, or protection from stock market volatility, bonds can play an important role in any portfolio. Newly updated, Bond Investing For Dummies covers the essentials of getting started and ways to select and purchase bonds for your needs. You'll get up to speed on the different bond varieties and see how to get the best prices when you sell.

We’ll help you wrap your mind around bond returns and risk and recognize the major factors that influence bond performance. With easily understandable explanations and examples, you can understand bonds from every angle—yield, credit risk, callability, fund selection, bond broker-dealers, web portals, and beyond. This is the expert information and advice you need to invest in bonds in today’s environment. Learn what bonds are and how you can use them to strengthen and protect your portfolio

Understand how interest rates and other shifting sands affect bond investing Minimize your risk and maximize your returns with proven advice from an expert financial advisor Use online investing and apps to buy bonds and bond funds with confidence and easeNovice and experienced investors alike will love this quick-and-easy approach to bond investing.

Genres: Finance, Business, Nonfiction, Economics, Reference, Personal Finance, Ebooks

362 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Jason Braatz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Firstly, the Dummies series gets a bad rap amongst the literati ; there are many concept-specific books out there and Wiley does a good job of usually keeping the topics quite clean (and fun to read) when they publish an author with something to say under this brand.

I read this quickly to get back up to speed with the language of debt instruments for a project I'm on, and I didn't need to be bond trader to do it, so this was my first go-to book to re-familiarize myself with the conventions. While my college career centered around finance (in part), I haven't swam in that world in awhile, so it was a good refresher.

Outside of a few pieces of nomenclature that are specific to bonds or publically traded debt instruments, where this specific book falls short is that it's very much tilted from a balanced portfolio theory advocate and the author makes it known in just about every 3rd paragraph. I have no problem with the theory, nor do I espouse that I have a better one, but the title of this book is about Bond Investing not Balancing a Portfolio and that's where this book comes up short.

The book covers some need to know points and I'm not sure that I can personally recommend a resource on fixed income securities or debt instruments myself; but this book doesn't represent enough "meat" when it comes to bond investing. It's easy to read, as are all Dummies books, but there is just so much time wasted on portfolio balancing for a personal finance situation I think the author forgot the name of the book as he was writing it.

[Ryan Scott Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Good Foundation For Beginners in Bond Investing

Up until now I have had a very surface level understanding of bond investing. I kept putting off learning anything about them for some reason. Stocks and stock index fund investing was my "goto". I've lived long enough to experience stock market crashes and seeing the market and economy struggle. The topics in this book will help you formulate a strategy (according to your risk tolerance) that should lessen the pain of these pull backs that are a certainty. It covers how to acquire bonds, the importance of diversification, all the many types of bonds, the bond market and brokers, different tax treatment for bonds and how bonds fit into a modern retirement strategy for fixed income and to mitigate the effects of inflation. And of course more information is included that I did not callout. Now I have a more secure financial future that will include bonds along with stocks. They work together to help you maintain the lifestyle you've planned very hard for. It may help you sleep better at night when your income sources are mostly market driven -- to some extent.

[Thomas Ernst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since my last course in business school covering bonds was in 1974, I thought I should update and refresh my knowledge of bonds and bond investing

I found the book an efficient read on the topic with real world examples that were easy to understand and advice that made sense.

I would recommend the book for anyone who wants to learn about bond investing

I would also suggest the author update the information to include all of 2022, a horrible year for bond investors

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a balanced and great walk-through of the subject. I recommend it for anyone with any questions or need whatsoever. Ultimately, it gave me the understanding and fundamentals to not choose bonds/fixed-income for an investment vehicle. I count that as a win.

I don't like handing out trophies to everyone and didn't see a reason for 5 stars. However, there is nothing wrong with the book.

[Franz Schrepf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of Bond Investing.

My main issue with the book is that it's heavily focused on US investors. If you're outside the US, you'll learn about the basics of bond investing + nuances around US bonds. You'll need to find your own resources on how to invest in markets outside the US.

[Seth Petok · Rating 4 out of 5]

don't fight the fed
go long when rates declining

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is exactly what it should be: a basic primer on bond investing. I am happy that the author encourages index investing and explains in such plain language the necessity to draw from bond interest, stock dividends, and stock appreciation.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty decent introduction to bonds and the various forms in which one can invest in them. I'd recommend it to anyone who is investing whether nor not bonds play much role in your current investments. It's a good introduction and overview.

[Vivek Agarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book
Has strategies and information which otherwise would be hard to locate individually

A lot of experiential knowledge which helps
A lot of historical performance statistics which is also useful

[Anthony]

I've only read chapters 1 & 2, but it's great so far.

[Greg Stoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty informative.

[Karl Styrsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical!

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful, casual style, not too challenging. But on this stuff I'm a dummy for sure, so, very helpful. Just need a few $100,000

[Duc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to bonds, especially for beginning investors. Advanced investors may want to try another book, however.

[Quang Hưng · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is really dedicated to beginners.

[Furball404 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book on investing I've ever read, and I read a lot. Especially the chapter of portfolio theory.

[Ben Kellermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bonds and bond funds are among the safest and most reliable investments you can make to ensure an ample and dependable retirement income — if you do it right! Bond Investing For Dummies helps you do just that, with clear explanations of everything you need to know to build a diversified bond portfolio that will be there when you need it no matter what happens in the stock market.

This plain-English guide explains the pros and cons of investing in bonds, how they differ from stocks, and the best (and worst) ways to select and purchase bonds for your needs. You'll get up to speed on all the different types of bonds and discover how to know when it's time to sell and how to get the best prices when you do. Find out what you need to know about:

Buying and selling bonds and bond funds
Measuring bond risks and returns
Taxes on bond interest and tax-free bonds
Customizing and optimizing your bond portfolio
Common bond-investing mistakes and how to avoid them
"Risk-free" U.S. Treasury bonds
Tax-free municipal bonds
High yield corporate bonds
The pros and cons agency bonds
Convertible bonds, derivatives, and other exotic offerings

Packed with sound advice and dependable formulas for ensuring that your bond investments fulfill your retirement goals, Bond Investing For Dummies is the resource you need to put the gold in your golden years.

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