Bond Funds

Why Should I Invest in Bonds? 3 Reasons Investors Are Spooked

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These days, bonds are getting a bad name. But, that shouldn’t be the case. You should invest in bonds. Stock markets are off to a tremendous start, dividend stocks are outperforming, and not surprisingly investors are losing their confidence in government issued bonds. There are three main reasons why investors are spooked with bonds. First and foremost, are the sovereign debt woes in Europe and the antics of the U.S. government to raise the debt ceiling, which sent ripples around world markets last August. Second is the global and record low interest rate environment, with the potential threat of increasing …

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Buying Bonds? Think Short Term – The Safety of Short Term Bonds

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Bond funds have been out of favor these days, especially with the threat of rising interest rates. With dividend stocks paying juicy yields and returning phenomenal capital appreciation, investors have been reluctant to purchase fixed income securities. Investors forget that when times are good, that all of that can change on a dime! This week the TSX and S&P 500 are already showing signs of a correction, with some dividend stocks off 10% from their highs. This should be a reminder to investors of why asset allocation is important. That’s where short term bond holdings come into play! Bonds with …

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XBB vs. XSB

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Written by Vicky at Vix Money. I personally hold both XBB and XSB (I told you my portfolio is messy!), and I am curious to see how they stack up against each other. XSB, iShares DEX Short Term Bond Index Fund, seeks to replicate the performance of the DEX Short Term Bond Index. It was introduced on November 20, 2000, and holds bonds that are issued domestically in Canada by all levels of government (federal, provincial and municipal) as well as corporate bonds. The main difference between XSB and XBB is that the focus of XSB is on acquiring bonds …

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Back to Basics (Fed Up with Mutual Funds)

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I received an email from a reader this afternoon. Like anyone who invested in mutual funds for years, they discovered  they weren’t making money. Surprise! They wrote how “Fed up with Mutual Funds” they were, but didn’t know how to get started in Dividend Investing. There are so many questions for the new Dividend Investor. If you have been investing in mutual funds, then a lot of this can seem complex and overwhelming. But once you make the start you are well on the road to keeping your own money and getting paid regular dividends, instead of paying mutual fund …

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