Bonds

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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Building My Portfolio for Retirement, with Dividends and Bonds

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In my mid to late 40’s, my focus of late has been more on planning for retirement and how I will generate a consistent monthly income to fund my retirement. I find myself in between the need to increase my portfolio through capital appreciation, but also for the need to generate monthly income in retirement. I can take early retirement nine years from now, and I fully plan on doing so! What I will need at that time is monthly income. I’ve weighed the pros and cons. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m better off creating a stable portfolio …

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CLF ~ Claymore 1-5 Year Govt. Laddered Bond ETF

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Right now bonds are expensive, as they are trading at premium with low yields. Bonds are also very complex instruments.  So for most people buying bonds directly in a record-low interest rate environment means you are overpaying for the bond, with a reduced yield below the coupon rate.  However loading up a portfolio with 80% or 90% dividend yielding stocks is not prudent either. We only have to look back at the market crash of 2008 to see how equities did – but bonds and bond funds did well. Bonds are a necessary component of any portfolio, since they create …

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