Why Bother With Bonds: A Guide To Build All-Weather Portfolio Including CDs, Bonds, and Bond Funds--Even During Low Interest Rates

A practical how-to guide for every investor.
For ordinary investors who want to build an all-weather portfolio.
It is time-proven wisdom, and encourages you to take control of your finances. Learn how to use CDs, bonds, and bond funds to manage risk/reward even during low interest rates.
You will learn:

How to choose your stocks/bonds allocation
How to become immune to changing interest rates
When to use CDs and individual bonds
How to choose a good bond fund
How to hedge against unexpected inflation

Contents:
Foreword by Larry Swedroe

Introduction

- Who Should Read This Book?

- Start with a Sound Financial Lifestyle

Why Bother With Bonds?

- Stocks are risky in the short-run, and the long run too!

- Bonds Make Risk More Palatable

- Bonds Can Be A Safe Bet

- Bonds Are An Attractive Investment Diversifier

Life Is Complicated. Bonds Are Not.

- What is a Money Market Fund?

- Are CDs Better Than Bonds?

- What Are Bonds?

- What is a Bond Ladder?

- Individual Bonds or a Bond Fund?

Bonds: Risks and Returns

- Yield, Price And Making Comparisons

-- How To Compare Individual Bond Returns

-- How to Compare Bond Fund Returns

-- Total Return: To Measure And Compare Performance

- How To Reduce Risk From Interest Rates Changes

-- Duration: The Point of Indifference to Interest Rates

-- Duration: The Measure of Sensitivity to Interest Rates

- How To Reduce Risk From Unexpected Inflation

-- Real versus Nominal Interest Rates

-- Why Include TIPS In Your Portfolio?

- Credit Quality or Default Risk

Build The Bond Portion Of Your Portfolio

- Start With Your Goals.

- How Much Risk Is Right For You?

-- Understand How Much Risk You're Taking

-- Take Your Risk In Stock Market, Not Bond Market

-- How Much in Bonds? How Much in Stocks?

-- Your Needs Change Over Time

- The Importance of Low Cost

-- How Much To Diversify Bonds?

-- The Importance of Low Cost

-- Five Low-Cost Strategies You Can Do Yourself

- Taxes Matter

- Example Portfolios (both good and bad)

Common Misconceptions Important to Correct

- Stocks Are Safer In The Long Run

- Holding a Bond (or CD) to Maturity Eliminates Risk

- Stocks Are Safer Than Bonds

- The Best Funds Have The Most Stars

- A One Percent Fee Is Small

- Rising Interest Rates are Bad for Bond Holders

- You Can't Beat the Market Using Index Funds

- Use Multiple Investment Companies To Diversify

- You Need Many Mutual Funds to Diversify