Earn Up To 10% On Your Money
Kiplinger's Personal Finance|June 2017

Our 29 ideas range from low-risk municipal bonds to high-risk mortgage REITs.

Daren Fonda
Earn Up To 10% On Your Money

Investing in bonds feels like swimming against a powerful tide these days. Yields have risen sharply since Election Day, pushing bond prices down. The dynamic has made it tough to earn a positive return in high-grade bonds, which may suffer additional price declines.

The problem is that a long era of ultra low interest rates appears to have ended. The Federal Reserve has started raising short-term rates, and it is winding down its program of buying government bonds to help prop up prices (and keep yields down). Donald Trump’s election as president, meanwhile, has revived the prospect of stronger economic growth and inflation, which would erode the value of bonds and their fixed-income payments. Already, the yield of the benchmark 10-year Treasury note has climbed from 1.8% before Election Day to 2.4% today, a huge spike in a brief span. Kiplinger forecasts that 10-year Treasury yields will be at 3% by year-end. That almost certainly means more pain ahead for holders of high-quality bonds. “We’re concerned that rates will continue to rise and returns on bonds will be low to negative,” says Laird Landmann, codirector of fixed income at TCW, which runs TCW and Met West bond funds.

Higher yields do grant one big benefit: They put more cash in your pocket from interest income. If you own short-term debt, the bonds’ prices shouldn’t fall much if rates rise modestly. And you can reinvest cash proceeds from bonds maturing in a year or two, pocketing higher market rates relatively soon. But it could take many years to recoup losses in long-term bonds if rates keep ascending. For example, if long-term interest rates were to rise by one percentage point, the price of a 30-year Treasury bond would likely decline by 20%, wiping out more than six years’ worth of interest payments.

This story is from the June 2017 edition of Kiplinger's Personal Finance.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the June 2017 edition of Kiplinger's Personal Finance.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM KIPLINGER'S PERSONAL FINANCEView All
FREE HELP FOR COLLEGEBOUND STUDENTS
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

FREE HELP FOR COLLEGEBOUND STUDENTS

This program’s mentors assist applicants as they fill out the FAFSA, write essays and more.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SPOUSAL IRAS
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SPOUSAL IRAS

You typically need earned income to contribute to an individual retirement account, but a spousal IRA provides an important exception to this rule.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024
SELLING SHARES? HERE'S HOW TO MINIMIZE TAXES ON YOUR GAINS
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

SELLING SHARES? HERE'S HOW TO MINIMIZE TAXES ON YOUR GAINS

ET'S say you've been regularly buying shares in a booming tech company over the past few years, but now you want to start taking some of those profits, perhaps to rebalance your portfolio.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2024
Strategies for Novice Investors
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

Strategies for Novice Investors

AS part of a lifes kills program for young, single mothers, I was asked to teach a class on how to get on top of your finances.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2024
ANSWERS TO YOUR 529 PLAN QUESTIONS
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

ANSWERS TO YOUR 529 PLAN QUESTIONS

Thanks to recent policy changes, families have more options for what to do with money sitting in these tax-advantaged accounts.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 2024
Rate-Cut Winners and Losers
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

Rate-Cut Winners and Losers

NOW that the Federal Reserve has cracked the interest rate ice, the next development will be to separate winners from losers.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024
SHOULD YOU BUY THESE RED-HOT FUNDS?
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

SHOULD YOU BUY THESE RED-HOT FUNDS?

Covered-call ETFs are popular but come with plenty of caveats.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 2024
DIVIDEND STOCKS ARE READY TO REBOUND
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

DIVIDEND STOCKS ARE READY TO REBOUND

Our favorite dividend payers are poised to benefit as falling interest rates lure investors back.

time-read
10+ mins  |
December 2024
IS A 55+ COMMUNITY RIGHT FOR YOU?
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

IS A 55+ COMMUNITY RIGHT FOR YOU?

These age-restricted developments appeal to older adults seeking abundant amenities and an active lifestyle.

time-read
8 mins  |
December 2024
AT LONG LAST, RATES ARE DROPPING
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

AT LONG LAST, RATES ARE DROPPING

Consider these portfolio moves now that the Federal Reserve has cut its benchmark interest rate.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2024