Wednesday, April 24, 2024
During the current period of intense market volatility, some investors have grown fearful. For these concerned investors, municipal bonds, aka “munis,” are worth a look. Munis are issued by state and local governments, and generally pay tax-exempt interest at the federal and potentially state levels. Municipal bonds have played a vital role in building the […]
It got bumpy out there all of a sudden. Although I was surprised that Silicon Valley Bancorp (SIVB) lit the fuse, I am not shocked that something blew up. Every time the Federal Reserve has a rate increase cycle, something blows up. Signature Bank (SBNY) and Silvergate, on the other hand, were not that much […]
Unilever plc (UL) is a leading international consumer goods company, and one of the largest providers of personal care products. Some of its well-known leading brands include Dove, Lifebuoy, Hellman’s, Knorr, Axe, and Magnum. Because of the business it’s in—consumer staples—Unilever’s stock is often thought of as a “bond proxy.” This status helped propel its […]
Along with a bear market for stocks, 2022 has, according to Morningstar, been the worst year ever for the bond market. Bond values have fallen up to 30% this year, putting a bigger dent in many retirement accounts that hold bond ETFs. Fortunately, in the current, higher interest rate world, you can invest safely in […]
With the stock market tumbling, investors are on the hunt for safer investments that pay attractive returns. The fact that you can earn 9.62% from a U.S. Savings Bond is getting a lot of buzz. Today, let’s review the features, pros, and cons of investing in these Series I Savings Bonds. The U.S. government sells […]
As inflation has climbed to 40-year highs, interest rates have also ratcheted higher. For borrowers, higher rates are not a good deal, as they raise the costs of taking out loans. For investors, however, higher rates open up opportunities to invest safely and still earn a meaningful return. Today, let’s talk about an investment product […]
With interest rates moving higher, so are bond yields. However, bond funds still aren’t that exciting from a yield perspective. For instance, iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) has a dividend yield of only 1.5%. One way to boost the cash flow from popular bond funds like IEF is to sell calls against the […]
Last week I spent a few days on the road with my travel trailer. On those long driving days, I like to listen to CNBC on Sirius XM. That service is the greatest thing ever for road trips, and listening is especially fun when the market is having a big down day. You would think […]
Last week, the financial news media went crazy when the Treasury yield curve inverted. If you listened to the news, you likely thought that the economy was sitting on the verge of a recession. But let’s talk about what the current yield curve really has to tell us. The Treasury yield curve plots current Treasury […]
Corporate bonds are near all-time highs as yield seekers are looking to improve on low yields from government bonds. The iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD) is one of the most popular vehicles for getting exposure to high quality corporate bonds. However, the dividend yield is only 2.3% for LQD, and the […]
