Bond Basics

There are a lot of investment choices out there: stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and the list goes on. Most of us are somewhat familiar with stocks since we hear about the markets in the news all the time. But what about bonds? Bonds tend to get a lot of attention when the stock market is volatile or in a bear market, so do you have any bonds in your portfolio? If you have a retirement plan, chances are you're also investing in some bonds even if you don't realize it. So, what are bonds, how do they work, and what place do they have in your overall portfolio? Get a crash course in what bonds are and how they work.