≡ Menu

bonds

Bonds and bond funds are taxed differently from equities and from each other. Make sure you don’t incur the wrath of the taxman with our quick guide to the ins and outs.

{ 59 comments }

Update: Since this article was written, Freetrade has enabled Treasury Bills to also be bought in its ISA and SIPP. These tax shelters enable a tax-free return, and buying and holding in Treasury Bills within them negates the major drawback discussed in our piece below. We’ll hopefully get a chance to update this article in [...]

{ 24 comments }

Inflation-linked bond ladders have never been so hot! Here’s what you need to know

{ 43 comments }

How to build an index-linked gilt ladder [Members]

Construct your own inflation-hedging index-linked gilt ladder

{ 42 comments }

Best bond funds and bond ETFs

The best bond funds for passive investors are big, broad, and cheap. (Insert your favourite saucy simile here).

{ 120 comments }

Duration matching bond funds to your time horizon [Members]

Duration matching with bond funds? Pah! It’s easy after you’ve read this 10,000 word treatise on the topic

{ 14 comments }

Cash and bonds are different investments

Bonds are not the same as cash. To confuse the two is a flogging offence in my book.

{ 19 comments }

Why duration matching your bonds to your time horizon isn’t the no-brainer it’s been made out to be.

{ 18 comments }

Is ditching UK gilts for US Treasury bonds as smart a move as it looks?

{ 19 comments }

The untold story of the UK’s worst bond market crash.

{ 31 comments }

Bond terms jargon buster

Our bond terms explainer – busting bond jargon for longer than we care to think about.

{ 26 comments }

So you think bonds are bad? That’s a shame, because they haven’t looked this good for a decade.

{ 48 comments }

How to choose a bond fund

How to think through choosing your bond funds.

{ 42 comments }

How to use duration to assess the risk embedded in your bond funds

{ 35 comments }

Rising bond yields mean short-term pain but eventually long-term gain. Discover how it works.

{ 46 comments }

How to read a bond fund webpage

How to identify and understand the key info on a bond fund’s webpage.

{ 13 comments }

We love a rule-of-thumb. It helps you feel like you’re in control. The reality is far different of course…

{ 7 comments }

Grab your oxygen tank, we’re taking a deep dive into the best Emerging Market bond index trackers

{ 13 comments }

Emerging Market bond risks

Emerging Market bonds have outperformed Emerging Market equities for the last 25 years. Can it last?

{ 5 comments }

Emerging Market bonds can improve your portfolio’s risk-adjusted returns. Should they replace Emerging Market equity in your portfolio?

{ 15 comments }

Ideas for your defensive asset allocation. What to use and why

{ 51 comments }

Do you think bonds are old hat? Do you fear a bond crash? Then read this riposte.

{ 111 comments }

Is there any point in bonds any more, when you can get a higher rate of interest from a savings account?

{ 56 comments }

Enough of the talk of bond apocalypse. Here’s how to work out the potential gains and losses for yourself, depending on what interest rates do next.

{ 10 comments }

Negative yields, eh? That sounds a bit negative. Or even completely radioactive. So just how bad are these negative yielding bonds? Let’s find out.

{ 73 comments }

Whatever happened to the bursting bond bubble?

{ 37 comments }

Let’s look at how we can passively invest in bonds. To do so, we need to know what indices contain which types of bonds.

{ 30 comments }

When the US bond market flaps its wings in New York, a share trader in London has a dizzy fit. (Well, almost.)

{ 12 comments }

One of my mini-bonds was redeemed in full, putting to an end a nice investment that was paying me 11% a year.

{ 31 comments }

UK inflation-linked gilt funds are full of long-dated bonds, potentially exposing you to far more risk than you realise.

{ 100 comments }

Mini-bonds look like terrible investments on paper. So why do I own some?

{ 34 comments }

The bond crash: Is this it?

Government bonds have bounced all around in the past few days, after the world’s leading Central Bankers said they don’t much care if prices fall. Should you?

{ 42 comments }

Some people collect exotic orchids and strange tropical fish. Here’s a couple of rare bonds I’ve secured for my portfolio.

{ 33 comments }

Why would anyone want bonds in their portfolio? Here’s the lowdown on the part that different bond types have to play.

{ 35 comments }

I know they’re boring and the future returns look lousy, but if you’re not going to hold any bonds make sure you know what you’re missing.

{ 52 comments }

Are you sitting securely, and do you have a stiff drink to hand? Here’s how to estimate how your bond fund will fare if interest rates start to rise.

{ 2 comments }

Do you want to roll your own corporate bond portfolio? You’ve come to the right place! This article explores how to do so, and the risks versus buying an ETF or fund.

{ 11 comments }

After a storming year, gilt funds must surely fall as interest rates rise. Should passive investors adjust their asset allocation to avoid losses?

{ 41 comments }

Gilts (UK government bonds)

An introduction to gilts – the fancy name for UK government bonds that are sold by The Treasury to balance the nation’s books.

{ 9 comments }

Don’t feel guilty if you’re confused about gilts – there’s very little information about them compared to equities. So here’s some tips on choosing how to buy.

{ 7 comments }

How to calculate bond yields

How to calculate the running yield and redemption yield of bonds (or where to find a calculator!)

{ 9 comments }

The main types of corporate bonds

In this post I’ll explain the most important types of corporate bonds for private investors.

{ 0 comments }

Why I’m buying cheap equities, not expensive government debt.

{ 1 comment }

Diversifying your portfolio among different asset classes is a No Brainer.

{ 0 comments }