{"id":2099,"date":"2013-02-28T08:23:00","date_gmt":"2013-02-28T13:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/?p=2099"},"modified":"2013-12-05T14:19:06","modified_gmt":"2013-12-05T19:19:06","slug":"warning-bond-mutual-funds-in-your-401k-403b-and-non-retirement-investment-accounts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/2013\/02\/28\/warning-bond-mutual-funds-in-your-401k-403b-and-non-retirement-investment-accounts\/","title":{"rendered":"WARNING: Bond Mutual Funds in Your 401(k), 403(b), and Non-Retirement Investment Accounts!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Be<\/a>If you\u2019re like most people, you probably have a part of your retirement savings (and other assets) allocated in bond mutual funds. And if you\u2019re like most people, you probably put together an allocation and forgot about it – the \u201cset it and forget it\u201d strategy.<\/p>\n

Investors like to diversify into bonds to reduce the overall risk of their portfolio, which can make a lot of sense. However, you have to remember that there\u2019s a big difference between individual bonds and bond mutual funds, and that there are important risks you need to take into account if you invest in bond funds.<\/p>\n

Individual Bonds versus Bond Mutual Funds<\/span><\/h2>\n

When you invest in an individual bond, you have complete transparency on the bond\u2019s duration, interest rate, and credit rating. You know that even if the price of the bond falls, you\u2019ll continue to get your interest coupon. This can provide an important steadying influence on your overall portfolio, especially if you\u2019ve invested aggressively on the equity side (presuming the bond does not default). You also have the luxury of waiting for the bond to mature, meaning you get paid out at par in spite of any price changes in the interim.<\/p>\n

Bond mutual funds, on the other hand, are pooled holdings of many bonds. Because these funds want to deliver returns to their investors, they might include lower-quality holdings in the portfolio or use leverage to enhance returns. Some funds also pursue investments in longer duration<\/a> bonds in order to chase higher interest rates, especially at a time like now, when interest rates are still low. These actions expose the portfolio to additional risks which most investors don\u2019t know about or take into account. I call it \u201cchasing yield.\u201d This may have been a good strategy in the past, or even currently. However, if and when yields rise it won\u2019t seem like such a good idea, if your principal starts to fall.<\/p>\n

But I Can\u2019t Afford Individual Bonds!<\/span><\/h2>\n

Many investors can\u2019t invest in individual bonds in their 401(k) and 403(b) accounts regardless of how much money they have. In this case, I advise that you take a close look at your bond mutual funds and make sure of the following:<\/p>\n

–\u00a0 The funds you are invested in do NOT employ leverage<\/p>\n

–\u00a0 The holdings are of a high credit quality that you are comfortable with<\/p>\n

–\u00a0 The holdings are of short to medium duration<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re using bond funds to reduce the risk in your portfolio, you\u2019ll want to focus on high credit quality and short to medium duration. These bonds will have lower risk in terms of defaults and in terms of interest rate changes. Why? Well, credit quality speaks to the quality of the borrower and the likelihood that they\u2019ll default. To reduce risk in a portfolio, you\u2019ll want better quality borrowers! As for duration, it\u2019s an important part of fixed income investing because bond prices tend to fall as interest rates rise. The bonds that are most affected by these price movements are longer-term, or long duration.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also want to avoid leverage at all costs. While it can be very tempting to invest in a bond fund that produces levered returns, it\u2019s important to remember that in times of instability they may perform very badly, and it\u2019s precisely in those times that a secure bond allocation makes itself useful.<\/p>\n

Understand that taking these steps will produce less yield, which may be frustrating, but if interest rates rise, your principal should not decrease as much. At that point, I promise you won\u2019t find it frustrating at all!<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Get Greedy<\/span><\/h2>\n

One of the biggest pieces of advice I give my clients when investing in bonds is to stop chasing yield. Bonds are a great part of a diversified portfolio because they provide income and a steadier source of returns than equities. Chasing yield through low credit quality, long duration, and leverage are a surefire way to introduce unnecessary risk to your portfolio. Unless you are really sure of what you\u2019re doing and it\u2019s part of an overall strategy developed with your advisor, leave the speculation to the institutional investors.<\/p>\n

Revisit Your Allocation<\/span><\/h2>\n

One of the most important pieces of advice I can give is to remember to revisit your allocation. Don\u2019t just set it and forget it, as this is a recipe for a stagnant portfolio that doesn\u2019t adjust to your changing needs and changing economic conditions. For this reason, if you can, I advise employing actively managed individual bond portfolios for this reason. In this scenario, you own the bonds directly rather than investing in a bond mutual fund, which I believe is preferable.<\/p>\n

However, no matter what you invest in, there is still no replacement for regularly revisiting your investment strategy. Click here<\/a> for a previous article I wrote explaining the importance of active bond management.<\/p>\n

Get the Help You Need<\/span><\/h2>\n

Bond mutual funds can be a great way to diversify your retirement savings, but it\u2019s important to know what you\u2019re investing in and to avoid chasing returns. Don\u2019t be afraid to ask your advisor for help understanding your investments. Remember, these are your hard-earned assets, and whether it\u2019s retirement savings or other savings, it\u2019s worth taking the time to ensure that your portfolio strategy is appropriate for your risk level!<\/p>\n

While interest rates might not be going up in the very near future, I do expect to see them rise over the next few years. Because the market is anticipatory, this means bond prices will begin to shift ahead of interest rates. There is no time like the present to take a look at your investments and ensure that your strategy is being carried out appropriately. I\u2019ve written about this in the past, and though I was ahead of the trend at the time, the lessons of preparing your portfolio for a recovery are the same. Click here<\/a> to learn more!
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\nphoto credit: sea turtle<\/a> via photopin<\/a> cc<\/a>
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To learn about retirement savings, download my free eBook, \u201c10 Tips You Need to Know About Your IRA Rollover<\/a>.\u201d This short book is packed with critical information that will help you make the right decisions about your retirement savings.<\/div>\n

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If you\u2019re like most people, you probably have a part of your retirement savings (and other assets) allocated in bond mutual funds. And if you\u2019re like most people, you probably put together an allocation and forgot about it – the \u201cset it and forget it\u201d strategy. Investors like to diversify into bonds to reduce the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[6],"tags":[1138,330,7,340,11,312],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2p1nA-xR","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2155,"url":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/2013\/08\/31\/my-bond-values-have-gone-down-now-what-do-i-do\/","url_meta":{"origin":2099,"position":0},"title":"My Bond Values Have Gone Down: Now What Do I Do?","author":"Bradford Pine","date":"August 31, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Are bonds still a conservative investment? With yields jumping dramatically this summer (and prices dropping), it\u2019s hard not to notice the turmoil in the bond market. I\u2019ve been stopped by many people with concerned questions about what to do, and this article was born out of those conversations. The bond\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Bond Investing"","block_context":{"text":"Bond Investing","link":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/category\/bond-investing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1814,"url":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/2012\/03\/01\/the-case-for-active-bond-management-you-dont-want-a-stagnant-laddered-portfolio\/","url_meta":{"origin":2099,"position":1},"title":"The Case for Active Bond Management: You Don\u2019t Want a Stagnant Laddered Portfolio!","author":"Bradford Pine","date":"March 1, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Investors tend to enjoy talking about stocks; they\u2019re exciting, easy to buy and sell, and can produce high returns. But fixed income is just as important as your equity allocation, and sometimes even more so. Bonds are often the quiet cornerstone of many portfolios. However, managing a bond portfolio can\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Bond Investing"","block_context":{"text":"Bond Investing","link":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/category\/bond-investing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":30,"url":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/2010\/04\/09\/is-your-bond-portfolio-prepared-for-a-recovery\/","url_meta":{"origin":2099,"position":2},"title":"Is Your Bond Portfolio Prepared for a Recovery?","author":"Bradford Pine","date":"April 9, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"As we slowly work our way out of this historic recession, it\u2019s a good time to take a step back and think about where we might be headed and what it could mean for the fixed income holdings in your portfolio. In December of 2008, the Federal Reserve dropped interest\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Bond Investing"","block_context":{"text":"Bond Investing","link":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/category\/bond-investing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":617,"url":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/2011\/02\/01\/building-an-estate-planning-toolkit-the-transfer-on-death-designation-tod\/","url_meta":{"origin":2099,"position":3},"title":"Building an Estate Planning Toolkit: The Transfer on Death Designation – TOD","author":"Bradford Pine","date":"February 1, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"In addition to wills and trusts, there are many tools available to you in developing an estate plan. While different tools are appropriate for different asset classes, family structures, and goals, it is important to know about the possibilities. \u00a0In this article, I\u2019ll focus on the Transfer on Death, or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Estate Planning"","block_context":{"text":"Estate Planning","link":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/category\/estate-planning\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2582,"url":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/2016\/07\/29\/building-additional-income-in-your-portfolio-how-to-invest-in-preferred-stocks\/","url_meta":{"origin":2099,"position":4},"title":"Building Additional Income in Your Portfolio: How to Invest in Preferred Stocks","author":"Bradford Pine","date":"July 29, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"With interest rates so low for so long, I\u2019ve fielded a number of calls from clients looking for ideas for additional income\/dividends. The question is always the same: where to find it? Depending on the client, preferred stock can be a great asset class to complement the right portfolio, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Retirement Planning"","block_context":{"text":"Retirement Planning","link":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/category\/retirement-planning\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.bradpine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Bradford-Pine-Wealth-Group-Garden-City-New-York-Wealth-Advisor-Preferred-Stock-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":678,"url":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/2011\/03\/16\/theres-still-time-to-contribute-to-an-ira-for-2010\/","url_meta":{"origin":2099,"position":5},"title":"There’s Still Time to Contribute to an IRA for 2010","author":"Bradford Pine","date":"March 16, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"\ufeff There's still time to make a regular IRA contribution for 2010! You have until your tax return due date (not including extensions) to contribute up to $5,000 for 2010 ($6,000 if you were age 50 by December 31, 2010). Normally, your tax return must be filed by April 15.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Retirement Planning"","block_context":{"text":"Retirement Planning","link":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/category\/retirement-planning\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2099"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2099"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2099\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}