Fixed Income Archives - Page 18 of 18

October 4, 2011

Guest Post: Credit Spreads In The New Normal | ZeroHedge

A banking crisis implies easy money, ZIRP, various types of balance sheet expansion, and lower credit quality on central bank balance sheets. This acts to suppress credit risk, compressing spreads. This creates “artificiality” in credit market insofar as a central bank is not a natural buyer of higher risk securities. There will come a time when risk is moved off central books, and markets will have to learn how to re-price risk with no government support.

via Guest Post: Credit Spreads In The New Normal | ZeroHedge.

September 3, 2011

The Problem With Your Bond Fund – SmartMoney.com

Twenty years ago the average bond fund cost $100 in sales charges and yearly expenses for each $10,000 invested, according to the Investment Company Institute. At the time, $10,000 was enough to produce a yearly income of $825 in 10-year Treasury bonds and $1,050 in corporate bonds rates Baa (“moderate credit risk”) by Moody’s.

The good news: last year, bond fund fees averaged $70 per $10,000 invested. The bad: $10,000 put in the same Treasurys or corporate bonds now provides only $220 or $540 in yearly income, respectively.

via The Problem With Your Bond Fund – SmartMoney.com.