 BONDS There are currently 10 offerings in the database.Page(s): 1 The Bull's-Eye Rating System You'll notice that each of the fundfreebies entries have from 0 to 3 bull's-eyes after it. I'm using that symbol as a way to evaluate the content of each piece.Now don't think that just because there aren't any bull's-eyes after a piece that it's not worth ordering. That's not the case at all. All of the materials presented are informative and have educational merit. And, little to no fund family p.r. fluff in them. I know this for a fact as I've read through each entry and personally decided upon its Bull's-Eye rating. Here's what the ratings mean:
- O to 1 bull's-eye means the piece is solid and informative.
- 2 bull's-eyes means the piece is a cut above the 1 bull's-eye entries.
- 3 bull's-eyes means content is strong, very educational and definitely worth a read.
BONDSBond Basics, from American Century's Education & Guidance Series; Financial FYI. A 8 1/2" x 11", one-page, two-sided report that will teach you about bonds and help you to decide whether or not you ought to be an investor in them. According to this report, "People invest in bonds for three main reasons: Income, safety and diversification." Learn more about each and the meanings of things like bond maturities, tax-equivalent yields, zero-coupon bonds and the risks associated with bond investing.  To obtain this information FREE from American Century, call 1-800-345-2021 and request it by title.
BONDSThe Case for Bond Funds, from American Century's Education & Guidance Series; Financial FYI. A 8 1/2" x 11", one-page, two-sided report addressing bonds and bond fund investing. The piece reads that to purchase bonds through a broker usually requires minimum investments of $5,000 to 25,000 but that you can invest in bond funds,for much less---like $2,500. You'll also learn about bond yields, maturities, how bonds perform during market downturns and more. To obtain this information FREE from American Century, call 1-800-345-2021 and request it by title.
BONDSDo Municipal Bonds Have a Place in My Portfolio?, from American Century's Education & Guidance Series; Financial FYI. A 8 1/2" x 11", one-page, two-sided report about what municipal bonds are and whether or not they could be an investment for you. Tax brackets are really what count the most when it comes to comparing taxable to tax-free municipals. In this piece you'll find out how to do a taxable-equivalent yield calculation and learn about the differences between general obligation and revenue municipal bonds. To obtain this information FREE from American Century, call 1-800-345-2021 and request it by title.
BONDSFixed Income Funds, from Evergreen Funds. An 8-page, 8 1/4" x 10 3/4" pamphlet that will teach you about U.S. government bonds, corporate bonds and the benefits of bond mutual fund investing. Also included is a chart showing the difference between Moody's and Standard & Poor's bond ratings, and, a graph showing what happens to bond prices and bond yields change. FYI, when yields/interest rates go up, prices on bonds go down. To obtain this piece, call the Evergreen Funds at 1-800-343-2898 and ask for it by title.
BONDSTax-advantaged Funds, from Evergreen Funds. A 12-page, 8 1/4" x 10 3/4" pamphlet. If you've ever wondered what the benefits are of tax-free municipal bond investing, this piece will help you to understand them. And, show you how various taxable and tax-free yields compare depending upon one's tax bracket. For example, if you're in the 31% tax bracket, a 4% tax-free return is equivalent to a 5.80% taxable one. To obtain this piece, call the Evergreen Funds at 1-800-343-2898 and ask for it by title.
BOND BASICSUnderstanding Duration from PIMCO Funds. This 2- page, 8 1/2" x 11" report offers a formula for calculating duration, a tool which measures the sensitivity of a particular bond or bond fund to changes in interest rates. The report claims duration is a better measure than maturity for evaluating bond fund interest rate risk. Duration, used to build portfolios and manage risk, has its limitations and you'll find those covered in the report, too. To order this piece, please call PIMCO Funds at 1-800-426-0107 and request it by title.
BOND BASICSBond Basics--a Quick Refresher Course for Investors from PIMCO Funds. This 2- page 8 1/2" x 11" report explains what bonds are; warns readers never to take a bond at face value; and describes yield, coupon rate and price and how to calculate a current yield. It also offers investors insight about credible bonds, risk and maturity and how to determine which is better for your portfolio: bonds or bond mutual funds. To order this piece, please call PIMCO Funds at 1-800-426-0107 and request it by title.
BOND BASICSUsing Duration to Select Bond Funds from PIMCO Funds. This 4-page, 8 1/2" x 11" report describes duration as measuring the "potential volatility of a bond's price or a bond fund's net asset value in reaction to changes in interest rates. The report explains how to calculate duration and how to use this tool to choose fixed-income investments. To order this piece, please call PIMCO Funds at 1-800-426-0107 and request it by title.
BOND BASICSMay 2000 Investment Outlook from PIMCO Funds. This 4-page, 8 1/2" x 11" report features the article: " Imagine...(The End of Treasuries and the Last Bond)". Founder and Managing Director of PIMCO, Bill Gross, talks about Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) securities, which have been around since the 1970s and are a pool of individual Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Veterans Administration (VA) mortgages guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. He says that GNMAs are government-guaranteed with a total return likely to be higher than the 7 1/2 percent provided by long Treasuries. To order this piece, please call PIMCO Funds at 1-800-426-0107 and request it by title.
BONDSBond Fund Investing, from The Vanguard Group. A 40-page, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" booklet from the Plain Talk Library, Bond Fund Investing helps you to determine how bond funds can have a role in your investment strategy. You'll also learn the differences between bonds and mutual funds and that by using bond funds investors can earn regular monthly income. This A-to-Z guide to individual and mutual fund bond investing offers a spectrum of information, from defining the basics of bonds and describing the benefits and disadvantages of bond investing, to helping investors measure bond performance. To get this information free, call The Vanguard Group 800-662-7447 and request it by title. | 
| HOW WE FIGURE THINGS | | | Since the educational data we received comes from a variety of different sources---and in all different sizes and shapes---we figured it would be best to have specific labels for each differently sized piece. To keep things in order, we count everything: The front cover is one page, the inside cover, page 2, etc. Consequently, there will no doubt be a difference in the number of pages you read in the reviews about the piece and the number of pages printed in it. With that in mind, here's a legend that names the various sized pieces. Read through it and you'll know why we call booklets booklets and pamphlets pamphlets: Report. These are one- or two-page, often two-sided, reports on 8 1/2" x 11" papers. MFS and Pioneer have many of them.Mini-let. That's a one-page piece of paper of various sizes folded in various ways. Copy here might read: "8 12" x 17" paper folded in thirds".Pamphlet. Something with up to 12 pages---that includes counting the front and back cover pages, for a total of 4 pages right there. (This differs from the Mini-let in that these are separate pages and not part of one sheet of paper folded down.)Booklet. Any unbound piece over 12 pages in length, covers again being counted in as 4 pages.Tiny Book. All bound pieces, like some of the Scudder things. Count cover pages also. | |
|
|
