A practical how-to guide for every investor. For ordinary investors who want to build an all-weather portfolio. It is time-proven wisdom, and encourages you to take control of your finances. Learn how to use CDs, bonds, and bond funds to manage risk/reward even during low interest rates. You will learn: How to choose your stocks/bonds allocation How to become immune to changing interest rates When to use CDs and individual bonds How to choose a good bond fund How to hedge against unexpected inflation Contents: Foreword by Larry Swedroe Introduction

• Who Should Read This Book?
• Start with a Sound Financial Lifestyle Why Bother With Bonds?
• Stocks are risky in the short-run, and the long run too!
• Bonds Make Risk More Palatable
• Bonds Can Be A Safe Bet
• Bonds Are An Attractive Investment Diversifier Life Is Complicated. Bonds Are Not.
• What is a Money Market Fund?
• Are CDs Better Than Bonds?
• What Are Bonds?
• What is a Bond Ladder?
• Individual Bonds or a Bond Fund? Bonds: Risks and Returns
• Yield, Price And Making Comparisons—How To Compare Individual Bond Returns—How to Compare Bond Fund Returns—Total Return: To Measure And Compare Performance
• How To Reduce Risk From Interest Rates Changes—Duration: The Point of Indifference to Interest Rates—Duration: The Measure of Sensitivity to Interest Rates
• How To Reduce Risk From Unexpected Inflation—Real versus Nominal Interest Rates—Why Include TIPS In Your Portfolio?
• Credit Quality or Default Risk Build The Bond Portion Of Your Portfolio
• Start With Your Goals.
• How Much Risk Is Right For You? — Understand How Much Risk You're Taking—Take Your Risk In Stock Market, Not Bond Market—How Much in Bonds? How Much in Stocks? — Your Needs Change Over Time
• The Importance of Low Cost—How Much To Diversify Bonds? — The Importance of Low Cost—Five Low-Cost Strategies You Can Do Yourself
• Taxes Matter
• Example Portfolios (both good and bad) Common Misconceptions Important to Correct
• Stocks Are Safer In The Long Run
• Holding a Bond (or CD) to Maturity Eliminates Risk
• Stocks Are Safer Than Bonds
• The Best Funds Have The Most Stars
• A One Percent Fee Is Small
• Rising Interest Rates are Bad for Bond Holders
• You Can't Beat the Market Using Index Funds
• Use Multiple Investment Companies To Diversify
• You Need Many Mutual Funds to Diversify