Are bonds a good investment right now? | Vanguard (2024)

FAQs

Is it a good idea to buy bonds now? ›

What to consider now. We suggest investors consider high-quality, intermediate- or long-term bond investments rather than sitting in cash or other short-term bond investments. With the Fed likely to cut rates soon, we don't want investors caught off guard when the yields on short-term investments likely decline as well ...

With the S&P 500 up by double digits over the past year, it may be tempting for investors to ignore bonds. Compared to the stock market, a 5% yield on a high-quality investment-grade corporate or US Treasury bond is hard to get excited about. And those yields appear to be the good news about bonds.

Positive Signals for Future Returns. At the beginning of 2024, bond yields, the rate of return they generate for investors, were near post-financial crisis highs¹—and for fixed-income, yields have historically served as a good proxy for future returns.

Should I only buy bonds when interest rates are high? There are advantages to purchasing bonds after interest rates have risen. Along with generating a larger income stream, such bonds may be subject to less interest rate risk, as there may be a reduced chance of rates moving significantly higher from current levels.

As for fixed income, we expect a strong bounce-back year to play out over the course of 2024. When bond yields are high, the income earned is often enough to offset most price fluctuations. In fact, for the 10-year Treasury to deliver a negative return in 2024, the yield would have to rise to 5.3 percent.

After weighing your timeline, tolerance to risk and goals, you'll likely know whether CDs or bonds are right for you. CDs are usually best for investors looking for a safe, shorter-term investment. Bonds are typically longer, higher-risk investments that deliver greater returns and a predictable income.

Rising interest rates directly caused stock and bond prices to fall in 2022. Interest rates affect a company's capital and earnings in many ways, says Damian Pardo, a certified financial planner and city commissioner in Miami, Florida.

Yields to Trend Lower

Key central bank rates and bond yields remain high globally and are likely to remain elevated well into 2024 before retreating. Further, the chance of higher policy rates from here is slim; the potential for rates to decline is much higher.

Should I buy short or long term bonds? ›

All else being equal, a bond with a longer maturity usually will pay a higher interest rate than a shorter-term bond. For example, 30-year Treasury bonds often pay a full percentage point or two more interest than five-year Treasury notes.

The May I Bond composite rate is 4.28% (US Treasury) which is 2.14% earned over 6 months. Breaking News: Official Treasury I Bond Rate announced! The May 2024 I Bond Fixed Rate is 1.30%. Read on to decide if you'd like to continue buying I Bonds, or if you'd rather cash them out.

After bonds are initially issued, their worth will fluctuate like a stock's would. If you're holding the bond to maturity, the fluctuations won't matter—your interest payments and face value won't change.

Key Takeaways

Most bonds pay a fixed interest rate that becomes more attractive if interest rates fall, driving up demand and the price of the bond. Conversely, if interest rates rise, investors will no longer prefer the lower fixed interest rate paid by a bond, resulting in a decline in its price.

Why interest rates affect bonds. Bond prices have an inverse relationship with interest rates. This means that when interest rates go up, bond prices go down and when interest rates go down, bond prices go up.

A fundamental principle of bond investing is that market interest rates and bond prices generally move in opposite directions. When market interest rates rise, prices of fixed-rate bonds fall. this phenomenon is known as interest rate risk.