The path toward historical interest rates is already baked into demographic trends. It will be a slow but inevitable process
Negative interest rates on short-term bonds means investors are buying in for bond price appreciation instead of yield
Plunging oil prices have added to the default risk of energy issues, meaning potential payouts could be impressive
Although yield spreads for corporate issues over government bonds have tightened, the premiums still are attractive. But you and your clients must remember that when corporate bonds are stressed, they all suffer together
Most economists have predicted rate increases annually since 2009, but those predictions have not come true and rates have remained low. Once again, the consensus is that rates will rise in 2015, but not before mid-year
If deflation spreads, Canadian federal bonds and U.S. treasuries would soar in value, as their guarantees of payment trump all other debt
Liquidity - more than defaults - rules the high-yield debt market. And when defaults rise, price moves will be even more dramatic
Trading in U.S. government debt surged to an all-time high during the stock market swoon in October
There are a plethora of fixed-income ETFs, ranging from index trackers to more specialized products, that offer benefits such as liquidity and low management fees for clients
Although bond funds can be unpredictable, and generally perform less well than equities, careful selection and an eye on factors such as interest rates and inflation or deflation can do much to balance a retirement portfolio