What you need to know to confidently invest in bonds. Topics covered include: Key components of bond investing include face value, coupon rates, yield-to-maturity, duration, and convexityHow to decide between owning longer-term or short-term bondsHow to decide whether to own individual bonds or bond funds and ETFsWhen to use active bond management versus bond indexingHow bullet bond ETFs work and when to use themHow to know when to invest in municipal bonds and corporate bondsWhen should you own foreign bondsShould you own bonds in taxable or tax-deferred accountsA bond case study based on current interest rates For more information on this episode click here. Sponsors Money Pickle - Schedule a free 45-minute video chat with a vetted financial advisor and ask them anything about your financial situation. Go here to schedule your free session. Fundrise - The largest direct-to-investor alternative investment platform in the U.S. Show Notes A Complete Guide to Investing in I Bonds and TIPS—Money for the Rest of Us Investments Mentioned iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH) iShares® iBonds® Dec 2025 Term Treasury ETF (IBTF) iShares® iBonds® Dec 2025 Term Corporate ETF (IBDQ) Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund ETF (BND) Doubleline Total Return Bond Fund (DBLTX) Related Episodes 337: Why in the World Would You Own Bonds? 378 Plus: A Frustrating Time To Invest and Did Bulletshares Underperform? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We analyze the worrisome national debt situation in the U.S., UK, and Japan and consider what will determine the likelihood of default Topics covered include: How big is the national debt in the U.S., UK, and JapanWhy Japan and UK interest rates have increasedWhen do federal government debts jump the mostWhat two numbers are key to whether a level of national debt is sustainableWhat are five ways indebted countries have reduced the relative size of their debtWhy quantitative easing is not a solution to a national debt crisis For more information on this episode click here. Sponsors Shopify Fundrise Show Notes Debt to the Penny—U.S. Treasury Fiscal Data Federal Debt and the Debt Limit in 2022—Congressional Research Service Can the Central Bank Alleviate Fiscal Burdens? by Ricardo Reis—London School of Economics and Political Science UK government debt and deficit: June 2022—Office for National Statistics Japan's Experience with Yield Curve Control by Matthew Higgins and Thomas Klitgaard—Liberty Street Economics What is the national debt?—U.S. Treasury Fiscal Data Major Foreign Holder of Treasury Securities—Treasury International Capital System, U.S. Treasury The Liquidation of Government Debt by Carmen M. Reinhart and M. Belen Sbrancia—International Monetary Fund Related Episodes 295: Federal Reserve Insolvency and Monetizing the National Debt 338: The National Debt, Inflation, and the U.S. Dollar—What Could Go Wrong? 360: Will the U.S. Default? Debt Ceilings, Government Shutdowns, and the National Debt See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.