Fixed Income Overview

Why bonds?

At Raymond James, we believe that bonds can play an important role in a well-diversified portfolio. Bonds may provide predictable income and, most importantly, principal protection.* Additionally, bonds may help minimize overall volatility.

Who invests in bonds?

Bonds can benefit an investor’s portfolio in a variety of ways. For retirees, bonds may provide a predictable income stream and safety of capital. For other investors, bonds can help meet future obligations, such as vacations, college funding or the purchase of a house.

How much to allocate to bonds?

Bond allocation depends on many factors, including an investor’s time horizon, risk tolerance, need for income and future goals. In most cases, as investors’ age, they grow more dependent on income from their portfolios and become more risk averse. Bonds can help ease specific concerns that arise when investors move from one stage of their financial journey to the next. Consult your financial advisor to determine what portion of your portfolio should be devoted to bonds based on your specific investment objectives.

*If held to maturity, subject to issuer credit risk.

MSRB Rule G-10 Investor and Municipal Advisory Client Education and Protection Disclosure
Raymond James & Associates, Inc., and Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., are registered with and subject to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB). Both the SEC and the MSRB publish websites containing information and resources designed to educate investors. In addition to educational materials about the municipal securities market and municipal securities market data, the MSRB website includes an investor brochure describing protections that may be provided by MSRB rules, including how to file a complaint with the appropriate regulatory authority. For more information, visit www.sec.gov and www.msrb.org. For additional background information on any firm or representative registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), please contact FINRA at 800.289.9999 or www.finra.org and request the public disclosure program brochure.

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