In this episode of the Money Rehab podcast, Nicole Lapin explains how bonds can provide balance and stability in investment portfolios. She walks through the fundamentals of bonds as debt instruments that offer predictable returns and lower risk than stocks. Lapin outlines how an investor's risk tolerance and financial goals should guide their allocation of bonds versus stocks in their portfolio.
The episode also covers the evolving accessibility of bond investing through user-friendly platforms. Lapin highlights how these allow for fractional bond investing and clear visibility into expected returns and timelines. With her guidance, listeners will gain a solid understanding of bonds and how to incorporate them into their investment strategy.
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Nicole Lapin explains that bonds are a type of debt investment where investors lend money to the government or corporations, receiving regular interest payments and the principal back at maturity. She emphasizes that bonds offer more predictability and lower risk than stocks, providing diversification and balance to investment portfolios.
Lapin discusses how an investor's risk tolerance and financial goals should guide their mix of stocks and bonds. For short-term goals, she recommends a higher bond allocation to mitigate volatility risk. For long-term goals, she suggests a higher stock allocation for potential growth. Investors should regularly review and adjust this allocation as their circumstances change.
Investing in bonds has become more accessible through platforms like Public, which Lapin endorses for their user-friendly experience compared to traditional bond purchasing methods. These platforms allow fractional bond investing and clearly display expected returns and timelines, helping investors understand their investments.
1-Page Summary
Nicole Lapin provides insights into how bonds work as an investment, their benefits, and their role in diversifying an investment portfolio.
Bonds are described by Nicole Lapin as an IOU between the investor and the borrower. When investors purchase bonds, they are essentially lending money either to the government or a corporation. In return, they receive regular interest payments and eventually the return of the principal amount once the bond reaches its maturity date.
Investors appreciate bonds for their predictability. Knowing exactly how much money you will be getting back at the end, known as your yield, is one of the major attractions of investing in bonds. The interest rate, which determines the yield, and the repayment schedule of a bond are known in advance, unlike stocks which can be unpredictable and vary in return.
Lapin points out that bonds are considered a lower-risk investment, especially compared with stocks. This is because they are backed by the creditworthiness of the borrower. Among the various types of bonds, U.S. treasuries, which are federal government bonds, are deemed one of the safest options. These bonds ar ...
Understanding bonds as an investment
Nicole Lapin discusses how an investor's risk tolerance and financial goals should guide the mix of stocks and bonds in their investment portfolio. This strategy is essential for meeting different financial objectives at various life stages.
The caller Morgan, a young investor with a moderate appetite for risk, has goals spanning from the near future to over two decades away. Lapin highlights that the ideal investment strategy and asset allocation must be designed to meet the short-, medium-, and long-term objectives, considering events such as a wedding, house purchase, and future children's education.
Lapin emphasizes the importance of aligning investments with life plans, ambitions, and one’s "why" for investing, which provides a compass for financial decisions. She also underscores the significance of understanding and respecting individual and shared risk tolerances within a couple, like Morgan and her partner Jack.
Lapin prescribes lower-risk investments, such as a higher allocation to bonds, for short-term goals to protect against market downturns when funds will be needed soon.
Conversely, for ...
Determining investment strategy and asset allocation
Investing in bonds can seem intimidating, especially for those new to the financial world, but modern platforms are making it easier and more accessible than ever.
Nicole Lapin suggests using platforms like Public to invest in bonds, highlighting that they offer a more user-friendly experience compared to more traditional methods like TreasuryDirect.gov, which she finds outdated and confusing.
With the advent of platforms such as Public, which allow for fractional bond investing, investors now have the flexibility to invest any amount they wish into bonds, without the restrictions of fixed increments that traditional bond purchasing methods may impose.
Public goes a step further by clearly displaying a bond's expected return and maturity timeline, enabling investors to fully understand the parameters of their investment ...
How to buy and invest in bonds
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