Successful bond investing isn’t about luck, it’s about researching markets, comparing offers . . . and luck. These seven websites serve as your navigation guide through the vast universe of bonds and bond funds.
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Run by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, this is the place to go to find out overall bond market yields and, perhaps more importantly, what individual bonds (which you can look up by their CUSIP number or issuer) are selling for.
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
This independent securities regulator was formed in June 2007 when the National Association of Securities Dealers merged with the New York Stock Exchange Member Regulation. Find scores of information on bond yields, prices, and trends.
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Find out what your savings bond are worth. Buy and sell U.S. Treasury bills and bonds at no cost.
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Go to Market Data→Rates and Bonds for up-to-date information on multiple bond markets.
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Find scads of information on individual bonds and bond funds. Go to Bond Screener for a complete bond shopping guide.
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In this simple calculator, you put in the price of the bond, the coupon rate, and the maturity date, and out comes the all-important yield-to-maturity.
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Click the Funds icon on the bar at the top of the screen to find lots of information on any bond fund you can imagine, including Morningstar’s exclusive rating system. (Avoid one-star funds; shoot for five stars.)