In recent years, interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve pushed bond yields near levels not seen in more than a decade.

Torsten Asmus / Getty Images Bonds are rated according to their risk of default by independent credit rating agencies such as Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s ... prove to be good investments ...

The three major bond ratings agencies are Moody's, Standard & Poor's, and Fitch Ratings. Investment-grade bonds offer lower interest but high safety; speculative ones have higher risk and return.

In order to get adequate diversification, it's a good idea to spread the bond portion of your portfolio among various Treasury bonds, high-grade corporate bonds and, if you're in a high tax ...

Corporate bonds are divided into investment-grade, which includes any debt rated BBB- or better, according to the Standard & Poor's rating scale, and high-yield. A high-yield bond is also called a ...

Receiving more yield sounds good, but investors ... and AAA to BBB (Standard & Poor’s). The lower the rating, the higher is the rating agency’s estimate of the bond’s default risk.

“Adding to your exposure to triple-B corporates is a good way to enhance long-term returns,” says Bianco. Corporate bonds rated triple-B are still investment grade, but offer better yields ...

It’s also a good idea to leverage I bonds within your household budget. “Since I bonds cannot be redeemed within the first year and incur a penalty if cashed within five years, make sure these ...