309: Bonds: The Perfect Inflation Hedge (with One BIG Caveat)

I Bonds, and treasury bonds in general, have always been thought of as the “retiree's investment choice.” For those that have a short time horizon on investments, bonds have made perfect sense. With a guaranteed return, there isn’t a lot to risk for someone close to retirement age who simply wants to watch their investments stabilize—not grow or decline. And in today’s high-inflation environment, more and more individuals are realizing how worthwhile bonds are, especially as their traditional assets start to nosedive.  Neither Mindy nor Scott have heavy allocations in the bond market, so to understand these interesting assets a bit more they invited Shane Shepherd, Assistant Professor at USC’s School of Business, to the show. Shane has seen a recent pique in interest from his students in a few certain subjects—inflation, rising interest rates, and bonds. It seems like even the young generation of investors want to safely store their cash during pre-recession markets. But, does Shane think that I Bonds are a smarter way to save? If stock market slumps are starting to hit your portfolio hard, this may be the perfect episode to listen to. Shane describes exactly why so many Americans are investing in I Bonds while also explaining who should not contemplate investing in something as stable as bonds. His advice could help you keep pace with inflation or buy killer deals in the coming months! In This Episode We Cover I Bonds explained and how they can help you minimize the effects inflation has on your portfolio  Nominal yield vs. real yield and why you must understand the difference before you invest What happens to bonds if the US enters into an deflationary period  Who should (and more importantly shouldn’t) start investing in bonds  The downside of diversifying and why bonds are a safe, but static investment  How taking on real estate debt could beat bond rates while building wealth for you And So Much More! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group BiggerPockets Forums Finance Review Guest Onboarding Mindy's Twitter Scott's Instagram Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show Podcast Talent Search! Subscribe to The “On The Market” YouTube Channel Listen to The “On The Market” Podcast: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, BiggerPockets Coronavirus: Is It Time to Give Up on Financial Independence? Former Fed President Warns Easy Money Will Bring Big Consequences for Investors w/ Tom Hoenig Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices