Most people invest for long-term growth. And while many investors devote a portion of their portfolio to conservative investments like money markets or cash equivalents, you may need other investments to reach your goals.
No matter why you’re currently invested in money markets, you can make the choice to expand your investment opportunities.
Ready for your next step? Learn how bonds can help you get started.
Worried About Risk? Here’s How “Short” Steps Can Help
Making changes to your portfolio isn’t always easy, but you don’t have to choose the extremes of low risk (and low return potential) or high risk (and volatile returns). Bonds could be a good middle ground. If you want to ease out of money markets to add more return potential, short-term bonds might be the answer.
Explore These Funds
Short Duration Fund
Short Duration Inflation Protection Bond Fund
The Rising Rates Conundrum
A period of rising interest rates might seem like the worst time to get out of money markets and invest in bonds. But is it? Depends on the bonds. The underlying securities in diversified, short-term bonds help reduce risks from rising interest rates. Plus, they still provide better potential return opportunities than money markets.
Explore These Funds
Short Duration Fund
Short Duration Inflation Protection Bond Fund
The Switch From Job Income to Bond Income
Many investors add bonds to their portfolios as they approach retirement age. Why? Bonds’ structure—essentially a loan that provides scheduled interest payments—makes them an appealing option for converting a retirement nest egg to a stream of income. Money markets (and even most stocks) aren’t designed to provide regular income.
Explore These Funds
Short Duration Fund
Short Duration Inflation Protection Bond Fund
Short Duration Strategic Income Fund
Consider Inflation Fighters
Can your current portfolio stay ahead of inflation? If you have too much in money markets, maybe not. Historically, money market returns have not kept pace with the inflation rate. But there are investments that are specifically designed to meet inflation head on.
Explore These Funds
Short Duration Inflation Protection Bond Fund
Inflation-Adjusted Bond Fund
Next Step: Explore These Funds
Short Duration Fund
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For investors with short time horizons or who are worried about interest rate risk
Seeks to limit volatility, especially when interest rates increase
Positive returns in each of the last 10 calendar years
Helps diversify both the stock and bond portions of an overall portfolio
Does Short Duration Fund fit into your portfolio?
Want to talk through your options?
Short Duration Inflation Protection Bond Fund
Learn more >
For investors with short time horizons and who are worried about both inflation and interest rate risk
Designed to outpace inflation, which can help preserve purchasing power
Seeks to combat the volatility associated with rising interest rates
Actively managed by a veteran team dedicated to inflation protection
Does Short Duration Inflation Protection Bond Fund fit into your portfolio?
Want to talk through your options?
Short Duration Strategic Income Fund
For investors with short time horizons who are concerned about rising interest rates
Features less interest rate risk than longer-duration fixed-income options
Diversifies sources of income to pursue attractive yield through all markets
Offers flexibility to adjust sector exposures to help enhance yield and reduce risk
Does Short Duration Strategic Income Fund fit into your portfolio?
Want to talk through your options?
Inflation-Adjusted Bond Fund
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For investors who want to combat the effects of inflation and preserve long-term purchasing power
Designed to outpace inflation, which can help preserve purchasing power
Seeks to deliver returns with low volatility
Actively managed by a veteran team dedicated to inflation protection
Does Inflation-Adjusted Bond Fund fit into your portfolio?
Want to talk through your options?
Explore All Funds
Need more options? Everyone's situation is different, so we offer a variety of mutual funds to build a diversified portfolio.
Short Duration Fund
International investing involves special risks, such as political instability and currency fluctuations. Investing in emerging markets may accentuate these risks.
The lower-rated securities in which the fund invests are subject to greater default and liquidity risk, because the issuers of high-yield securities are more sensitive to real or perceived economic changes.
Short Duration Inflation Protection Bond Fund
Investments in fixed income securities are subject to the risks associated with debt securities including credit, price and interest rate risk.
In certain interest rate environments, such as when real interest rates are rising faster than nominal interest rates, inflation-protected securities with similar durations may experience greater losses than other fixed income securities. Interest payments on inflation-protected debt securities will fluctuate as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation and can be unpredictable.
Inflation-Adjusted Bond Fund
The prospectus contains very important information about the characteristics of the underlying security and potential tax implications of owning this fund.
Investments in fixed income securities are subject to the risks associated with debt securities including credit, price and interest rate risk.
In certain interest rate environments, such as when real interest rates are rising faster than nominal interest rates, inflation-protected securities with similar durations may experience greater losses than other fixed income securities. Interest payments on inflation-protected debt securities will fluctuate as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation and can be unpredictable.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investment returns will fluctuate and it is possible to lose money.
Generally, as interest rates rise, the value of the bonds held in the fund will decline. The opposite is true when interest rates decline.
Diversification does not assure a profit nor does it protect against loss of principal.
This material has been prepared for educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide, and should not be relied upon for, investment, accounting, legal or tax advice.
IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: American Century Companies, Inc. and its affiliates do not provide tax advice. Accordingly, any discussion of U.S. tax matters contained herein (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, in connection with the promotion, marketing or recommendation by anyone unaffiliated with American Century Companies, Inc. of any of the matters addressed herein or for the purpose of avoiding U.S. tax-related penalties.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as tax advice. Please consult your tax advisor for more detailed information or for advice regarding your individual situation.