How to Buy Bonds the Smart Way

Littauer's newest book is the perfect consumer guide to show investors how bonds and bond funds can meet their investing goals and give them the best return for their money. Included are tips on buying treasury securities, finding no-load funds, and creating a balanced portfolio.

Littauer (How To Buy Mutual Funds the Smart Way, Montebello Pr., 1992), the former vice president of firms such as E.F. Hutton, offers extremely competent but dull information and advice on different types of debt instruments, including U.S. Treasury securities and how to purchase them. The dense writing could occasionally benefit from expanded explanations, because Littauer makes no concessions for the less sophisticated investor. One risk-averse approach is to buy bond funds, and for a substantial portion of the book Littauer recommends them, giving information on their expenses, return, and investment goals and policies. His bibliography, though not comprehensive, annotates sources most likely to be found in libraries. The book is recommended for financial collections serving well-heeled or well-informed investors.
Sue McKimm, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, Ohio
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The byword that today's financial advisers stress is diversification. They advocate a strategy that includes a mix of investment alternatives to minimize risk. These advisers' many books explain how each investment choice works, which one is best suited for what economic condition, and how to determine which one best suits an individual's investment goals. Once investors have chosen an option, though, they often need more details. Littauer has already provided sound, basic advice in two other how-to-buy-the-smart-way guides, covering stocks and mutual funds. Here he makes clear the essentials of bonds, or fixed-income securities. He defines the many different types of bonds, analyzes which are the safest and which offer the highest yields, investigates government securities, and touts bond funds. Littauer summarizes by considering the role bonds should play in balancing one's investment portfolio. David Rouse