Investing Basics: Bonds - Bonds are a common investment. However, too many investors, they remain a mystery. So let's explore what a bond is and how it might benefit your investment portfolio. A bond is simply a loan given to a company or government by an investor. By issuing a bond, a company or government borrows money from investors, who in return are paid interest on the money they've loaned. Companies and governments issue bonds frequently to fund new projects or ongoing expenses. Some investors use bonds in hopes of preserving the money they have while also generating additional income. Bonds are often viewed as a less risky alternative to stocks, and are sometimes used to diversify a portfolio. Consider this example. The city of Fairview wants to build a new baseball stadium, so it decides to issue bonds to raise money. Each bond is a loan for $1,000, which Fairview promises to pay back in 10 years. To make this loan more attractive to investors, Fairview agrees to pay an annual interest rate of 5%, which in the bond world is also known as a coupon rate. An investor buys the bond at face value for $1,000. Now, let's fast forward. Each year the city of Fairview pays the investor $50. These regular interest rates continue for the length of the bond, which is 10 years. Once the bond reaches maturity, the investor redeems his bond, and Fairview returns his $1,000 principal investment. This bond was a good deal for both the city and our investor. Fairview got the money it needed to build the stadium. The investor received regular interest payments and the return of the original investment. [ENDS AT 1:28]