Weekend Reading - iShares launches Money Market ETFs, FX hedging & How To Construct A Bond Ladder

Bonds remain one of the most important portfolio diversifiers, particularly during recessions and deflationary shocks. But choosing the right Bond ETF involves more than simply chasing the highest yield or lowest fee. Investors need to balance duration, diversification, credit risk, and currency exposure. In this guide, we break down how to think about Bond ETFs step by step: from matching duration to your investment horizon, to understanding the trade-offs between Government and Aggregate Bonds, as well as local versus global exposure.

So you have read our comprehensive review of Interactive Brokers (affectionately abbreviated IBKR or even IB by its users) and you have decided to open an account. This guide will walk you through the steps of the process. In some ways, this broker account opening process can be longer than for other brokers. That’s because IBKR is more sophisticated. But, we make this process a bit simpler. In the end going through it is worth the hassle given the benefits the broker may give you in the long run. Let’s get started!

Should European investors hedge their international portfolios back into euros? In this long-term asset allocation study, BNP Paribas explores one of the most misunderstood areas of investing: currency exposure. The report explains why currency hedging often makes sense for bonds, how FX volatility can dominate fixed income returns, and why hedging costs matter significantly for euro-based investors today. It also examines long-term currency valuation, suggesting the US dollar appears expensive versus the euro, while the Japanese yen looks undervalued.