FIXED INCOME PORTFOLIO CONSTRUCTION

How (and why) to barbell your bonds

Yields are back in fixed income. As you get back to benchmark with your bonds, the BlackRock Bond Barbell can help you re-think your bond mix.

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Re-think your bonds: broaden your mix

Now that yields are back in fixed income, it’s time to reassess your portfolio. As you re-up your bond weights, it’s a great time to re-think your bond mix. Do what the pros do - anchor your portfolio with low-cost bond ETFs and then allocate your fee budget to flexible funds and private credit.
Record low yields demand lower fees and new return sources

For illustrative purposes only.

Optimize your bond portfolio

The BlackRock Bond Pyramid is an interactive tool that showcases ways to blend active funds with bond ETFs to help meet portfolio goals or prepare for changing markets.
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Build your barbell blends

When redesigning fixed income portfolios, investors can optimize their allocation for fees and yield by pairing flexible, active strategies alongside bond ETFs.
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Keep fees low and transparency high
Investors increasingly recognize that the potential three benefits of ETFs—competitive performance, low cost and liquidity — apply to bonds just as they do to equities.
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Seek new sources of return with flexible, active strategies
BlackRock Strategic Income Opportunities Fund (BSIIX) can complement your core bond funds with a flexible strategy that diversifies you from interest rate volatility.
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