To help investors better understand their investing options, investment products are generally grouped by category – often referred to its “asset class”. Assets within the same asset class tend to behave similarly and are subject to similar rules and regulation.

Bonds have a long history of being used to reduce debt or help finance business or government projects and operations, so its market size shouldn’t be surprising. Let’s consider the basics of bonds, what types exist and how you can invest in bonds for your own portfolio.