U.S. Dollar Denominated Bonds - 10 Reasons You Shouldn't Own Them

id="body">compensate for the heavy losses they are incurring
Many people think of any type of dollar denominatedon a weakening dollar. As your costs of doing
bonds, whether they are U.S. corporate bonds or U.S.business and living rise, yields from bonds won't cut it
Treasury bonds as a safe place to park your moneyanymore.
for reliable sources of income stream. In fact, the U.S.(5) As the massive yen carry trade continues to
Treasury Department on their own website, evenunwind, and the Bank of Japan takes increasing
tout U.S. Treasury Securities as a "great way tomeasures to strengthen the Yen as the Japanese
invest and save for the future."economy continues emerging from its recession, the
Many people believe this nonsense because they arestrengthening of the Japanese Yen in addition to the
advised of this by a horde of financial consultantsPound Sterling and Euro will threaten dollar
that have zero understanding of how thesupremacy.
political-corporate-banking triumvirate operates, and(6) While most people think that there has been no
how this financial triumvirate has produced a mostfurther attack on the U.S. by terrorists since 9/11,
unattractive likely scenario for dollar-denominatedthere has been a far more devastating ongoing
bonds going forward from 2007. Many people thinkattack - an ongoing economic war. Though this fact
of U.S. Treasury bonds as safe because of theis not discussed at all in the mainstream media,
"federal guarantee". The ten reasons below renderOsama bin Laden's has repeatedly stated that his
that federal guarantee irrelevant.number one goal to topple the U.S. as an economic
And don't think this doesn't affect you just becausepower.
you aren't American. Non-Americans aggregately hold(7) In response to (6), the U.S. Federal Reserve has
a lot more U.S. dollars in this world than Americans do.expanded the dollar money supply to provide funding
If you are one of those misled people, American orfor the war. With no end in sight to this war, we can
non-American, reading the below ten reasons canexpect the dollar money supply to continue to
save you a lot of grief in the future.expand, therefore placing more downward pressure
(1) The often repeated financial consultant statementon the dollar.
that bonds are a "safe place" to park your money,(8) The U.S. has no powerful allies to keep the dollar
especially if you are older, is a myth. Who cares ifstrong. With protectionism sentiment growing
you earn a 5% revenue stream from bonds if thestronger among the newly elected Democratic U.S.
currency they are denominated in loses 15% in valueCongress, the U.S. certainly has no friends in China,
over that same time span?the largest holder of dollar denominated debt at over
(2) Many of those in the retirement phase of their$1 trillion.
lives are convinced to invest in longer maturity bonds(9) The largest holders of Petrodollar reserves include
because of poorer yields of short-term bonds. As theRussia, Venezuela, Iran and other Middle Eastern
Euro gradually replaces the U.S. dollar as thecountries. Read that list again. There is not a single
international currency of choice, the longer maturitynation strongly friendly to the U.S. on that list.
necessary to ensure a return of face value on bonds(10) When people finally realize that (1) through (9)
presents a significantly greater risk.are true, there may be a flight from the bond
(3) As interest rates go up, the face value of bondsmarket, causing bond prices to tumble.
go down. Although Wall Street strongly expects theWhen you realize the shakiness of your situation as a
U.S. Federal Reserve to cut interest rates soon todollar-denominated bond holder, think about this. Don't
stimulate a faltering U.S. economy, this is how I see it.you think foreign governments and wealthy private
At some point and time, the U.S. Federal Reserve willinstitutions and individuals, holders of
try to block global flight from the U.S. dollar bydollar-denominated assets in massively greater
propping up interest rates, not cutting them.quantities, realize the same? When they realize the
(4) As the dollar loses value over time, banks andfacts that I've laid out above and take actions, their
other financial institutions will increase interest ratesaggregate actions will reflect poorly upon dollar
on loans and other financial instruments todenominated bonds as well.