Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund

There's one word to describe the exchange-traded bond fund business and market in 2009 -- booming. Indeed, last year more than $39 billion flowed into long-only bond ETFs, while more than $26 billion flowed out of long only U.S. stock ETFs. Can fixed-income investors expect more of the same in 2010?

Retirement mistake #4 is believing that all bonds are safe. While all men and women are created equal, the same is not true of bonds. Many retirees learned this lesson the hard way. Here's a golden rule that will keep you out of "bond hell": If a bond offers a higher return, it always means you are...