Cara Esser

Despite a Fed rate hike, most Morningstar bond categories showed gains.

We're upgrading BlackRock’s Parent Pillar rating to Positive from Neutral.

Gold-rated T. Rowe Price High Yield has married rigorous bottom-up research and top-down macro views to generate great performance with modest volatility.

Here are four Morningstar Medalists to consider for a supporting role in your portfolio.

Close cousins of CEFs, interval funds offer a unique set of pros and cons.

A management team unafraid to stray from the benchmark to find value and relatively low fees lead to a Morningstar Analyst Rating of Silver.

Overall, the firm earns a Positive Parent Pillar rating, largely for its strong manager ownership, reasonable fees, and shareholder-friendly practices.

In a year where credit ruled, these five managers stood out.

Silver-rated BlackRock Total Return has been a solid performer, but prepare for volatility given the fund's top-down bets on the economy and high turnover.

JP Morgan Government Bond's stable duration, strong mortgage selection, and below average fees have led it to beat 90% of its peers over the last decade.

The Gold-rated fund’s exposure to corporate bonds has gone from a headwind to a tailwind.

Even in the face of rising interest rates, bonds remain an important allocation for retired investors.

Spot-on analysis and low fees have helped Lord Abbett Floating Rate achieve peer-beating returns, says Morningstar's Cara Esser.

Dana Emery, director of fixed income at Dodge & Cox, discusses why the firm likes corporate bonds and emerging-markets debt, where rates are headed, and bond-market liquidity.

Although Dodge & Cox Global Bond has lagged recently, management has a long and successful track record of outperformance at other funds.

An impending retirement doesn't mean a change in course as this firm continues to build out.

With its conservative stance, Silver-rated Eaton Vance Income Fund of Boston offers a less-volatile approach to high yield.

Why duration doesn't tell the whole story.

Keep an eye on the yield curve and look under the hood of your fund to size up the impact.

Convertible bonds offer equity upside with downside protection.

A rundown of possible outcomes for certain Morningstar Categories when the Fed ultimately decides to hike interest rates.

Top-down strategies can be difficult to execute, but the long-tenured team at Bronze-rated Lord Abbett Total Return have built a strong long-term track record.

Bonds remain an important allocation for certain investors.

Even after a recent manager change, we still believe Bronze-rated Vanguard Convertible Securities is a solid, low-fee option for convertibles exposure.

There were many surprises in 2014's bond markets, but a few managers got it right.

T. Rowe Price New Income is a reliable core bond fund that manages to outpace the Barclays Aggregate Index while avoiding the market's worst gyrations.

Mind the yield curve.

Western Asset's Rob Amodeo explains how it's no longer a "set it and forget it" muni market, and he also details why he likes some Puerto Rican bonds.

An experienced team manages this topnotch fund, which has returns beating 95% of its peers over the long term and a 6% yield during the past year.

Option strategies add income to equity funds.

The debate over the benefits of active versus passive management does not have to be an either/or proposition.

Given an improving economy, corporate fundamentals, and current valuations, there is still value in the high-yield and bank-loan marketplace, says Western Asset's T.J. Settel.