Morningstar has released their top 3 Bond Funds for June-July. Here’s the list:

High-yield bonds.

T. Rowe Price Spectrum Income (RPSIX)

This is a fund of funds. The management team invests in up to 9 T. Rowe Price funds in order to get exposure to all of the sectors of the bond market. The fund took a 14.7% hit in 2008, due to the high yield aspect, but it’s up 6.3% for the year ending May 29.

Intermediate-term bonds.

Metropolitan West Total Return Bond (MWTRX)

The management team of Stephen Kane, Laird Landmann, and Tad Rivelle have been at the helm of this fund since 1997, and with excellent results. The team focus on a selective group of bonds including BB and B rated, higher yielding issues and bank loans. However, they also placed a contrarian bet on commercial and residential mortgages in 2008, so this fund is not for the impatient or conservative investor.

FPA New Income (FPNIX)

Here’s a more conservative fund. Manager Bob Rodriguez has maintained a “buyer’s strike” against high-yield bonds and U.S. Treasuries, and has a sterling long-term record. One item of note however: Rodriguez plans to take a one year sabbatical starting January 2010, but he is passing control of the fund to Thomas Atteberry, the fund’s co-manager.

• Ivy League Investing For The Common Man. David Swensen has managed the Yale University endowment from 1984 to 2008 and during that time, the endowment returned an annualized 16.6% - 5 points better than the S&P 500 and a generic balanced portfolio of 60% in a stock index, and 40% in bond index. That equates to a......
• 3 Recommended Pimco Bond Funds. Bonds are an important part of any good asset allocation, and here are 3 bond funds from the Pimco firm as recommended in a recent Kiplinger magazine article. PIMCO bond total return (PTTAX). Manager Bill Gross sticks to investment grade, intermediate-term U.S. bonds for this fund. The expense ratio for......
• A Sample ETF Portfolio for Maximum Income (and Fat, Juicy Yields). With the low fees and wide selection of ETFs, you can now build a portfolio for maximum and minimum fees relatively easily. Here's one such sample portfolio from Kiplinger that allocates 65% to bonds, 35% to stocks. The bond section is spread between conservative, laddered treasures and riskier junk bonds.......
• When it Comes to Investing, Simplicity Rules. There was a time when only the wealthy and well connected could invest in the stock market. Then IRAs and 401(k) plans ushered in a new era of the "common man" investor. Flash forward a bit more, to the Internet age, and we have a grand democratization of the stock......
• Mutual Fund Monday - How to Compare Funds. The Mutual Fund Monday post this week is a highlight of a recent post from Kyle over at Amateur Asset Allocator . Millions of Americans own mutual funds in their 401(k) plans, and many others own them in their IRA's or even in a taxable, non-retirement account. But many people......

• Flying to Salt Lake City Tomorrow Going to Salt Lake City tomorrow for the weekend. I have several investment properties out there and I've convinced some of my friends to buy there too. So we're going to hang out and make it a good tax-deductible trip! Ever since I read Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad series of......
• As Much As $50 Million Missing In Canadian Ponzi Scheme After all the news during the past few months about Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme down in the US, it looks like we have our own here in Canada. Earl Jones is a financial adviser who has suddenly disappeared with $30-$50 million of his client's money. Authorities have frozen the accounts......
• Successful Investing Tips and Techniques The true, most basic motivation behind investing is to grow our investment. People who have invested before will take their time, looking at the differing companies and the market, trying to predict how a stock will do in a year or two. Those investors whom are without the experience to......
• Should You Invest in a Target Retirement Date Fund? Target Date Funds were intended to be a "one-size fits all" retirement investment vehicle. Investors were encouraged to put most if not all of their retirement portfolio into a retirement date fund after selecting a target retirement date. Then, the theory went, they could sit back, relax, and watch as......
• High Yield Money Market Mutual Fund Vs High Yield Savings Account Traditionally, I've held my emergency fund in the Vanguard Prime Money Market Mutual Fund (VMMXX).  Several years ago, the Prime fund was riding high on the then-generous short-term interest rates, its yield topping 5% and staying there for a significant period of time.  At that point, Vanguard Prime was the......