Another bond fund I've had good results with is Western Asset Core Bond Institutional WATFX

3 mos* 1 yr 3 yr 5 yr 10 yr Life

Fund 3.67 40.28 4.63 4.83 6.63 7.58

+/- Category 1.47 21.03 -0.08 0.50 0.95

Stocks for the long run: the definitive guide to financial market returns ... By Jeremy J. Siegel

Good read on the case of bonds vs. stocks in the long term. A real page turner.

^I don't have a long run left LOL.

and in the long run everyone is dead.

I'll check out the book you suggested

Summary. No 20 year period in history have bonds outperformed stocks as a whole.

That's pretty much it.

If you like those kind of books, then it does make a good case for stocks vs. bonds as a whole.

Oh, I was joking about the page turner part. It's good information, but about as exciting as reading "The Rules of Golf".

44^Be that as it may. My experience to date with buying and holding equity funds since 1999 has been less than stellar. Marketers can always parse the periods to prove whatever they want. If 10 years from now we find that the equity markets have indeed outpaced bonds well then whoopee for those that are selling their equities at just the right time to reap that extra benefit. 3 huge busts in the stock market in the last 10 years don't get me excited about running up to kick the equities football again. Hockeydad has it right. Mutual Funds are the natural prey of hedge funds.

I still have 50% of my portfolio in equity funds if your statistics about 20 yr performance of equities vs bonds pans out then I've hedged my bet.