November 27, 2025
Are Bonds Missing from Your Portfolio? David Stein Explains Why They Matter
The Investing for Beginners Podcast - Your Path to Financial FreedomAbout this episode
Want to go deeper on real companies with simple, long-term investing guidance? Subscribe to the Value Spotlight newsletter , where Dave and Andrew share stock ideas, valuations, and lessons from real businesses straight to your inbox. In this episode of The Investing for Beginners Podcast, Dave and Andrew bring back David Stein—author, co-founder of AssetCamp, and host of Money for the Rest of Us—to demystify bonds. David also breaks down the difference between investment-grade and high-yield bonds, how spreads signal fear (or complacency) in the economy, and why today’s higher yields make bonds more interesting than many investors realize. Finally, they discuss practical ways to own bonds—ETFs, bullet ETFs, TIPS, and CLOs—and how to think about your allocation as you get closer to retirement. Key Topics Covered: What bonds are, how they work, and why the bond market is so big How rising interest rates push bond prices down (and vice versa) Investment-grade vs. non-investment-grade (high-yield) bonds and default risk How bond spreads signal fear, recession risk, and investor sentiment Using bonds for near-term goals like a house down payment vs. long-term retirement Timestamps: 00:00 Intro and welcoming back David Stein 01:00 What are bonds and how do they differ from stocks? 03:00 How coupon rates, yields, and maturities work in practice 13:00 High-yield bonds, spreads, and what they tell you about recession risk 18:00 Defaults, diversification, and why most investors use bond ETFs 25:00 Using bonds for house down payments and near-term goals 29:00 How rising rates crushed bonds in 2022—and what that means going forward 33:00 Yield to maturity and duration: the two numbers that matter most 37:00 Modeling bond returns and recovering from price drops over time 41:00 Why valuations in stocks vs. math in bonds can change your allocation 44:00 Final thoughts on bonds as a tool for confidence and stability Resources Mentioned: Money for the Rest of Us (David Stein’s podcast) AssetCamp (institutional-grade research tool) Have questions for David? Email him at team@moneyfortherestofus.com Have questions or want your story featured? Email the show at newsletter@einvestingforbeginners.com or comment below. Your feedback shapes the podcast! Remember, invest with a margin of safety—emphasis on the safety. Have a great week, and we’ll talk to you next time. Timestamps are generated by artificial intelligence, and are not 100% accurate depending on the platform used for listening. Today’s show is sponsored by: Go to SHOPIFY.COM/beginners to start selling with Shopify today. Download the Plynk app today to start building your investing confidence: https://plynkinvest.app.link/IFB Buy and sell your next car the easy way with, Carvana —no haggling, no hassle, just click and drive. Interested in how your company sponsor the show? Reach us at equity@einvestingforbeginners.com SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon | Tunein Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices