Activating your fixed income doesn’t have to be that difficult. As with many of your assets, it starts with knowing what you own.

Step 1. Analyze what you currently own

Bond Fund Holdings Worksheet. Download this worksheet to catalog and analyze your current fixed-income investments.

Step 2. Use online tools to learn more about your holdings

If you own CDs, notes, or some other form of fixed-income product that is not an individual bond or bond fund, check with the issuer of that investment to better understand how your assets are being used.

Bond Fund Basics Demo. A wealth of information about bond funds is easily accessed through online financial sites like Morningstar. This video shows you how to access and understand this information.

Fixed Income Style Box Demo. The video introduces you to the Morningstar Bond Fund Style Box and explains how you can use it to quickly assess key information about a bond fund.