These bond funds offer top quality holdings

Article Excerpt

The Bank of Canada is unlikely to raise interest rates any time soon. That’s because low prices for oil should continue to offset government stimulus spending as well as increased exports due to the weak Canadian dollar. The federal government’s tighter mortgage rules should also cool housing markets and further limit the need to raise interest rates. Even so, interest rates are expected to rise in the long term. That’s because heavy deficit spending and the expansion of the money supply in the past few years make higher inflation more likely. We continue to advise against investing in bonds right now. Today’s low interest rates make them unattractive, and rising rates will push down their future value. However, if you need stable income and want to hold bonds, these two bond funds offer lower fees and high-quality holdings. ISHARES CANADIAN SHORT-TERM BOND INDEX ETF $28.14 (Toronto symbol XSB; buy or sell through brokers) aims to mirror the DEX Short-Term Bond Index. This index consists…