Putting fixed income into clients’ asset allocations can be challenging now, with yields depressed and the threat of rising interest rates that would devalue bonds, but one possible solution is to build a bond ladder. “I use ladders for clients who are in and near retirement,” says Sheila Padden, a CFP and the founder of Padden Financial Planning in Chicago. “I mix [certificates of deposit] and bonds, depending on the yields available.” – Sheila Padden [More]