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Bonds

Bond

A bond is evidence of a debt in which the issuer promises to pay the bondholders a specified amount of interest and to repay the principal at maturity. Bonds are usually issued in multiples of $1,000.

Zero-Coupon Bond

This type of bond makes no periodic interest payments but instead is sold at a steep discount from its face value. Because these bonds do not pay interest until maturity, their prices tend to be more volatile than bonds that pay interest regularly. Interest income is subject to ordinary income tax each year, even though the investor does not receive any income payments. Bonds sold prior to maturity may be worth more or less than their original cost.