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The article examines the potential losses for investors in high-yield or junk bond mutual funds should investors pull money out of stock markets in the event of an increase in interest rates. It discusses a report conducted by researchers at financial services firm Barclays that estimated a 12 percent loss in bond market funds if the junk-bond market declined by 10 percent and mutual fund investors requested a return of 20 percent of their funds. The article presents comments from Barclays head of research Jeffrey Meli.

The article states that several U.S. public pension funds were slashing investment-return predictions as of early September 2015 due to low interest rates and global market volatility. The article cites an analysis conducted by the group the National Association of State Retirement Administrators to state that over two-thirds of U.S. state retirement systems had cut assumptions since 2008, and that the average return target of 7.68 percent was the lowest since at least 1989. The article presents comments from pension consulting firm Cambridge Associates managing director Brian McDonnell.

The article discusses investors' decreased sales of junk bonds in the U.S. for the month of July 2014. Topics include the effect of junk bond sales on yields and U.S. bond issuance by lower-rated U.S. companies, speculation on an increase in interest rates in the U.S., and mention of the pricing of companies' bond sales such as Bonanza Creek Energy Inc.

The article discusses the performance of long-term junk bonds in the U.S. as of December 2013, reporting that prices and sale rates are decreasing as some investors seek shorter-term securities. Topics include the U.S. economy, interest rates, investment policies, bond yields, and bonds issued by the food-can maker Ball Corp.

The article discusses an increase in skyscraper prices that has been caused by investors seeking yield as of June 2013. Topics include skyscraper sales in the Manhattan neighborhood of New York City that have exceeded one billion dollars, interest rates, and the potential economic benefits of renting property.

The article discusses the potential economic impact in the U.S. of a bond selloff, noting the effects of ultralow yield bonds issued by U.S. central banks including the U.S. Federal Reserve on the economic recovery. It comments on the the possible losses that could be sustained by companies who invested in the bonds, the effects of reflation on financial borrowing, and the low interest rates.

The article discusses strong demand among investors for high-yielding investments. The U.S. Federal Reserve's policy of keeping interest rates low has made U.S. Treasury securities unattractive to yield-hungry investors. Some are turning to junk bonds, not all of which include the customary protections for investors. One-hundred-year bonds issued by Mexico have proven popular, despite that country's history of defaults.

This article reports that income investors in the U.S. have been investing in riskier assets as a result of five years of low interest rates. Topics include the potential negative backlash that could be suffered as a result of risky investments were the U.S. economy to enter a recession, the risks of buying stocks with the highest yields instead of stocks with healthy dividends, and the risks of buying closed-end mutual funds which rarely sell for the value of their assets.

The article examines the implications for finance in the U.S. of the announcement by the Federal Reserve Board that its main interest rate will remain close to zero until at least the middle of 2013. It is noted the central bank keeps rates low to encourage borrowing and lending by consumers and corporations. The possibility that the low rate of return on interest rate based investments will hurt the profits of banks, pension trusts and insurance companies is considered.

The article reports that the interest rate yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note government security fell below two percent in trading for the first time since the 1960s. The yield on the security is discussed as an indication that financiers are forecasting slow economic development which will lead to a low rate of return on most financial products.

The article reports on the cold reception of investors to the bond offering based on a batch of personal loans from the Prosper Marketplace Inc. Topics include the rapid growth of startup online lenders and the challenges they faced, the negative attitude of investors toward the credit market such as corporate junk bonds, and the increase rates on new borrowers by the lenders as investors demand higher returns.