Three years ago, the US credit system experienced something of a collapse, sending global markets into a whirlwind (a downward whirlwind it should be added). With that, a lot of investors were reminded of the importance of a proper asset allocation model, forcing them to re-examine their risk tolerance levels.

Ever since those bleak days in 2007, 2008, and again in March 2009, the concept of risk tolerance has taken on a brand-new meaning for aggressive and conservative investors alike. For the conservative investors, it meant that maintaining growth could no longer be found in bank-issued term deposits or government issued treasuries.

The aggressive investor, however, also has had to revisit asset allocation with added emphasis on the income class, which aggressive investors have traditionally shunned from their portfolios in favor of more aggressive equity class investments.

The income class of a decade ago is not the same as the class today. In fact, today’s bond funds have explore greater options for income and capital appreciation than their historic counterparts. High yield investments combined with greater-volatility debt means some of these bonds respond to market triggers the way some equities do.

When you really get to know these high yield investments, it becomes clear that they not only provide greater volatility than some equity funds, they pay greater income and offer just as much growth potential. Meanwhile, they achieve these benefits while taking on much less risk.

In a market where all else is equal, your bond investments will always have less risk than equity investments. The problem has been in the rating systems used by companies like S&P and Moody’s, both of which came under fire following the collateral debt obligations (CDOs) collapse in 07 and 08. Now you have B-rated bonds that just two years ago were solid investment-grade bonds. And with the spreads between corporate and government issues being wide, the individual investor stands to capitalize.

The better funds on the market will easily outperform the more-conservative equity funds. And with less trading within the fund, bond funds cost less to manage, resulting in greater savings for the investor seeking less risk.

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