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The Dark Side of High-Yield Investing

By U.S. News & World Report

With yields in the basement, savers and investors and are searching for ways to boost their investing income.

Today, the 10-year Treasury bond yield is a dismal 2.33 percent. The average return on bank savings accounts is paltry, although a quick search on GoBankingRates.com shows that the industrious saver can garner a 1.05 percent yield. A 1 percent interest rate is good in the current economic environment, yet compared with historical interest rates, it’s quite low.

Although the Federal Reserve is hinting at an interest rate hike during the next six months, even a small boost won’t make a big dent in the measly interest and dividend returns on your cash savings.

In their ongoing search for yield and higher returns, investors are becoming more aggressive and taking on more risk with junk bonds, peer-to-peer lending, high-yield exchange-traded funds and real estate investment trusts.

Investors, beware: There is a price for reaching for yield. Here are the risks associated with these asset classes.

Junk bond funds. Fixed-income investments may be classified as investment-grade or junk. Investment-grade bonds have a lower default risk and yield than non-investment-grade or junk bonds. Investors who choose to reach for yield and invest in junk bond funds need to understand the risks.

All bond funds’ values move in an opposing direction to interest rates. So, when interest rates rise, the value of the bond fund will drop. Longer-duration bond funds will drop further in price than bond funds holding shorter maturities. This relationship applies to all categories of bonds — investment-grade and junk.

Lower-rated junk bonds face a double whammy when interest rates rise; their values will fall, and they may face a greater likelihood of default. When borrowing costs rise, companies typically face higher interest charges and consequently greater expenses. Without a corresponding increase in revenue, a company may falter. With rising interest rates, high-yield bond funds will fall and may be subject to greater default risk, leading to more losses.

The bottom line: Know the risks before diving into a junk bond fund.

High-yield stocks and stock funds. According to USA Today’s Matt Krantz, stocks with high dividends fared worse this year than stocks with high valuations. Krantz reported that the stocks with the highest dividend yields fell 6.8 percent during the first half of the year.

He doesn’t explain the why’s of this news, but here’s a possible explanation: When interest rates rise, that means corporate borrowing costs also increase. Increasing costs are not a good thing for a business and will cut into their profits. Thus, with higher-yielding stocks, higher interest rates may leave less money remaining to pay out in dividends. In general, declining stock dividend payments hurt a firm’s stock price.

Peer-to-peer lending. This social lending platform allows the average Joe or Jane to lend money to those in need, kind of like a bank. The borrowers might want business capital, funds to consolidate credit card debt or money to pay for a remodel. The allure to the lender is that he or she can garner 7 to 10 percent returns on their cash.

The catch with these popular platforms, such as Lending Club and Prosper, is that they are relatively new. Their returns haven’t been tested during times of higher interest rates. Thus, you don’t know if there will be higher borrower defaults or other scenarios that may occur as interest rates go up. If defaults increase substantially, investors’ returns will drop.

If you choose to invest in these social lending platforms, understand that they are risky, and be prepared for uncertain future returns.

Real estate investment trusts. REITs are mutual funds or ETFs that pool investors’ money and invest in various types of real estate. They may own many apartment buildings, shopping malls, mortgages or a combination of real estate assets. Their draw is the high yield.

According to the Securities and Exchange Commission, REITs are required by law to pay out at least 90 percent of their taxable income to shareholders each year in dividends. For investors, REITs have been a gold mine. According to NAREIT, the National Association of Real Estate Trusts, recent average “listed U.S. REIT” returns have been quite impressive; one-year returns are 27.15 percent, three-year returns are 16.39 percent and 10-year average returns are 7.5 percent.

The real estate industry has benefited from historically low mortgage rates, which makes the cost of owning real estate lower than with higher mortgage rates. Since 2009, the economy has been expanding nicely as most of the country rebounds from the 2008-09 housing bust and mortgage meltdown.

When interest rates begin to rise, so will borrowing costs. This will negatively affect the costs of owning real estate and likely REIT yields. Don’t be surprised if the price of existing REITs also declines.

In sum, when searching for yield, realize that there’s a downside to higher-yield investments. When interest rates go up, the value of fixed investments falls. If you’re aware of the risks, you’ll be better able to navigate the rising interest rate environment.

More from U.S. News

7 Myths About Dividend-Paying Stocks

10 Long-Term Investing Strategies That Work

8 Rules for Investing in a Turbulent Stock Market

The Dark Side of High-Yield Investing originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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