Government Bonds Education and Training

Give your new hires a primer on government savings bonds

By Michele Vrouvas

Government bonds education and training is essential for novice employees of any financial or business consulting company. Even if your employees have completed some formal course work in finance, they'll still need to gain a deeper understanding of bonds as a viable investment source that comes from hands-on experience.

The US savings bond, its history and characteristics, is an excellent starting place for novices. Guide your employees' research by suggesting they pay particular attention to why bonds are ideal components of a diversified investment portfolio. Here are some suggestions for assisting your new hires in learning the basics of government savings bonds:

1. Give new hires background reading materials on US government savings bonds.

2. Direct your employees to learn about essential investment considerations before they can buy US government bonds for your clients.

3. Get your new hires started on the buying and selling of government bonds.

Start new hire government bonds education and training with an introduction to bonds

Your employees must start by learning the different types of bonds, such as Treasury bonds, municipal bonds and corporate bonds, as well as when these bonds are issues and by whom.
Try: Investopedia provides tutorials that explain and compare the different kinds of government bonds. Read through the step by step explanation of bond basics given by Investing Bonds.com. AARP's website will help your employees understand why bonds are a good investment choice for those living on a fixed income.

Learn the key government bond investment considerations

Now that you understand bond characteristics, you must help your clients decide which bonds are best for them. These decisions depend upon whether they want to diversify, whether they like to take risks or play it safe and how much time they have before retirement.
Try: Exxon Mobil offers financial counseling in making bond investment decisions to its employees on a website that is accessible to the general public. B Net Business Directory explains how essential it is to know about bond yield before making an investment decision.

Find out how to buy and sell US government bonds

Learn the most reliable sources of bonds, which bonds are available and the different payment options for government bonds.
Try: Treasury Direct.gov is the government's official website for selling bonds to you directly online. Check out Market Watch archived articles that provide tips on buying bonds that were helpful to investors in the past. Read the frequently updated articles at Money News that contain more timely tips on buying bonds.

Get professional training in US government bonds trading and analysis

While most hands-on training in bond trading and analysis happens on the job, there are training courses for bond professionals to advance in the field.
Try: FINRA, the regulatory body for the securities industry, offers an extensive menu of online training courses every year. Euromoney Institutional Investor's Bond School is a two-day course in New York that goes through the pricing and rating of Treasuries and other US government bonds.

When it comes to government bonds for sale, "TIPS", also known as Treasury Inflation Protected Securities, have gained in popularity because there is no transaction fee, you get many bonds with just one purchase and they can be bought and sold for indiscriminate amounts.