Perryne Desai, CFA, is the Head of Index Fixed Income Product at Vanguard, responsible for overseeing the strategy and expansion of Vanguard's fixed-income exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and related products. Our conversation covers fixed-income basics, different indices that funds follow, how to use bond funds and ETFs in portfolios, and the new products Vanguard has launched or is developing. For information on understanding bond math and various types of bond yields, see Bond yields 101: A guide for smarter investing.

Rick Ferri, a long-time Boglehead and investment adviser, hosts this episode. The Bogleheads are a group of like-minded individual investors who follow the general investment and business beliefs of John C. Bogle, founder and former CEO of the Vanguard Group. It is a conflict-free community where individual investors reach out and provide education, assistance, and relevant information to other investors of all experience levels at no cost. The organization supports a free forum at Bogleheads.org, and the wiki site is Bogleheads® wiki.

Since 2000, the Bogleheads have held national conferences in major cities across the country. In addition, local Chapters and foreign Chapters meet regularly, and new Chapters form periodically. All Bogleheads activities are coordinated by volunteers who contribute their time and talent.

This podcast is supported by the John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacy, a non-profit organization approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity on February 6, 2012. Your tax-deductible donation to the Bogle Center is appreciated.