One of the biggest things that people have to face in the world of investing is that there are some topics that just aren’t as interesting as others. The truth is that you will find your best returns in vehicles that aren’t appealing to other people. For example, when’s the last time you’ve heard of anyone getting excited over bonds? However, bonds hold a lot of promise in a small package, and one of those promises is peace of mind. Bonds aren’t nearly as a volatile as stocks. They can take a beating, yes, but your rises and falls won’t be as severe. If you’re just getting into the investment world, you might wonder what a bond really is.

In its simplest definition, a bond is simply a loan made out to a company, with a promise to repay. Bonds are a great way for the company to build capital, especially when it’s time to take over another company. However, most companies continue to keep a bond out to raise money over time. You’re loaning the company your money and they are agreeing to pay that money back — with interest, of course. The amount of interest you gain depends on the risk of the company. The higher the yield, the more risky the company actually is.

Back to the topic at hand — you’ll want to buy some bonds eventually. Let’s walk you through how to do that. First and foremost, you will need to think about the type of bonds that you want to buy. Most people speaking about bonds are usually referring to corporate bonds, but it never hurts to ask to make sure that you’re not making assumptions.

It used to be difficult to buy corporate bonds — but now you don’t have to run through a company’s website. If you already have an online broker or a financial adviser, you can purchase the bonds that way.

What if you wanted to buy Treasury bonds? A lot of people scoff at these bonds because they don’t have a particularly high return, but the reality is that they are safe — fully backed by the government. That means that you aren’t going to lose your principal — ever. These bonds are purchased through a special auction through Treasury Direct, which is a separate process. You can always look them up separately if you really want to follow this path.

Now, there’s another hybrid that’s out now, and you might have heard of it. We’ve talked about exchange-traded funds (ETFs) before, but there’s a hybrid Bond ETF that can take the things you like about bonds and apply them to a slightly more volatile world.

This is more the DIY approach to investing — you’ll need to manage the Bond ETF on your own. These are not “just like” bonds — the Bond ETF is actually a different animal, and should be treated accordingly. These ETFs change value over time, which increases the risk. ETFs actually invest in multiple bonds, which spread out risk to some degree, and give you the chance to get interest payments here too.

Like anything else in the investing world, you’ll need to tread carefully, research things you want to pursue, and then build a plan of action — that’s the way to go!