That shakiness around when the cuts are coming, as well as the expectation that rates could remain higher for longer creates an opportunity for active managers. Rick Rieder, BlackRock's global chief investment officer of fixed income, told CNBC in a phone interview. Indeed, core bond funds were among the winners in the 2008 crisis. For starters, they should think about the role they want a given bond fund to play within their portfolio: Is it to offset equity risk or to boost returns? "You're not investing in bond funds to shoot the lights out and build your wealth pile," said Morningstar's Jacobson.

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Persons: Rick Rieder, Rieder, Eric Jacobson, Morningstar, John Croke ,, Morningstar's Jacobson, Jaime Quinones, they're, Quinones Organizations: Federal Reserve, Barclays, Bank of America, Citigroup, CNBC, Bloomberg, SEC, Morningstar, Vanguard, Stockade Wealth Management, Mutual Locations: Marlboro , N.J