Municipal bonds, or munis, have outperformed other bonds this year, but have still slumped. "We suggest that if you're investing in municipal bonds, individual bonds, you invest in 10 different issues with different credit risks," he said. Investing differs from stocks Muni bonds serve a different goal in a portfolio than assets such as stocks, which you hope go up in value over time. "There's typically some price appreciation with it but it's hard to bank on price appreciation unless you're a very active muni bond trader," said Tyner. Diversified muni bond mutual funds are also a good option for investors, giving access to the muni market without having to take on the risk of buying individual bonds.

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