Bonds are loans that are traded.
There exist many types and
issuers, but all of them have,
more or less, MANY features
in common which are discussed
here. Because the discipline of
fixed income management
forms a moat that is so wide
and deep, the discussion will
focus on the practical
application of using bonds in
individual investors portfolios
and the essential criteria for
measuring value and volatility.
They usually pay a fixed amount
of interest [1] at regular
intervals and have a term-to-
maturity, at the end of which,
they repay the principal to the
bondholders and the bond issue
ceases to exist. Bonds exist in
registered and bearer form.
Registered bonds are payable to
the owner of record, whereas
bearer bonds are CAN be
transfered as cash. There is
no owner of record, but rather
whoever holds bonds in these
forms is able to receive income
from them. This latter form of
ownership is rare in the United
States. Issuers are varied,
including companies, countries
and governmentalities (states,
cities, counties, etc.).
individual bonds

Individual Bonds are funds loaned out to individuals or corporate entities over a given period of time. Upon maturity, interest and the principle amount is paid back by the borrower. The amount of interest payable is determined by the borrower and sold in share bundles. The interest rate is either paid daily, weekly, monthly or annually or over a number of years as determined by the issuers of shares.

Issuers of bonds vary from individual corporate entities to government around the world. According to fidelity.com "A bond is an interest-bearing security that obligates the issuer to pay the bondholder a specified sum of money, usually at specific intervals (known as a coupon), and to repay the principal amount of the loan at maturity. Zero-coupon bonds pay both the imputed interest and the principal at maturity."

Individual bonds are bonds issued by local companies. The list of companies is as vast as the activity sectors, with a certain concentration on the machinery companies, construction, financial services, energy, telecommunications, tobacco and food. Corporate bonds are used to fund their capital.
When you buy individual bonds, you decide for a variety of local companies. Your investment opportunities include banks with the main field of activity in emerging markets as well as known energy suppliers. You can pursue the long-term strategy ("buy to keep") and do not have to monitor daily fluctuations in the capital market. Historical data show that Austrian corporate bonds proved to be not only financially strong, but they also offered attractive gains, with a favorable risk / profit ratio.