Fixed income, explained without the sales pitch
Bond Atlas is an independent educational publishing project about U.S. bonds, I Bonds and the market structures around them.
Our purpose
Bond information is often split between short definitions, product marketing and highly technical market commentary. Bond Atlas is designed to fill the space between them: detailed enough to show the mechanics, clear enough for a reader encountering the subject for the first time.
We explain what a security is, how its cash flows work, which rules can change and which risks remain. Articles use worked examples, comparison tables, checklists and direct links to primary sources.
What we cover
- Series I savings bonds, composite rates, purchase limits and redemption.
- Bond prices, yields, discounts, premiums, duration and yield curves.
- U.S. Treasury bills, notes, bonds, TIPS, FRNs and public auctions.
- Corporate credit analysis, financial ratios, ratings, covenants and seniority.
- U.S. federal and state tax categories involving bonds and bond funds.
- Structural differences among individual bonds, stocks and ETFs.
What independence means here
Bond Atlas does not open TreasuryDirect or brokerage accounts, execute transactions, accept investor funds, sell securities or provide personalized investment, legal or tax advice. The website is not affiliated with the U.S. Treasury, IRS, SEC, FINRA or any bond issuer.
The project does not publish “guaranteed return” claims, personalized allocations, trade alerts or product rankings. Educational examples use hypothetical or clearly dated figures and are not live recommendations.
How articles are produced
Articles begin with primary documentation: TreasuryDirect product and auction rules, IRS publications and forms, SEC investor materials and public filings, and FINRA fixed-income education. General explanations are cross-checked against these sources before publication.
We distinguish durable concepts from time-sensitive information. Interest rates and tax thresholds receive a review date and an instruction to verify the current official source. Our editorial policy describes sourcing, corrections and update practices.
Who the site is for
Bond Atlas is written for U.S.-focused readers who want to understand fixed-income terminology and documents. It may be useful before reading a Treasury auction result, a savings-bond rate table, a corporate prospectus or a bond fund fact sheet. It is not a substitute for advice based on an individual's circumstances.
We explain how to read and compare information. We do not tell a reader which security to buy, when to trade or what return to expect.
Original visual material
The diagrams and illustrations on Bond Atlas are original functional graphics created for this project. They simplify structures and relationships rather than imply government endorsement or reproduce official seals.
Read the library
Begin with the foundations or go directly to the complete I Bonds guide.
Bond basics I Bonds guide