• By
Roberto Rodriguez

As they keep interest rates near historic lows, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke and other U.S. officials are a borrower’s best friend. But for retirees and other income-oriented investors, the super-low rates are a financial nightmare.

Portfolio mainstays such as U.S. Treasury bonds and investment-grade corporate and municipal debt just aren’t producing enough income. That has prompted—or forced—many income investors to look farther afield.