Bonds Have Done Terribly For Years — Is It Dumb To Buy Them?

It's easy to understand why ETF investors might be tempted to skip bonds — they've mostly done terribly. And that sentiment is only building. Investors typically buy bond ETFs to smooth out a diversified portfolio's volatility.

But they've been more akin to an anchor. Three of the five largest bond ETFs by assets delivered negative returns in the past five…