Investors looking for protection of principal tend to prefer having exposure to the relative safety of bond funds. Clayton Albright, portfolio manager of the Wilmington Broad Market Bond Fund, describes his diversified approach to bond investing based on a top-down selection process in the bond sector and thorough evaluation of each individual security for its credit risk.

For investors, Build America Bonds have arrived to offer corporate bond-like income combined with the credit quality profile of municipal bonds. Cynthia Clemson and Craig Brandon, portfolio managers of the Eaton Vance Build America Bond Fund, describe how this new asset class provides an opportunity to earn yields comparable to similarly rated corporate bonds, but with potentially higher credit quality.

Finding a good company is just part of the equation of successful investing with the price one pays for a stock being equally important. A disciplined approach to purchasing is the hallmark of the Chase Growth Fund, which invests only in companies with a track record of solid earnings growth.

Prudent investing should always subdue temporary concerns and anxieties in the name of long-term consistency. Baxter Hines, portfolio manager of the Allianz NFJ International Value Fund, and his team look for dividend-paying companies that are trading at a discount to their long-term value while possessing the necessary balance sheet strength to navigate volatile business conditions.

Mid-cap companies can possess the dynamism of small companies and the financial strength of large-cap names. At Robeco BP Mid Cap Value Fund, Steven Pollack and his team scour this segment of the market in search of companies that have strong business fundamentals, near- term catalysts and attractive valuations.

Even though investors tend to perceive value as the upbeat aspect of an unfavorable market environment, value funds are subject to market gyrations like any other funds. Thornburg Value Fund classifies and diversifies value stocks in three categories so that the fund can develop superior returns in different market environments.

Companies that pay dividends typically have a higher level of discipline and focus on returning capital to shareholders. Out of a universes of 1,000 companies with dividend reinvestment plans allowing investors to accumulate wealth, the MP 63 Fund offers investors a safer way to gain exposure to these stocks with a regular investment process.

In the long run, companies with sustainable above average earnings growth will outperform the indexes. W.P. Stewart & Co. Growth Fund looks for companies with competitive advantages and high barriers to entry. The concentrated fund invests in twenty high-quality companies that also offer downside protection.

With distinct long-term, competitive advantages in mind, the Mirzam Capital Appreciation Fund screens its investable universe for companies that are trading at a discount to their intrinsic value. Portfolio manager Dusty Culbertson explains how the fund shuns companies that rely on dilutive stock option compensation programs.

There are more than six hundred closed-end funds and, quite naturally, not all of them trade at their fair values all the time. Patrick Galley, portfolio manager of the RiverNorth Core Opportunity Fund, looks for closed-end funds that are not only trading at a discount to their assets but are also likely to appreciate in value in the near term.