Great Income Squeeze Begins as Fed Spells End to Easy Yields

(Bloomberg) — For income investors, the days of easy returns are vanishing. In recent years, investors were paid handsomely to play it safe. Short-term US Treasuries offered yields above 5% — a rare chance to earn solid returns without locking up capital or chasing risk. For pensions, insurers and endowments, it marked a decisive break from the post-crisis decade of near-zero interest rates. Even if high inflation tempered real returns, institutions that once had to reach for yield suddenly had room to si ...