Bond market selloff: What fixed-income investors can do to protect their money without panicking

U.S. Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, who recently unveiled a plan to aggressively buy back bonds as a way to combat higher interest rates, speaks to reporters as he arrives for the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors' meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, on August 31, 2026.Allison Joyce | Afp | Getty ImagesThere's been a lot of noise in the bond market lately, and with the 10-year treasury hitting its highest level since 2023 on Wednesday, what's giving investors pause isn't going away.Between planned Treasury buybacks and the Federal Reserve's latest announcement signaling a possible rate hike that puts the agency at odds with President Donald Trump's desires, many bond owners are scratching their heads about what's next. This comes amid broader inflation concerns weighing on bondholders, a roughly $2 trillion federal deficit, and over $40 trillion in government debt that doesn't show signs of easing. "Tuning out the noise is one of the hardest things for anyone to do," said Ian Toner, partner and head of investments in the institutional consulting practice at New York-based Cerity Partners. Nonetheless, he cautions investors who are considering moving money bas...