An investor with bonds yielding 6% is facing lower yields due to decreasing interest rates. What risk is this investor experiencing?

The situation described involves an investor holding bonds that yield 6%, while experiencing lower yields due to decreasing interest rates. The correct answer is reinvestment risk.

Reinvestment risk arises when an investor is unable to reinvest cash flows (such as coupon payments from bonds) at the same rate as their initial investment. In a declining interest rate environment, the yields available on new bonds or other investments are lower than the original bond’s coupon rate. This means that when the investor receives interest payments or the principal when the bonds mature, they may have to reinvest that money at these lower rates, resulting in reduced income from future investments.

This scenario directly emphasizes the impact of falling interest rates on investment income potential. Investors must be aware that if market rates decrease, the opportunities to reinvest at comparable rates also diminish, leading to overall lower returns than anticipated.