Other investment pros prefer the high yields of fixed-income funds.

The money is invested in a fixed-income fund, one of five options in the plan.

"We have to make a choice about putting a portion of the fixed-income fund back into the market, perhaps in the next six months."

Part of investors' dissatisfaction with fixed-income funds is carrying over into corporate bonds.

At the other end of the scale, fixed-income funds registered a gain of only 3.01 percent as the long slide in interest rates halted.

For the year, fixed-income funds remain down 3.3 percent.

Low interest rates have also helped most fixed-income funds.

The additional assets dramatically increased both the size and complexity of the fixed-income fund.

In the early 1990's, market timers found their best opportunities in fixed-income funds, hedge fund experts said.

Now may be a good time, for example, to take advantage of seasonal trading patterns in fixed-income funds.