 Bonds pay a contractual interest payment and really need to default, i.e. the issuer goes bankrupt before they stop paying. So as long as you pick good companies or government bonds, that's a more conservative route. A step above that in terms of risk is probably preferred stocks. Preferreds are technically a class of stock, Patty, but they pay a fixed dividend. Although companies don't necessarily have to go bankrupt to stop the dividends,