Introduction to TIGRs, CATS, and LIONs

TIGRs, CATS, and LIONs—no, you will not encounter them in The Wizard of Oz. You cannot find them in a zoo, either. These things with the catchy names were actually bonds. There were other animal-named bonds as well—dealers have sold RATs, COUGARs, GATORs, EAGLEs, and even DOGs. As an educated investor, you shouldn’t be put off by the "cutesy" acronyms used by the brokerage community—after all, they are entitled to an inside joke. Instead, you should know what they were and how they fit into your investment objectives.