▁in ▁the ▁bond ▁mark ets ▁through ▁bond ▁funds , ▁closed - end ▁funds ▁and ▁unit - in vest ment ▁trust s . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁total ▁bond ▁fund ▁net ▁in flow s ▁increased ▁ 9 7 % ▁from ▁$ 3 0 . 8 ▁billion ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁to ▁$ 6 0 . 8 ▁billion ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁Exchange - tr aded ▁funds ▁( ET F s ) ▁are ▁another ▁alternative ▁to ▁trad ing ▁or ▁invest ing ▁directly ▁in ▁a ▁bond ▁issue . ▁These ▁se cur ities ▁allow ▁individual ▁invest ors ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁overcome ▁large ▁initial ▁and ▁increment al ▁trad ing ▁sizes . ▁ ▁Bond ▁indices ▁ ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁bond ▁indices ▁exist ▁for ▁the ▁purposes ▁of ▁man aging ▁port fol ios ▁and ▁meas uring ▁performance , ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁S & P ▁ 5 0 0 ▁or ▁Russell ▁Index es ▁for ▁stock s . ▁The ▁most ▁common ▁American ▁benchmark s ▁are ▁the ▁Bar cl ays ▁Capital ▁A ggreg ate ▁Bond ▁Index , ▁Cit igr oup ▁B IG ▁and ▁M err ill ▁Lyn ch ▁Dom estic ▁Master . ▁Most ▁indices ▁are ▁parts ▁of ▁families ▁of ▁bro ader ▁indices ▁that ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁measure ▁global ▁bond ▁port fol ios , ▁or ▁may ▁be ▁further ▁sub div ided ▁by ▁m atur ity ▁or ▁sector ▁for ▁man aging ▁special ized ▁port fol ios . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁In ▁ancient ▁S umer , ▁tem ples ▁function ed ▁both ▁as ▁places ▁of ▁worship ▁and ▁as ▁banks