Beneath all of the rhetoric is a sector that performed strongly in 2012 and reaped substantial inflows - and that investors continue to like based on its attractively modest volatility relative to mercurial equities markets.

What has changed in the past year is that more managers and advisers are talking up alternatives to traditional equities funds focused on government and investment grade corporate bonds. From high yield to more esoteric options such as asset-backed securities and fixed income ETFs, investors are being presented with a wide array of options.

This special report will look at the yields on offer across the wider fixed income space, before delving into the alternative fixed income options and, particularly, increasingly popular exchange-traded funds.

This special report is produced in association with Axa. For fund information, click here.