But overall, I find Junk Bond investing much easier than equity investing.

Howard,

On that, we do agree, and I'd broaden it further. Bond-investing, any kind, is an easy, easy gig. The downside, of course, is that rewards are commensurate with effort/risk, which is why bond returns are so modest compared to the money that stocks can offer. (But the downside of those fat stock gains is fat losses. So everything balances out in the end.)

Yes, bond spreads have been abusive. But you're right about how little retail participation there as been. If you pull T&S, you'll see very few small buy-side transactions, though a fair number of sell-side ones, as retail investors panic out of their positions, generally at steep discounts.

As for a collaborative searching effort, I have mixed feelings. I'd be happy to do it off-line with you. But for lots of reasons, I'm reluctant to do much in this forum by way of discussing specific issues except for illustrative purposes. In other words, I'm always willing to explore investment theory, which is what interests me most and which really is of most value to most people if only they realized it. Any idiot can offer buying suggestions, as TMF's writers endlessly prove. But few touts (stocks, bonds, or otherwise) take the time to think through the far more important things of how the risks of those buying suggestions would have to be managed and then attempt to guide their readers accordingly. ( Give a man a fish ... etc., etc.)

I've lost your email address. So I'll blind-copy you this post, and when you reply, I'll send you an updated version of my tracking spreadsheet.

Charlie