Get the low-down on government bonds

U.S. Treasury notes, bonds and savings bonds have a well-established record as a long-term investment. But like any investment, investors should learn about the pros and cons of government securities before adding them to their portfolios.

Several websites offer good primers on government bonds. Here is a sampling of sites:

--Bankrate.com: Serves up insights about U.S. Treasury bills, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities and U.S. savings bonds. http://www.bankrate.com/brm/green/sav/svgs1e.asp

--Bonds Online: Explains the government's TreasuryDirect bond purchase program. http://www.bondsonline.com/asp/treas/direct.asp

--InvestorGuide.com: Offers snapshot of U.S. government bonds. http://www.investorguide.com/igu-article-576-treasury-bonds.html

--Investopedia: Provides good overview of government bonds. http://www.investopedia.com/university/bonds/bonds4.asp

--TreasuryDirect: Direction on purchasing Treasury bonds, with details about specific bond types.