Credit Suisse Asset Management has launched a new short duration bond fund that seeks to provide an alternative to investors seeking higher potential returns than money market funds at a time when traditional money market fund yields are at historic lows, according to BW sister publication Money Management Letter. The fund invests in corporate bonds, mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities, places an emphasis on investment-grade securities, and has a duration of one to three years. The strategy is being marketed mainly to retail investors, but Linda Moore, director of product management, said institutional investors, such as pension plans, which are interested in the short duration fund, can invest in a separate account that offers a similar strategy. According to portfolio manager Suzanne Moran, the firm believes interest rates will remain in the historic low range over the short term based on the firm's fixed-income research and the performance of credit instruments.