The importance of knowing the terms of bond issues, especially those relating to redemption, cannot be overemphasized.

Yet there have appeared numerous instances of investors, professional and others, who acknowledge that they don't read the documentation. For example, in an article published in the New York Times, the following statements were attributed to some stockbrokers:

"But brokers in the field say they often don't spend much time reading these [official] statements," "I can be honest and say I never look at the prospectus. . . . Generally, you don't have time to do that," and "There are some clients who really don't know what they buy. . . . They just say, ‘That's a good interest rate.'"

Why is it important to understand the redemption features of a bond issue?