ock up their money for a full decade were only being paid 1.8 percent for buying U.S. Treasurys this week. And yields have turned negative for investors trading 10-year Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, or TIPS. On Wednesday, the yield was negative 0.28 percent. In essence, investors are willing to pay Uncle Sam to borrow their dollars for 10 years, because the opportunity to minimize losses is attractive compared with other options. That may be patriotic if the government puts that borrowed cash to work to stimulate the economy. But it's no way to invest for your future. "I don't know why people would pay the U,http://nineteenfiftyfour.org/2010/03/monday-march-1-tuesday-march-2.html#comment-41.S. government to borrow their money, unless they're very,toms outlet, very pessimistic," says Robert Horrocks, chief investment officer and a portfolio manager with the Matthews Asia mutual funds. Returns are even smaller for money-market funds, safe harbors where investors can park their cash until they're ready to put it back into the market. Money fund returns are closely tied to interest rates, and their returns have been barely above zero for three years. They're now averaging 0.02 percent call it nothing. Don't expect improvement until the Fed pushes rates back up. Here's a look at three relatively low-risk alternatives to generate some income in a low interest rate environment: 1. Dividend stocks Dick Bristol,http://www.yt188.com/home/space.php?uid=13791&do=blog&id=58807, a 74-year-old retired Air Force major from Biloxi, Miss., counts on dividend-paying stocks for his retirement security. His investment portfolio is nearly 100 percent in stocks that make regular payouts, and he and his wife count on a few hundred dollars of dividends coming in each month. Of course, dividend-paying stocks are not immune from market drops. And companies often cut dividends when the economy skids. But Bristol is convinced the potential returns are worth the risks. In August, he invested in Dynex Capital, a real estate investment trust. The stock has since risen 8 percent and has a high dividend yield of 12 percent. That's the amount of the dividend paid divided by the share price. "Keep in mind that if you invest in something that's earning 1 to 2 percent, you're losing out to the 3 inflation we've got now,http://zuolingyouli.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=699809,cheaptomsshoessalei.com," Bristol says. "Over the long run, nothing pays like dividend stocks." 2. High-yield bonds These bonds are issued by companies with credit problems. High-yield investors expect higher returns because there's a greater risk of default than with companies possessing investment-grade ratings. And they've gotten them recently. Mutual funds specializing in high-yield bonds have produced an average annualized return of 19 percent over the last 3-years. Anne Lester, lead manager of JPMorgan Income Builder (JNBAX), has recently been adding to the fund's holdings in high-yield bonds. They now make up 44 percent of a portfolio that also is invested in stocks. Corporate default rates remain low and high-yields are attractively priced compared with Treasurys and other bonds, Lester says. The market is pricing high-yield bonds "as if we were in a recession,toms shoes sale, and we're clearly not in one," she says