why buy corporate bonds when i can buy treasuries?

Hi billdematteo,

The answer is:  yield.  Corporate bonds generally pay higher rates of
interest than treasury bonds or notes, because they are riskier.  The
interest rates reflect a commonly held perception that the United
States government is less likely to default on a bond than any
corporation.

For a sample of current rates, see the Bond Market Yield Summary at:
http://www.bondsonline.com/asp/news/composites.html

The difference currently is less than a percentage point for all
terms, but corporate bonds are represented here by AAA-rated bonds. 
Lower-rated bonds would pay higher rates.


Additional Link

Motley Fool introduction to bonds
http://www.fool.com/school/basics/basics05.htm


If you need any more information, please ask for a clarification.

Regards,

--efn