Interest rates are expected to rise sharply.

Price sensitivity to interest-rate changes is measured primarily through duration. A long-term zero-coupon bond normally has very high duration because the investor receives no interim coupons; the entire cash flow is concentrated at maturity. When rates rise, the present value of that distant cash flow falls sharply. Option A has low sensitivity because it matures quickly. Option C adjusts its coupon with reference rates, which usually reduces price volatility relative to fixed-coupon long bonds. Option D is a deposit product rather than a market-traded bond and generally does not experience the same market-price movement. This question tests the inverse relationship between bond prices and yields plus the additional effect of term and coupon structure. A planner should not simply ask whether fixed income is “safe”; fixed-income portfolios have interest-rate risk, reinvestment risk, credit risk, and liquidity risk. The highest-risk answer under rising rates is the longest zero-coupon exposure. References/topics: duration, bond pricing, interest-rate risk, fixed-income securities.

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