A computer-assisted method for analyzing the interest rate exposure of a fixed-income instrument, such as a bond, is disclosed. The method includes the step of identifying N significant constituent exposures (e.g., exposures identified from principal component analysis or factor analysis) in a yield curve. The method may also includes the step of computing a unique set of hedge weights for M hedge instruments, wherein M>N, that nullifies the N significant constituent exposures of the fixed-income instrument and that minimizes up to M key-rate exposures of the fixed-income instrument. The hedge weights for each instrument in a portfolio of fixed-income instruments can be aggregated. In addition, the hedge weights for each instrument in a portfolio index applicable to the portfolio may be aggregated, and the aggregated portfolio hedge weights can be compared to the aggregated index hedge weights to obtain a measure of the interest rate exposure of the portfolio relative to the index.