Case Summary
With the city of Harrisburg, PA on the verge of bankruptcy and other cities and states in financial trouble, investors should be revisiting the role of tax-exempt bonds in their portfolios. ETFs offer investing possibilities to investors seeking tax-exempt income without the risk of exposure to a single municipality or state.
Analysis
Exchange traded funds are a great way to gain diversified exposure to tax-exempt bonds. Several funds provide diversification across geographies and some even offer weekly income.
Portfolio Recommendations
The $1.8 billion S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Fund (MUB) has nearly 700 holdings. The largest position represents only 1.18% of the portfolio. The 30-Day SEC yiled is 3.21% and the expense ratio is 0.25%.
The $900 million SPDR Barclays Capital Municipal Bond ETF (TFI) has 291 holdings, a 30 Day SEC Yield of 3.23% and a net expense ratio of 0.20%.
For tax-free weekly income, investors should consider the $840 million VRDO Tax-Free Weekly Portfolio (PVI). The fund tracks an index of tax-exempt Variable Rate Demand Obligations (VRDOs) issued by municipalities in the United States. VRDOs are high-quality, floating-rate bonds that provide investors with tax-exempt income.
See the ETF Directory for additional investing choices or a complete list of tax-exempt ETFs.