With the Federal Reserve holding off on raising interest rates to this point in 2016, investors have been flocking to longer-dated fixed income exchange traded funds, including municipal bond funds.
Municipal bonds and the corresponding ETFs are popular among conservative, income investors for added yield, tax advantages and as an avenue for diversification in portfolios with U.S. government bonds.
The VanEck Vectors High Yield Municipal Index ETF (NYSEArca: HYD) and SPDR Nuveen S&P High Yield Municipal Bond ETF (NYSEArca: HYMB) can be used for investors looking for some extra yield in their muni ETF allocations.
Related: Low Yields Haven’t Deterred Muni Bond ETF Investors
Since muni bond interest is exempt from federal taxes, muni ETFs are a good way for investors seeking tax-exempt income, especially those in higher tax brackets. Due to its tax-exempt status, the asset category is also best utilized in taxable accounts. The tax-exempt status also creates high demand for municipal bonds. Consequently, the perceived bond yields are typically lower than their taxable counterparts.
Munis also help diversify fixed-income portfolios. Investors who typically follow the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index will not have municipal bond exposure, so a muni bond ETF can complement core fixed-income positions.
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