Investors often take advantage of fixed income funds like Vanguard bonds to potentially reach their financial goals, no matter if the objective is to build a substantial nest egg or diversify an investment portfolio.
Fixed income funds ideally generate a consistent and stable return for an investor through lower-risk financial assets, which include certificates of deposit (CDs) and bonds, that may yield interest or dividend payments.
Considered by financial experts as relatively safer investments than stocks, high-quality bond funds can produce a regular stream of fixed income for those who invest in them. Since this investment vehicle usually carries a low interest rate risk and currency risk, investors who are close to retirement tend to have a preference for bond funds.
What Are Bond Funds?
Also called a debt fund or income fund, a bond fund is an investment-grade bond collection that involves individual or institutional investors pouring their money into an investment pool, or an organized financial arrangement, that largely goes into backing bonds. This is also referred to as a bond mutual fund, and a professional portfolio manager could be assigned to actively manage the pool by buying and selling bonds.
An investor can choose from mutual funds comprising different types of bonds or a single bond category like government bonds. Bond issuers range from corporations and financial institutions to government entities and municipalities that need financial backing for projects or initiatives.
How Do Bond Funds Work?
Many bond funds are fixed-income investments that distribute interest or dividend payments to investors every month, effectively providing a steady income stream. However, the distribution total may change periodically based on the bond fund’s net asset value (NAV). The market and interest rates potentially impact the NAV, fluctuating with their rise and fall.
To calculate the NAV, subtract all of an investment company’s liabilities from its assets. For example, if a company’s liabilities add up to $5 million, but it has assets that equal $50 million, the NAV would amount to $45 million.
An investor can observe a bond index, which consists of a particular selection of bonds, to measure the relative performance of a certain bond market. Bond exchange-traded funds (ETFs), in contrast to a bond fund, automatically track these indexes, making passively managed bond ETFs more appealing than mutual funds to some investors.
Difference Between a Bond Fund and Individual Bonds?
The cost to diversify your portfolio with bonds varies depending on whether you choose to invest in a bond fund or individual investors’ shares, with the former sometimes warranting a higher initial investment. Annual fees may also apply to the former if an investor prefers a financial professional or fund manager to actively manage their portfolio.
Another distinguishing factor between the two is that individual bonds often have an established maturity date, which is when the investor gets repaid the principal amount of the bond when purchased. However, most bond funds lack a maturity date, with the exception of unit investment trusts (UITs). Unlike a mutual fund, a UIT has a specific termination date decided upon its creation when all the debt securities must be sold.
When comparing bond funds and individual bonds, take into account the schedule for interest or dividend payments. Investors typically collect or reinvest their interest or dividends from bond funds on a monthly basis compared to individual bonds, generally having payouts about twice a year or every six months.
Which Bond Fund Is Best To Invest In?
Every individual has a unique financial situation, so it is important to evaluate your own before deciding to invest in a bond fund. Consulting a qualified financial advisor or financial planner could help you determine how to make decisions that align with your goals.
Vanguard bonds are among the most popular choices for both starter and experienced investors. Founded in 1975, the Vanguard Group, Inc. at present manages financial assets around the world that amount to multiple trillions of U.S. dollars. The investment company gives shareholders wide exposure to investment-grade global bond markets, including government and corporate bonds.
Individual investors who are delving into bond funds for the first time should be aware of any fees or commissions associated with brokerage services. Fortunately, Vanguard bonds makes its fee schedule transparent and easy to read with columns indicating the type of investment, such as municipal bonds or UITs.
Pros and Cons of Bond Fund Investments?
There are distinct advantages and shortcomings associated with investing in a bond fund. An investor who backs a bond fund could benefit from a fixed income stream, earning interest or dividend payments every month. Bond funds simplify the process of portfolio diversification: Investors can choose from mutual funds, ETFs, or UITs that consist of government bonds, corporate bonds, mortgage-backed securities, or otherwise.
Depending on an individual’s financial goals, however, the potential drawback of bond funds is that the return on investment may be lower than other vehicles like stock market shares, which carry higher risk compared to bonds.
The value of bond funds is subject to unpredictable factors and economic conditions like rising or falling interest rates potentially. Additionally, a credit risk exists for corporate bond issuers who may end up defaulting due to too much debt, which can impact the value of the bond fund.
How Can an Investor Evaluate Vanguard Bonds Before Buying Them?
For most of its investment products, Vanguard has a dedicated web page for the bond fund that details important benchmarks and factors like management style, asset class, expense ratio, and volatility. Each page also includes a simple rating scale that compares the risk to the reward. In addition, helpful graphs offer visuals demonstrating total returns and performance by quarter and year.
For example, the profile page of the Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF, which has a ticker symbol of VMBS, displays the fund’s management style as an index and its inception date as November 19, 2009. The risk-to-reward rating is at a two as of 2022, meaning investors can anticipate lower fluctuations in its value.
In terms of the expense ratio, measured at the end of 2021, VMBS is at a reasonable 0.04 percent, especially considering the average among similar funds is at 0.68 percent. The Vanguard Fixed Income Group oversees the fund with an index management style. When it comes to returns, investors received a dividend of $0.098 per share in September 2022, which is an increase from the dividend disbursed exactly one year prior at $0.052 per share.
Difference Between Treasury Bonds and Vanguard Bonds?
Vanguard bonds consist of different types of bonds like mortgage-backed securities or corporate bonds from a variety of issuers, from banking institutions to for-profit companies across industries. On the other hand, the federal government issues U.S. treasury securities to bondholders.
There are three primary forms of the U.S. Government’s treasury bonds:
- Treasury notes: The credit quality and maturity date of this kind of security can extend two to ten years from when it is issued.
- Treasury bonds: These are long-term bonds with an average maturity date of 30 years.
- Treasury bills: Considered short-term bonds, the maturity date usually does not extend beyond a year’s time.
When the treasury bonds have matured, an investor can collect the principal, in contrast to Vanguard bond funds, where repayment of the principal is outside of the norm. Bonds are not tax-exempt; bondholders have to pay federal tax on the interest generated on treasury securities, but the bonds could be exempt from state and local taxes.
Should I Start Investing in Bonds?
Whether you’re beginning your investment journey or already well on your way to diversification, there are simple ways to invest in bond funds. The most common method is to open a brokerage account and let an investment company, such as Vanguard, manage your portfolio. However, depending on the broker, an investor may have to pay steep management fees by taking this route.
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Sources:
Diversify your portfolio and generate income with bonds | Vanguard
Certificate of Deposit | Investor
Bond Funds and Income Funds | Investor
Net Asset Value | Investor.gov
Unit Investment Trusts (UITs) | Investor
Brokerage services commission & fee schedules | Vanguard
VMBS-Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF | Vanguard
Global Mutual Fund Portfolio Holdings Data | Bloomberg U.S. Professional Services
