Buying an individual investment-grade corporate bond can seem appealing. You lock in a known coupon, receive scheduled interest payments, and, assuming the issuer remains financially healthy, have a relatively low probability of default. In practice, though, individual bonds are more complicated than many retirees expect.
Investors need to evaluate metrics such as yield to maturity, yield to call, duration, credit ratings, and whether a bond is trading at a premium or discount. Pricing is also less transparent than stocks because most individual bonds trade over the counter through bond dealers rather than on centralized exchanges, making it harder to know whether you’re receiving a competitive price.
Taxes create another hurdle. Interest from corporate bonds is generally taxed as ordinary income at both the federal and, in most cases, state and local levels. For retirees relying on a sizeable bond allocation for income, that tax drag can substantially reduce what actually ends up in their pocket. That’s one reason I generally prefer bond ETFs.
They simplify portfolio management, provide instant diversification across hundreds of bonds, offer greater trading transparency, and typically make monthly income distributions instead of the semiannual coupon schedule common with individual bonds. For investors prioritizing tax efficiency, one fund worth considering is the VanEck High Yield Muni ETF (HYD).
All About The VanEck High Yield Muni ETF (HYD)
The VanEck High Yield Muni ETF (HYD) is a passive ETF that tracks the ICE Broad High Yield Crossover Municipal Bond Index. High-yield municipal bonds are issued by municipalities with below-investment-grade credit ratings, generally below BBB.
Like corporate junk bonds, these issuers compensate investors for taking on greater credit risk by offering higher coupon payments. While many municipalities maintain strong finances, others face budget pressures, pension obligations, or uneven tax revenues that require them to borrow at higher interest rates.
HYD is not a pure junk bond portfolio, however. Its benchmark includes approximately 25% BBB-rated bonds, 5% A-rated bonds, and limits non-rated bonds to 30% of the portfolio to help maintain adequate credit quality and market liquidity. The ETF charges a 0.32% expense ratio.
How Tax Efficient Is HYD?
HYD currently offers a 4.37% 30-day SEC yield. At first glance, that may appear modest for a high-yield bond ETF. The important distinction is that this income is generally exempt from federal income tax.
As a result, investors should compare HYD using its tax-equivalent yield, which estimates the taxable yield another bond fund would need to generate to provide the same after-tax income. According to VanEck, HYD’s current tax-equivalent 30-day SEC yield is approximately:
- 12% federal tax bracket: 4.97%
- 22% federal tax bracket: 5.60%
- 24% federal tax bracket: 5.75%
- 32% federal tax bracket: 6.43%
- 35% federal tax bracket: 6.72%
- 37% federal tax bracket: 6.94%
The higher your federal tax bracket, the more valuable that tax exemption becomes. For retirees with large taxable portfolios, choosing a federally tax-exempt municipal bond ETF instead of a comparable taxable bond fund can preserve thousands of dollars over time while still generating competitive income.
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