American Funds Tax Exempt Bond Fund (AFTEX) belongs to the Municipal Bonds category. Below you'll find alternative mutual funds from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with AFTEX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to AFTEX
AFTEX charges 0.50% annually. There are 151 mutual funds in the Municipal Bonds category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.01%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Asset SMASh Series TF Fund | 0.01% | — | Dec 2015 | AFTEX vs LSMSX | |
| Federated Hermes Conservative Municipal Microshort... | 0.05% | — | Feb 2021 | AFTEX vs FHMIX | |
| Nuveen Municipal Total Return Managed Accounts | 0.05% | — | May 2007 | AFTEX vs NMTRX | |
| Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund Admiral Shares | 0.05% | 12.30B | Sep 1994 | AFTEX vs VTMFX | |
| Strategic Advisers Municipal Bond Fund | 0.06% | — | Jun 2021 | AFTEX vs FSMUX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to AFTEX
AFTEX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 79. There are 231 mutual funds in the Municipal Bonds category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 100.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFA Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | 100 | — | Aug 2002 | AFTEX vs DFSMX | |
| DFA Short-Term Selective State Municipal Bond Port... | 100 | — | Apr 2022 | AFTEX vs DFABX | |
| abrdn Ultra Short Municipal Income Fund | 99 | — | Dec 2002 | AFTEX vs ATOIX | |
| Federated Hermes Conservative Municipal Microshort... | 99 | — | Feb 2021 | AFTEX vs FHMIX | |
| DFA California Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | 99 | — | Apr 2007 | AFTEX vs DFCMX |
Top Performing AFTEX Alternatives (YTD)
AFTEX is at 1.67% YTD. There are 227 mutual funds in the Municipal Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 10.68%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuveen New York AMT Free Quality Municipal Income | 10.68% | — | Nov 2002 | AFTEX vs NRK | |
| Nuveen Municipal Income Fund, Inc. | 10.10% | — | Apr 1998 | AFTEX vs NMI | |
| BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund | 8.97% | — | Oct 1992 | AFTEX vs MIY | |
| AllianceBernstein National Municipal Income Fund | 6.95% | — | Nov 2001 | AFTEX vs AFB | |
| BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund | 6.75% | — | Feb 1998 | AFTEX vs MUC |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to AFTEX
AFTEX has 2.60% 1-year volatility. There are 223 mutual funds in the Municipal Bonds category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.55%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFA Short-Term Selective State Municipal Bond Port... | 0.55% | — | Apr 2022 | AFTEX vs DFABX | |
| DFA Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | 0.55% | — | Aug 2002 | AFTEX vs DFSMX | |
| DFA California Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | 0.57% | — | Apr 2007 | AFTEX vs DFCMX | |
| JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal Fund | 0.58% | — | May 2016 | AFTEX vs USMSX | |
| JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal Fund | 0.59% | — | May 2016 | AFTEX vs USMTX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to AFTEX
AFTEX has a 1-year max drawdown of -2.76%. There are 221 mutual funds in the Municipal Bonds category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as 0.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BlackRock Allocation Target Shares | 0.00% | — | May 2021 | AFTEX vs BATVX | |
| abrdn Ultra Short Municipal Income Fund | -0.10% | — | Dec 2002 | AFTEX vs ATOIX | |
| Federated Hermes Conservative Municipal Microshort... | -0.10% | — | Feb 2021 | AFTEX vs FHMIX | |
| SEI Institutional Managed Trust Tax-Free Conservat... | -0.10% | — | Apr 2016 | AFTEX vs TFCYX | |
| DFA Short-Term Selective State Municipal Bond Port... | -0.11% | — | Apr 2022 | AFTEX vs DFABX |
Other Mutual Funds from American Funds
The 10 most viewed American Funds mutual funds shown here include ABALX, AIVSX, AWSHX and span 7 categories.
Often Compared With AFTEX
Investors most often compare AFTEX with AMHIX, LTEBX, ASTEX. These 20 comparison targets span 4 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare AFTEX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare AFTEX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair AFTEX with funds that move differently
American Funds Tax Exempt Bond Fund alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to AFTEX.
Explore AFTEX Diversifiers