Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares (VTEAX) 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 VTEAX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to VTEAX
VTEAX charges 0.07% annually. There are 5 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 | VTEAX vs LSMSX | |
| Federated Hermes Conservative Municipal Microshort... | 0.05% | — | Feb 2021 | VTEAX vs FHMIX | |
| Nuveen Municipal Total Return Managed Accounts | 0.05% | — | May 2007 | VTEAX vs NMTRX | |
| Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund Admiral Shares | 0.05% | 12.30B | Sep 1994 | VTEAX vs VTMFX | |
| Strategic Advisers Municipal Bond Fund | 0.06% | — | Jun 2021 | VTEAX vs FSMUX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to VTEAX
VTEAX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 81. There are 206 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 Selective State Municipal Bond Port... | 100 | — | Apr 2022 | VTEAX vs DFABX | |
| DFA Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | 100 | — | Aug 2002 | VTEAX vs DFSMX | |
| abrdn Ultra Short Municipal Income Fund | 100 | — | Dec 2002 | VTEAX vs ATOIX | |
| Federated Hermes Conservative Municipal Microshort... | 99 | — | Feb 2021 | VTEAX vs FHMIX | |
| SEI Institutional Managed Trust Tax-Free Conservat... | 99 | — | Apr 2016 | VTEAX vs TFCYX |
Top Performing VTEAX Alternatives (YTD)
VTEAX is at 1.68% YTD. There are 236 mutual funds in the Municipal Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 10.89%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuveen New York AMT Free Quality Municipal Income | 10.89% | — | Nov 2002 | VTEAX vs NRK | |
| Nuveen Municipal Income Fund, Inc. | 10.46% | — | Apr 1998 | VTEAX vs NMI | |
| BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund | 9.15% | — | Oct 1992 | VTEAX vs MIY | |
| AllianceBernstein National Municipal Income Fund | 7.33% | — | Nov 2001 | VTEAX vs AFB | |
| BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund | 7.14% | — | Feb 1998 | VTEAX vs MUC |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to VTEAX
VTEAX has 2.36% 1-year volatility. There are 169 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 Municipal Bond Portfolio | 0.55% | — | Aug 2002 | VTEAX vs DFSMX | |
| DFA Short-Term Selective State Municipal Bond Port... | 0.55% | — | Apr 2022 | VTEAX vs DFABX | |
| DFA California Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | 0.57% | — | Apr 2007 | VTEAX vs DFCMX | |
| JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal Fund | 0.58% | — | May 2016 | VTEAX vs USMSX | |
| JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal Fund | 0.59% | — | May 2016 | VTEAX vs USMTX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to VTEAX
VTEAX has a 1-year max drawdown of -2.65%. There are 186 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 | VTEAX vs BATVX | |
| SEI Institutional Managed Trust Tax-Free Conservat... | -0.10% | — | Apr 2016 | VTEAX vs TFCYX | |
| Federated Hermes Conservative Municipal Microshort... | -0.10% | — | Feb 2021 | VTEAX vs FHMIX | |
| abrdn Ultra Short Municipal Income Fund | -0.10% | — | Dec 2002 | VTEAX vs ATOIX | |
| DFA Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | -0.11% | — | Aug 2002 | VTEAX vs DFSMX |
Other Mutual Funds from Vanguard
The 10 most viewed Vanguard mutual funds shown here include VTSAX, VFIAX, VTIAX and span 8 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $2T.
Often Compared With VTEAX
Investors most often compare VTEAX with VTEB, VWAHX, VWALX. These 20 comparison targets span 6 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare VTEAX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare VTEAX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair VTEAX with funds that move differently
Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to VTEAX.
Explore VTEAX Diversifiers