NZF vs. VTMFX

Last updated Aug 1, 2026

NZF (Nuveen Municipal Credit Income Fund) and VTMFX (Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund Admiral Shares) are both mutual funds - NZF is a Municipal Bonds fund tracking the S&P National Municipal Bond Index, while VTMFX is a Diversified Portfolio fund tracking the Composite benchmark: Russell 1000 Index and Bloomberg 1-15 Year Municipal Bond Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, NZF returned 3.16%/yr vs 8.27%/yr for VTMFX. Their 0.20 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. NZF charges 1.89%/yr vs 0.05%/yr for VTMFX.

Performance

NZF vs. VTMFX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Nuveen Municipal Credit Income Fund (NZF) and Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund Admiral Shares (VTMFX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NZF achieves a 1.35% return, which is significantly lower than VTMFX's 4.40% return. Over the past 10 years, NZF has underperformed VTMFX with an annualized return of 3.16%, while VTMFX has yielded a comparatively higher 8.27% annualized return.

NZF

• 1D: -0.73%
• 1M: -2.79%
• 6M: 1.93%
• YTD: 1.35%
• 1Y: 10.90%
• 3Y*: 8.45%
• 5Y*: -1.05%
• 10Y*: 3.16%
• ALL TIME*: 5.28%

VTMFX

• 1D: 0.71%
• 1M: -1.15%
• 6M: 3.25%
• YTD: 4.40%
• 1Y: 11.79%
• 3Y*: 10.68%
• 5Y*: 6.40%
• 10Y*: 8.27%
• ALL TIME*: 7.75%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
NZF Nuveen Municipal Credit Income Fund	$6.09M	$6.45M	$6.65M
VTMFX Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund Admiral Shares	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

NZF vs. VTMFX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NZF Nuveen Municipal Credit Income Fund	1.35%	11.78%	10.09%	2.49%	-25.53%	11.19%	3.58%	28.33%	-6.79%	14.48%
VTMFX Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund Admiral Shares	4.40%	11.28%	12.17%	15.55%	-12.69%	13.10%	13.31%	18.01%	-1.40%	12.61%

Correlation

The correlation between NZF and VTMFX is 0.41, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.41
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.40
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.36
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.28
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 3, 2001	0.20

Over the past year, NZF and VTMFX have become more correlated (0.41) than their long-term average of 0.20, meaning their price movements have been converging.

Return for Risk

NZF vs. VTMFX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

NZF

NZF Risk / Return Rank: 43
NZF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 41
NZF Sortino Ratio Rank: 51
NZF Omega Ratio Rank: 41
NZF Calmar Ratio Rank: 38
NZF Martin Ratio Rank: 45

VTMFX

VTMFX Risk / Return Rank: 72
VTMFX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
VTMFX Sortino Ratio Rank: 71
VTMFX Omega Ratio Rank: 72
VTMFX Calmar Ratio Rank: 64
VTMFX Martin Ratio Rank: 78

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

NZF vs. VTMFX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Nuveen Municipal Credit Income Fund (NZF) and Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund Admiral Shares (VTMFX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	NZF	VTMFX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.19	1.66	-0.47
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.92	2.34	-0.41
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.22	1.30	-0.08
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.55	2.06	-0.51
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	6.35	9.19	-2.84

NZF vs. VTMFX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NZF Sharpe Ratio is 1.19, which is comparable to the VTMFX Sharpe Ratio of 1.66. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NZF and VTMFX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

NZF vs. VTMFX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NZF drawdown since its inception was -48.55%, which is greater than VTMFX's maximum drawdown of -28.49%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NZF and VTMFX.

Drawdown Indicators

	NZF	VTMFX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-48.55%	-28.49%	-20.06%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.11%	-5.38%	-2.73%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-13.54%	-10.61%	-2.93%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-37.42%	-17.40%	-20.02%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-37.42%	-21.87%	-15.55%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.67%	-1.54%	-4.13%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.75%	-3.54%	-4.21%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.97%	1.20%	+0.77%

Volatility

NZF vs. VTMFX - Volatility Comparison

Nuveen Municipal Credit Income Fund (NZF) has a higher volatility of 2.12% compared to Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund Admiral Shares (VTMFX) at 1.85%. This indicates that NZF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VTMFX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NZF	VTMFX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.12%	1.85%	+0.27%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.08%	5.35%	+2.73%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.58%	6.67%	+3.91%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	12.39%	8.59%	+3.80%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	13.09%	9.14%	+3.95%

NZF vs. VTMFX - Expense Ratio Comparison

NZF has a 1.89% expense ratio, which is higher than VTMFX's 0.05% expense ratio.

Dividends

NZF vs. VTMFX - Dividend Comparison

NZF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 7.82%, more than VTMFX's 2.22% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
NZF Nuveen Municipal Credit Income Fund	7.82%	7.58%	6.84%	4.51%	5.80%	4.63%	4.74%	4.82%	6.05%	5.86%	6.26%	5.50%
VTMFX Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund Admiral Shares	2.22%	2.14%	2.08%	1.94%	1.85%	1.38%	1.72%	2.05%	2.22%	2.00%	2.13%	2.06%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both NZF and VTMFX in my portfolio?

NZF and VTMFX have a correlation of 0.41, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, NZF or VTMFX?

NZF has higher volatility (2.12%) compared to VTMFX (1.85%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NZF dropped -48.55% vs VTMFX's -28.49%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

VTMFX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.66 vs 1.19), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.