Those funds are all kinda pricey in their fees and expenses. For most people, all you need is BND. If you are willing to take on a little more risk, you could spice things up a bit with VWIAX which throws in some high dividend paying stocks. Unless you are in the top income tax bracket, or close to it and living in a high tax state, I'd steer clear of municipal bonds. When you do the math, the juice is usually not worth the squeeze. Because munis pay a much lower interest rates than taxable bonds, most people will generally get a better return on good quality corporates or even US Treasury debt (which are exempt from state and local taxes), even if you do end up paying tax on them. On the other hand if you hit the powerball and walk away with $30 million+, AND you live in a high tax state like California or New York, than a solid muni fund might be worth a look. VCLAX, VNYUX etc. Or... you could just move somewhere where you won't be treated like a human ATM by politicians.
Those funds are all kinda pricey in their fees and expenses. For most people, all you need is BND. If you are willing to take on a little more risk, you could spice things up a bit with VWIAX which throws in some high dividend paying stocks. Unless you are in the top income tax bracket, or close to it and living in a high tax state, I'd steer clear of municipal bonds. When you do the math, the juice is usually not worth the squeeze. Because munis pay a much lower interest rates than taxable bonds, most people will generally get a better return on good quality corporates or even US Treasury debt (which are exempt from state and local taxes), even if you do end up paying tax on them. On the other hand if you hit the powerball and walk away with $30 million+, AND you live in a high tax state like California or New York, than a solid muni fund might be worth a look. VCLAX, VNYUX etc. Or... you could just move somewhere where you won't be treated like a human ATM by politicians.
Thank you, interesting selection.