Overview
- Vanguard Short‑Term Bond ETF (BSV) charges 0.03% in fees and reports a trailing dividend yield of 4.00%, while Vanguard Short‑Term Tax‑Exempt Bond ETF (VTES) charges 0.05% and yields 2.70%.
- BSV follows the Bloomberg U.S. 1–5 Year Government/Credit index and holds about 3,220 Treasury and corporate securities, and VTES tracks the S&P 0–7 Year National AMT‑Free Municipal Bond Index with roughly 3,286 municipal bonds and launched in 2023.
- Both funds target short maturities to cut interest‑rate sensitivity so they offer lower price volatility than long‑term bond funds and aim to provide steady income.
- The main trade‑off for investors is tax treatment: VTES pays federally tax‑exempt municipal income that may also be state‑tax exempt depending on residency, while BSV’s income is taxable at ordinary rates.
- Because Vanguard’s taxable short‑term fund has larger assets and a slight fee edge, liquidity and after‑tax yield comparisons will likely drive investor flows as they weigh personal tax brackets and state tax rules.