Home Adviser Fund Update Vanguard Rolling Out New Fund Published August 25, 2017 New Benchmarks, Names for Vanguard Funds Vanguard is getting more conservative in its middle age. On August 8, it announced that three bondA financial instrument representing an IOU from the borrower to the lender. Bond issuers promise to pay bond holders a given amount of interest for a pre-determined amount of time until the loan is repaid in full (otherwise known as the maturity date). Bonds can have a fixed or floating interest rate. Fixed-rate bonds pay out a pre-determined amount of interest each year, while floating-rate bonds can pay higher or lower interest each year depending on prevailing market interest rates. index funds (and ETFA type of security which allows investors to indirectly invest in an underlying basket of financial instruments (these may include stocks, bonds, commodities or other types of instruments). Shares in an ETF are publicly traded on an exchange, and the price of an ETF’s shares will fluctuate throughout the trading day (traditional mutual funds trade only once a day). For example, one popular ETF tracks the companies in the S&P 500, so buying a share of the ETF gets an investor exposure to all 500 companies in the index. counterparts) will get new names and portfolio renovations in the fourth quarter as the funds transition from tracking government bond indexes to Treasury-only indexes. The funds—Short-Term Government Index, Intermediate-Term Government Index and Long-Term Government Index—currently aim to mimic government bond indices that include Treasurys as well as bondsA financial instrument representing an IOU from the borrower to the lender. Bond issuers promise to pay bond holders a given amount of interest for a pre-determined amount of time until the loan is repaid in full (otherwise known as the maturity date). Bonds can have a fixed or floating interest rate. Fixed-rate bonds pay out a pre-determined amount of interest each year, while floating-rate bonds can pay higher or lower interest each year depending on prevailing market interest rates. issued by government agencies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. At some point in the fourth quarter—Vanguard isn’t saying exactly when to prevent front-running by other traders—the funds will shift to Treasury-only indexes. Current Fund Name Current Benchmark* New Benchmark* New Fund Name Short-Term Govt. BondA financial instrument representing an IOU from the borrower to the lender. Bond issuers promise to pay bond holders a given amount of interest for a pre-determined amount of time until the loan is repaid in full (otherwise known as the maturity date). Bonds can have a fixed or floating interest rate. Fixed-rate bonds pay out a pre-determined amount of interest each year, while floating-rate bonds can pay higher or lower interest each year depending on prevailing market interest rates. Index Bloomberg Barclays U.S. 1–3 Year Govt. Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury Bond 1–3 Year Short-Term Treasury Index Interm.-Term Govt. Bond Index Bloomberg Barclays U.S. 3–10 Year Govt. Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury Bond 3–10 Year Interm.-Term Treasury Index Long-Term Govt. Bond Index Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Long Govt. Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Long Treasury Long-Term Treasury Index *All indexes are float-adjusted. Source: Vanguard. But this isn’t actually that significant of a change. As of June 30, Treasury bonds accounted for more than 90% of all three government index funds’ portfolios. Specifically, 91.5% for Short-Term Government Index, 97.2% for Intermediate-Term Government Index and 95.8% for Long-Term Government Index. These portfolios are already heavily invested in Treasury bonds. With this move, Vanguard is setting up another testing ground for the grand active vs. passive debate. Its bond team actively manages funds focused on Treasurys, targeting the same short-, intermediate- and long-maturity parts of the market. Following the portfolio revamp, man will square off against machine (indexes) in what is supposed to be one of the most liquid and efficient parts of the capital markets. The battle begins with the passive funds at an advantage when it comes to costs. The three index funds and their ETF shares charge expense ratios of 0.07%, versus 0.20% for the lowest-minimum investor shares of the actively managed Treasury funds (for investors with more than $50,000, the Admiral share class of the actively managed funds has a 0.10% expense ratio, significantly closing the gap on the index funds’ cost edge). We’ll be watching to see if Vanguard’s active managers can overcome the expense headwind and remain competitive with the index funds. One area where active management may be a value-add: RiskThe probability that an investment will decline in value in the short term, along with the magnitude of that decline. Stocks are often considered riskier than bonds because they have a higher probability of losing money, and they tend to lose more than bonds when they do decline. control. While Treasurys are regarded as the safest asset class of the bond market when it comes to the riskThe probability that an investment will decline in value in the short term, along with the magnitude of that decline. Stocks are often considered riskier than bonds because they have a higher probability of losing money, and they tend to lose more than bonds when they do decline. of default (conventional wisdom is that it is extremely unlikely the U.S. government will default on its debt), they do carry the greatest interest-rate risk, typically seeing larger price swings in reaction to rate moves than investment-grade corporate bond funds with comparable maturity. This interest-rate risk is one that many investors overlook and that experienced managers may be able to mitigate better than funds designed to replicate an index as closely as possible. Vanguard Plans Corporate Bond ETF-of-ETFs Earlier this week, Vanguard filed paperwork with the SEC for the planned launch of a new corporate bond exchange-traded fundA type of security which allows investors to indirectly invest in an underlying basket of financial instruments (these may include stocks, bonds, commodities or other types of instruments). Shares in an ETF are publicly traded on an exchange, and the price of an ETF’s shares will fluctuate throughout the trading day (traditional mutual funds trade only once a day). For example, one popular ETF tracks the companies in the S&P 500, so buying a share of the ETF gets an investor exposure to all 500 companies in the index. (ETF)A type of security which allows investors to indirectly invest in an underlying basket of financial instruments (these may include stocks, bonds, commodities or other types of instruments). Shares in an ETF are publicly traded on an exchange, and the price of an ETF’s shares will fluctuate throughout the trading day (traditional mutual funds trade only once a day). For example, one popular ETF tracks the companies in the S&P 500, so buying a share of the ETF gets an investor exposure to all 500 companies in the index. in 2017’s fourth quarter, more than 30 years after it debuted the first U.S. bond index fund. The proposed offering seeks to be the lowest-cost such product available to investors, with an estimated expense ratio of 0.07%, according to its preliminary prospectus. The future product, Vanguard Total Corporate Bond ETF, intends to replicate the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Corporate Bond Index upon its scheduled launch in November 2017. Total Corporate Bond ETF will be available in a single ETF share class and invest in Vanguard’s existing three corporate bond ETFsA type of security which allows investors to indirectly invest in an underlying basket of financial instruments (these may include stocks, bonds, commodities or other types of instruments). Shares in an ETF are publicly traded on an exchange, and the price of an ETF’s shares will fluctuate throughout the trading day (traditional mutual funds trade only once a day). For example, one popular ETF tracks the companies in the S&P 500, so buying a share of the ETF gets an investor exposure to all 500 companies in the index.: Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF, Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF and Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF. Essentially, it’s a fund-of-funds, enabling the new ETF to trade at tighter spreads for less cost than investing directly in the separate components. The lower cost is the crux of the matter here. The three funds that will make up Total Corporate Bond ETF collectively hold $39 billion in assets, providing the new offering immediately upon its launch the scale to mimic its benchmark more closely than a new fund starting from scratch. The component funds each carry a 0.07% expense ratio, meaning Total Corporate Bond ETF will cost less than half of its closest competitor, iShares iBoxx Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF, which charges a 0.15% expense ratio. As we’ve discussed in our decade-long coverage of mutual fund giants’ fee wars to bring costs closer to zero, the actual amount of money fund providers help investors save is less significant than the ability to claim the cheapest product on the market (from the fund companies’ perspective, at least). Vanguard Total Corporate Bond ETF will cost investors $7 for every $10,000 invested, compared to the $15 cost on the same amount in the iShares product. While this is a small absolute difference for investors, all else being equal, it makes the cheaper fund far more attractive. About Adviser Investments Adviser Investments is a full service wealth management firm, offering investment management, financial and tax planning, managed individual bond portfolios, and 401(k) advisory services. We’ve been helping individuals, trustsA legal document that functions as an instruction manual to how you want your money managed and spent in your later years as well as how your assets should be distributed after your death. Assets placed in a trust are generally safe from creditors and can be sold by the trustee in short order, avoiding the lengthy and costly probate process., institutions and foundations since 1994, and have more than 3,500 clients across the country and over $6 billion in assets under management. Our portfolios encompass actively managed funds, ETFs, socially responsible investments and tactical asset allocation strategies, with particular expertise in Fidelity and Vanguard mutual funds. We take pride in being The Adviser You Can Talk To. Our minimum account size is $350,000. To see a full list of our awards and recognitions, click here, and for more information, please visit www.adviserinvestments.com or call 800-492-6868. This material is distributed for informational purposes only. The investment ideas and expressions of opinion may contain certain forward-looking statements and should not be viewed as recommendations, personal investment advice or considered an offer to buy or sell specific securities. Data and statistics contained in this report are obtained from what we believe to be reliable sources; however, their accuracy, completeness or reliability cannot be guaranteed. Our statements and opinions are subject to change without notice and should be considered only as part of a diversified portfolio. You may request a free copy of the firm’s Form ADV Part 2, which describes, among other items, risk factors, strategies, affiliations, services offered and fees charged. Past performance is not an indication of future returns. The tax information contained herein is general in nature, is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal or tax advice. We do not provide legal or tax advice. Always consult an attorney or tax professional regarding your specific legal or tax situation. The Barron’s rankings consider factors such as assets under management, revenue produced for the firm, regulatory record, quality of practice and philanthropic work. This award does not consider client experience and is not indicative of future performance. Editors at the Financial Times bestowed “elite” status on 300 firms in the U.S., as determined by assets under management, asset growth, longevity, compliance record, industry certifications and online accessibility. © 2018 Adviser Investments, LLC. All Rights Reserved.