Municipal vs taxable bonds
Compare a national municipal bond fund against a taxable total bond fund, with after-tax income character in view.
MUB holds national municipal bonds, whose interest is generally exempt from federal income tax and, for in-state bonds, sometimes state tax. BND holds taxable investment-grade bonds whose interest is fully taxable each year.
Municipal yields are usually lower before tax, but the federal exemption can make their after-tax income competitive for investors in higher brackets. The comparison depends on your bracket, so run it with your own tax assumptions.
Historical results
Historical results for a $10,000 lump sum with dividends reinvested and monthly rebalancing, as of 2025-12-31. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not investment advice.
After-tax assumptions: Single filer, $150,000 income, taxable account, HIFO lots, 2026 federal brackets, no state tax.
Run it live with your own dates and tax profileAre municipal bonds always the better after-tax choice?
No. Municipal yields are usually lower before tax, so the federal exemption has to make up the gap. Whether municipals win after tax depends on your bracket and the specific yields, which is what the backtest lets you compare.
Should municipal bonds go in an IRA or Roth?
Their advantage is the federal tax exemption on interest, which has no value inside an account that is already tax-advantaged. Municipal exposure is generally placed in taxable accounts for that reason.
Run this comparison with your own dates, account type, and tax profile.
Open the prefilled backtest