Bond ETF BND Tax Mistake Costs Retirees $6,600 Annually

Holding taxable bond ETFs like Vanguard's Total Bond Market ETF (BND) in a taxable brokerage account can reduce after-tax returns significantly. For a $400,000 bond allocation, the after-tax return could yield approximately $6,600 less wealth annually compared to the pre-tax return. This tax impact arises mainly because much of BND's income is taxed as ordinary income. Retirees may find municipal bonds such as VTEB more tax-efficient for their portfolios. This information is crucial for investors to maximize returns in retirement accounts by selecting appropriate bond investment vehicles.