Now: Should I Buy Municipal Bond Funds
For a deeper dive into these trends, Franklin Templeton's 2026 Outlook and Charles Schwab's Bond Market Analysis provide comprehensive views on why intermediate-term maturities are currently favored.
Whether you should buy municipal bond funds now depends largely on your and risk tolerance , though current April 2026 market conditions present a mix of attractive valuations and recent volatility. Market Outlook: April 2026
Following a market pullback in March, municipal bond valuations have strengthened, offering attractive value relative to other fixed-income sectors. should i buy municipal bond funds now
Municipal bonds generally have much lower default rates (historically ~0.03%) compared to corporate bonds (~2.5%).
The municipal yield curve remains historically steep. Analysts at Morgan Stanley suggest that 20-year AA-rated munis offer taxable-equivalent yields of nearly 7% , significantly higher than comparable corporate bonds. For a deeper dive into these trends, Franklin
Those in the highest federal tax brackets benefit most from the tax-exempt status of municipal interest.
Benchmark 10-year tax-exempt yields rose sharply in March, closing at 3.06% , up from 2.47% in February. Municipal bonds generally have much lower default rates
Heavy new issuance—projected to reach $600 billion in 2026—can create technical headwinds and put pressure on prices if demand softens.