PRBIX vs THAYX Fund Comparison

A comparison between PRBIX and THAYX based on their expense ratio, growth, holdings and how well they match their benchmark performance.

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Minafi's Take on PRBIX vs THAYX

Here's an in depth look at the differences between JPMorgan Tax Free Bond Fund Class I ($PRBIX) and Transamerica High Yield Muni Class A ($THAYX).

To start off, here's a look at the basics of each fund. Keep an eye on the FI Score. That's a custom score from 0 to 100 that we generate based on how good this fund is for the casual investor. Most investors only need a handful of total funds in their portfolio. The higher the score, the more likely this is one of those few. Score alone isn't enough! Keep reading on to see how different (or perhaps similar) these two funds are.

62% FI Score
  • prbix
  • Mutual Fund
  • Bond
  • Municipal Bond

JPMorgan Tax Free Bond Fund Class I

Expenses: 0.45% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a Municipal Bond Bond fund. See why »

26% FI Score
  • thayx
  • Mutual Fund
  • Bond
  • Municipal Bond

Transamerica High Yield Muni Class A

Expenses: 0.91% (Better than 0% of similar funds)

This is a bad choice for a Municipal Bond Bond fund. See why »

Both $PRBIX and $THAYX are categorized as Mutual Funds. Mutual funds are often offered by 401(k) platforms and are essentially the same as ETFs. Mutual funds are generally offered by an investment platform – Fidelity has Fidelity mutual funds, Vanguard has Vanguard mutual funds. Mutual funds are ideal for retirement investing since you can invest any amount. That allows you to invest every last cent and benefit from the market.

The biggest disadvantage of mutual funds is that you're usually limited to the funds on your investment platform. If you're investing on Fidelity, you'll want to pick Fidelity mutual funds (or any ETF). Same with Vanguard. Some platforms offer mutual funds from other platforms, but they may charge a purchse or redemption fee. I'd recommend using the same platform as your funds – or stick to ETFs.

To learn more about the difference between these two, you can read about the difference between ETFs and Mutual Funds.

When evaluating a fund, the first things I look at are:

  • What it invests in
  • How much it charges in fees
  • How large the fund is

Let's look into these criteria one by one and see if either of these funds stands out.

Fund Holdings Comparison

Both of these funds are Bond Municipal Bond funds – which means they're likely both investing in about the same investments behind the scenes.

Minafi's FI Score algorithm takes into account the category and market. The more niche a fund is, the lower the score. This doesn't mean it's a worse fund, but it does mean you should stop and make sure this a fund you need to diversify your portfolio.

PRBIX THAYX
Market Score 4.5 /10 1.6 /10
Category Score 8.0 /10 8.0 /10
Total 12.5 9.6

A score of 10 means this is a solid market and category that almost every investor will want to have investments in. The lower the score, the more specific the investment. These scores are based on when most investors would add these funds to their portfolio. A score of 10 means that this fund (or one like it) belongs in a three-fund portfolio. The lower the score, the farther down in your portfolio a fund would go.

Winner: $PRBIX

Fee Comparison

Fees are one of the biggest killers of portfolio growth. The difference between a 2% fee and a 0.04% fee over 30 years can result in your portfolio having half the total value!

If you're just getting started investing and learning how fees impact your portfolio, I'd encourage you to read through my free investment course (specifically '2.2 - All About Fees') where I go over all the different types of fees you can be charged and how to lower them.

For these two funds, PRBIX has an expense ratio of 0.45% while THAYX has an expense ratio of 0.91%.

Winner: $PRBIX

Fund Size Comparison

Both PRBIX and THAYX have a similar number of assets under management. PRBIX has 512 Million in assets under management, while THAYX has 83.3 Million.

Minafi categorizes both of these funds as small funds. Fund size is a good indication of how many other investors trust this fund. A large fund by itself doesn't mean it's a good fund, but it is one thing to consider when figuring out how to choose the right fund.

Winner: tie

Which Should You Choose? PRBIX or THAYX?

Since both of these funds are Bond Municipal Bond funds, you'll most likely only need to invest in one of these funds – not both. Running both of these funds through Minafi's FI Score algorithm, gives PRBIX a score of 62 and THAYX a score of 26.

Neither of these funds has an FI Score above 90 – which is a red flag. I'd look into more funds to find one with a higher FI Score.

Winner: Neither, I'd research more funds if you're looking to invest for retirement.

$PRBIX

JPMorgan Tax Free Bond Fund Class I

62

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Expense Ratio Score 9 /10
Expense Rating 6 /10
Market Score 5 /10
Category Score 8 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type Mutual Fund
Inception Date Mar-1-1988
Exchange NMFQS
Expense Ratio 0.450%
Net Assets 512 Million
Yield 2.64%
Holdings
Description Info
Market Bond
Category Municipal Bond
Sectors
  • Advance Refunded 4.18%
  • Cash & Equivalents 5.01%
  • Education 13.12%
  • Health 16.90%
  • Housing 2.60%
  • Industrial 2.03%
  • Miscellaneous Revenue 8.23%
  • Municipal 94.98%
  • Other 0.00%
  • State and Local General Obligation 19.71%
  • Tobacco 3.76%
  • Transportation 12.41%
  • Utilities 7.98%
  • Water & Sewer 4.08%

$THAYX

Transamerica High Yield Muni Class A

26

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Expense Ratio Score 3 /10
Expense Rating 1 /10
Market Score 2 /10
Category Score 8 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type Mutual Fund
Inception Date Jul-31-2013
Exchange NMFQS
Expense Ratio 0.910%
Net Assets 83.3 Million
Yield 3.95%
Holdings
Description Info
Market Bond
Category Municipal Bond
Sectors
  • Advance Refunded 0.65%
  • Cash & Equivalents 6.80%
  • Education 21.93%
  • Health 15.10%
  • Housing 1.28%
  • Industrial 2.47%
  • Miscellaneous Revenue 4.32%
  • Municipal 92.26%
  • Other 0.94%
  • State and Local General Obligation 24.25%
  • Tobacco 12.00%
  • Transportation 3.49%
  • Utilities 4.18%
  • Water & Sewer 2.59%

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