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3 Short-Term Government Bond Funds for Steady Returns

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Mutual funds investing in debt securities are among the most secure investment options that provide regular income while protecting the capital invested. Funds that are part of this category bring a great deal of stability to portfolios with a large proportion of equity, while providing dividends more frequently than individual bonds. U.S. government bond funds usually invest in Treasury bills, notes and securities issued by government agencies. They are considered the safest in the bond fund category and are ideal for risk-averse investors.

A short-term government bond fund is a mutual fund that is limited by its investment objectives and fund bylaws to invest primarily in short-term obligations of the federal government or its agencies. This makes it an ideal option for investors looking for the safety net of investing in government bonds. Depending on the fund's definition, short term can be up to five years.

Below, we share with you three top-ranked short-term government bond mutual funds, namely Vanguard Short Term Federal Fund (VSGBX - Free Report) , Lord Abbett Short Duration Income Fund (LALDX - Free Report) and GMO U.S. Treasury Fund (GUSTX - Free Report) . Each has earned a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and is expected to outperform its peers in the future. Investors can click here to see the complete list of funds.

Vanguard Short Term Federal Fund invests the majority of its assets in short-term bonds issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, many of which are not backed by its full faith and credit. VSGBX usually maintains a dollar-weighted average maturity of 1 to 4 years. The fund has returned 0.6% over the past five years.

Brian Quigley has been one of the fund managers of VSGBX since 2015.

Lord Abbett Short Duration Income Fund seeks a high level of income consistent with the preservation of capital by investing primarily in various types of short-duration debt securities. LALDX invests the majority of its net assets in investment-grade debt securities, securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, and inflation-linked investments. The fund has returned 0.9% over the past five years.

As of May 2022, LALDX has 77.6% of its assets invested in TOTAL MISC BONDS.

GMO U.S. Treasury Fund invests the majority of its assets in Direct U.S. Treasury Obligations and repurchase agreements collateralized by these obligations. GUSTX usually maintains an estimated interest rate duration of one year or less for the fund's portfolio. The fund has returned 0.5% over the past three years.

GUSTX has an expense ratio of 0.02% compared with the category average of 0.64%.

To view the Zacks Rank and the past performance of all short-term government bond mutual funds, investors can click here to see the complete list of short-term government bond mutual funds.

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