Buying municipal bonds (munis) online is a "choose your own adventure" between buying (like a specific local bridge project) or bond funds (a diversified basket). 1. Top Online Brokers for Individual Bonds
: The gold standard for low-cost passive funds . Popular options like the Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF (VTEB) provide broad exposure with extremely low expense ratios (around 0.03%). Specialized ETFs :
: Look for funds like the iShares California Muni Bond ETF (CMF) or iShares New York Muni Bond ETF (NYF) to potentially avoid both federal and state taxes if you live in those states.
: Best for casual investors . It simplifies the process with "Quick Ideas" categories like "Tax-Advantaged" to help beginners identify muni opportunities quickly. 2. Where to Buy Municipal Bond Funds (ETFs & Mutual Funds)