Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF(AMEX:BSV)

BSV is an ETF that holds a mix of investment-grade, dollar-denominated debt issued in the US with 1-5 years remaining in maturity. Treasurys dominate the basket, which also includes corporates, agency issues, and a small amount of foreign debt issued in USD. Short-term is in the eye of beholder: The inclusion of bonds maturing in 3 to 5 years gives BSV a longer-dated portfolio than our benchmark, which tracks bonds in the 1- to 3-year bucket exclusively. The hefty chunk of longer-dated bonds increases BSV`s weighted average maturity, interest-rate risk and yield compared with our benchmark. The lone, small drawback for BSV is the issuer`s lack of transparency, as holdings are only posted monthly with a two-week lag. Note: Rival ISTB changed indexes in 2014 to include high-yield bonds, which BSV avoids.