A Look at Vanguard’s Managed Payout Fund

A reader recently wrote in asking for a discussion of the Vanguard Managed Payout Fund — how it works and what it might be good for.

In short, the fund is meant to be a tool for investors who are spending from their portfolios (i.e., retirees). It’s an all-in-one fund (like the LifeStrategy or Target Retirement funds), but it also implements a withdrawal strategy for you. In other words, the fund handles not only asset allocation and rebalancing, but also the implementation of a distribution strategy. Pretty neat idea, in my opinion.

What is the Distribution Strategy?

Perhaps the best way to assess the Managed Payout Fund’s distribution strategy is to compare it to other strategies.

The best known retirement distribution strategy is the classic “4% rule,” in which the retiree spends 4% of the portfolio balance in the first year of retirement, then automatically adjusts spending upward each year in keeping with inflation, regardless of how the portfolio performs. The advantage of this strategy is a steady level of spending (in inflation-adjusted terms), with the disadvantage being that someday the portfolio (and, therefore, the spending) could hit zero if things go poorly.

An alternative, equally simple strategy is to take 4% out of the portfolio each and every year. Relative to the classic “4% rule,” this results in widely varying levels of spending (which is undesirable), but it has the advantage of never fully depleting the portfolio.

The strategy of the Vanguard Managed Payout Fund sits between these two — with a level of spending that does vary based on portfolio performance, but that is “smoothed” by basing the withdrawal on the average share price over multiple years. (Specifically, the fund sets a monthly distribution in January of each year, based on 4% of the fund’s average share price over the last three years.)

Vanguard Managed Payout Asset Allocation

As of this writing, the Managed Payout Fund’s allocation is as follows:

• Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund 25.0%,
• Vanguard Global Minimum Volatility Fund 20.1%,
• Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund 14.9%,
• Vanguard Total Bond Market II Index Fund Investor Shares 13.3%,
• Vanguard Market Neutral Fund Investor Shares 10.0%,
• Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund 6.9%,
• Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund Investor Shares 5.1%, and
• Commodities 4.7%.

Frankly, I’m not exactly a fan of this allocation. I’m not talking here about the stock/bond allocation (though with a net** stock allocation of roughly 65%, it is rather aggressive for many retirees) or the US/international allocation. I’m talking about the fact that roughly one third of the portfolio is actively managed. If I were to bet on active management, it would be Vanguard’s that I’d want to bet on, given their low costs and strong track record. But I’d rather have the option to use this sort of all-in-one tool without having to make such a bet.

Conclusion

In short, Vanguard’s Managed Payout Fund might be a good fit for investors who:

• Are retired and drawing from their portfolios,
• Appreciate the simplicity of an all-in-one fund and an automated distribution strategy,
• Don’t have any qualms about active management, and
• Find that the fund’s allocation is a good fit for their risk tolerance.

In addition, like all funds-of-funds, this fund will be less tax-efficient than a DIY portfolio with individual index funds, making it somewhat less desirable for investors with significant assets in taxable accounts.

** I say “net” stock allocation because the Market Neutral Fund shouldn’t, in theory, be contributing any stock market volatility.