Managed Fund Since 2020
FRFTX Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund
- Tax-free income. Monthly income exempt from federal taxes.
- Broad access. Invests across all sectors and maturities within the investment grade rated municipal bond universe.
- Portfolio diversification. Can be used as a core portfolio holding, providing diversification from equities.
Popular Documents
Overview
Fund Facts
Fund description
The fund seeks to provide investors with as high a level of income exempt from regular federal income taxes as is consistent with prudent investment management and the preservation of shareholders' capital.
- Benchmark
- Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index
- Fund Inception Date
- 10/07/1983
- Dividend Frequency, if any
- Monthly
- Distribution Rate at NAV
3 As of 10/30/2025 (Updated Daily) - 3.04%
- Taxable Equivalent Yield—With Waiver
As of 09/30/2025 (Updated Monthly) - 5.44%
- Taxable Equivalent Yield—Without Waiver
As of 09/30/2025 (Updated Monthly) - 5.44%
Identifiers
- Ticker
- FRFTX
- Fund Number
- 216
- CUSIP Code
- 353519200
Average Annual Total Returns As of 09/30/2025
Class C
- -0.82%1 Year
- 4.64%3 Years
- 0.31%5 Years
- 1.44%10 Years
- 3.56%Since Inception
05/01/1995
Performance data quoted represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the figures shown.
Top Sectors
As of 09/30/2025 % of Total (Updated Monthly)
Additional Fund Info
- Share Class Inception Date
- 05/01/1995
- Investment Style
- Municipals
- Lipper Classification
- General & Insured Municipal Debt Funds
- Morningstar Category
- Muni National Long
Manager and Commentary
About the Team
Franklin Templeton Fixed Income
Franklin Templeton Fixed Income is a fixed income specialist with a measured "no surprises" approach that is committed to the goal of delivering clients consistent, predictable fixed income results. We pursue dimensional sources of potential alpha across all global fixed income securities, sectors, and markets.
Commentary Highlights
June 30, 2025- Markets: There were large swings in financial market sentiment across the second quarter of 2025. In early April, US President Donald Trump announced significant increases in US tariff rates as part of his “Liberation Day.” Subsequently, a temporary pause (in many cases 90 days) in increased levies helped calm some of the market nerves. The passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” spending package after quarter-end further reduced the uncertainties that had been a strong headwind to municipal (muni) bond markets as it affirmed the tax-exempt status of muni securities.
- Detractors: Overweight allocation to muni bonds with 20 or more years to maturity, security selection in A rated bonds and underweight allocation to AAA rated bonds.
- Contributors: Overweight allocation to muni bonds with no external credit rating.
- Outlook: Municipal bond valuations continue to appear attractive to us, particularly on a tax-adjusted basis, with yields near multi-year highs. In a more challenging environment, strong bottom-up research and disciplined security selection will be essential to identifying relative value and potentially preserving portfolio quality.
Managed Fund Since 2020
Managed Fund Since 2024
Managed Fund Since 1996
Managed Fund Since 2018
Latest Insights
October 30, 2025
October 28, 2025
October 9, 2025
September 22, 2025
Performance
Average Annual Total Returns
As of 09/30/2025
Performance data quoted represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the figures shown. Principal value and investment returns will fluctuate, and investors' shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Performance would have been lower if fees had not been waived in various periods. Total returns assume the reinvestment of all distributions and the deduction of all Fund expenses. Returns with sales charge reflect a deduction of the stated maximum sales charge. Returns without sales charge would have been lower had sales charges been reflected. An investor cannot invest directly in an index, and unmanaged index returns do not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges. Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.
©2025 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information.
Portfolio
Assets
As of09/30/2025 (Updated Monthly)
- Total Net Assets
- $7.94 Billion
Positions
As of 09/30/2025 (Updated Monthly)
- Fund
- 1,015
- Benchmark
- 63,481
Portfolio Statistics
As of 09/30/2025 (Updated Monthly)
- Fund
- 19.60 Years
- Benchmark
- 13.53 Years
- Fund
- 8.46 Years
- Benchmark
- —
State / U.S. Territory Allocation
As of 09/30/2025 % of Total (Updated Monthly)
| Geography | Fund |
|---|---|
Texas | 10.80% |
California | 8.71% |
Florida | 8.58% |
New York | 8.27% |
Wisconsin | 6.37% |
Illinois | 5.80% |
Tennessee | 3.79% |
Georgia | 3.48% |
Alabama | 3.36% |
Louisiana | 3.17% |
Washington | 3.06% |
New Jersey | 3.03% |
Colorado | 2.66% |
District of Columbia | 2.14% |
Indiana | 2.11% |
Ohio | 2.02% |
Arizona | 1.99% |
Maryland | 1.78% |
Massachusetts | 1.71% |
Utah | 1.52% |
Pennsylvania | 1.50% |
Hawaii | 1.44% |
Kentucky | 1.17% |
South Carolina | 1.11% |
Mississippi | 1.03% |
Oregon | 0.82% |
Puerto Rico | 0.80% |
Michigan | 0.76% |
Missouri | 0.73% |
New Hampshire | 0.67% |
West Virginia | 0.63% |
North Carolina | 0.62% |
Virginia | 0.59% |
North Dakota | 0.59% |
Iowa | 0.56% |
Nebraska | 0.52% |
New Mexico | 0.44% |
South Dakota | 0.44% |
Kansas | 0.27% |
Connecticut | 0.22% |
Nevada | 0.20% |
Idaho | 0.20% |
Oklahoma | 0.13% |
Arkansas | 0.11% |
Rhode Island | 0.10% |
Delaware | 0.09% |
Alaska | 0.08% |
Montana | 0.08% |
Maine | 0.03% |
N/A | 0.01% |
Cash & Cash Equivalents | -0.30% |
Holdings
As of 09/30/2025 (Updated Monthly)
Portfolio holdings are based on the total portfolio and are subject to change at any time. Holdings are provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a recommendation to purchase or sell any security.
Distributions & Tax
- Distribution Frequency
- MonthlyThis fund is an Accrual fund.
- Capital Gain Distributions
- December
Rates and Yields Read important information about results and other investment disclosures
Distribution Rate
Taxable Equivalent Distribution Rate
Final composition of the current year’s distribution—income, capital gains and/or return of capital—are based on US tax rules and will be determined by February of the following year. For tax characterization of a distribution, such as return of capital and tax-exempt income, click on the “Tax Information” tab above.
Distributions Per Share Distribution amounts may be estimates
Annually, a fund must distribute all realized capital gains net of realized losses, so the fund will not be subject to an entity level income tax. A fund’s capital gain distribution in a particular year may be a result of the disposition of holdings that appreciated in value during prior years. Thus, while the fund may gain or lose value over the course of a year, a capital gain distribution paid by the fund may not be indicative of current performance of the fund.
The distributable amount of net capital gains are paid on a per-share basis to all investors who hold shares of the fund on the record date of the distribution and are recognized by the shareholder for tax purposes as of the ex-date of the distribution, regardless of when the gains or losses arose in the fund. Net gains on holdings held long term by the fund would be distributed to shareholders as a long-term capital gain distribution no matter how long the shareholder has owned shares in the fund.
Refer to the fund’s annual report or statement of additional information for specific information regarding distributions.
Pricing
Documents
| Name | Download | Add to Cart | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Factsheet - Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund | |||
| Product Commentary - Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund | |||
| Market commentary - Franklin Municipal Tax-Free Income Update |
| Name | Download | Add to Cart | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Report - Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund Class C | |||
| Annual Financial Statements and Other Information - Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund | |||
| Semi-Annual Report - Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund - Class C | |||
| Semi-Annual Financial Statements and Other Information - Franklin Federal Tax–Free Income Fund | |||
| Prospectus - Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund | |||
| Summary Prospectus - Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund | |||
| Statement of Additional Information - Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund | |||
| Fiscal Q1 Holdings - Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund | |||
| Fiscal Q3 Holdings - Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund |
Risks
All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Fixed income securities involve interest rate, credit, inflation and reinvestment risks, and possible loss of principal. As interest rates rise, the value of fixed income securities falls. Changes in the credit rating of a bond, or in the credit rating or financial strength of a bond’s issuer, insurer or guarantor, may affect the bond’s value. An investor may be subject to the federal Alternative Minimum Tax, and state and local taxes may apply. These and other risks are discussed in the fund’s prospectus.
Important Information
Most funds offer multiple share classes. Share classes are subject to different fees and expenses, which will affect their performance.
Certain share classes are only offered to eligible investors as stated in the prospectus. Different minimums may apply to clients of certain service agents. All classes of shares are not available through all distribution channels. See the Fund's prospectus for additional information.
Franklin Distributors, LLC. Member FINRA, SIPC. All entities mentioned are Franklin Templeton affiliated companies. Investment Products: NOT FDIC INSURED | NO BANK GUARANTEE | MAY LOSE VALUE.
Reports and other information about the funds are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at www.sec.gov.
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Important data provider notices and terms available at www.franklintempletondatasources.com.
Performance data quoted represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results.
CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.
Indexes are unmanaged and one cannot invest directly in an index. They do not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges.
The Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index is a broad measure of the municipal bond market with maturities of at least one year.
Source: Bloomberg Indices.
Investors should carefully consider a fund's investment goals, risks, sales charges and expenses before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing or sending money.