POWER OF ATTORNEY

Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints
each of Kevin J. Carr, Mark S. Flynn and Jennifer S. Fromm, the undersigneds
true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

(1)  execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity
     as an officer and/or director of Virtus Mutual Funds on behalf of the
     Virtus Total Return Fund (the Fund), Forms 3, 4, and 5 in accordance with
     Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules
     thereunder, and any other forms or reports the undersigned may be required
     to file in connection with the undersigned's ownership,acquisition, or
     disposition of securities of the Fund;

(2)  do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned which
     may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4,
     or 5, or other form or report, and timely file such form or report with the
     United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any stock exchange or
     similar authority; and

(3)  take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the
     foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit
     to, in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned,
     including without limitation, the completion and signing of any document
     that may be required to obtain EDGAR codes or any other required filing
     codes on behalf of the undersigned, it being understood that the documents
     executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to
     the Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain such terms
     and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such attorney-in-
     fact's discretion.

The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or such
attorney-in-facts substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be
done by virtue of this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein
granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in
serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, are not assuming,
nor is the Fund assuming, any of the undersigneds responsibilities to comply
with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4, and 5 with respect to the
undersigneds holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the Fund,
unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the
foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed as of this 16th day of November, 2011.



/s/Geraldine M. McNamara
__________________________________________________
Geraldine M. McNamara