Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
BIL vs VBK: how they differ
BIL is a short-term Treasury fund and VBK an equity index fund, and over the year VBK returned more, +13.8% against +3.7%.
SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF and Vanguard Small-Cap Growth Index Fund.
| BIL SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | VBK Vanguard Small-Cap Growth Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | State Street | Vanguard |
| What it is | 1-3 month T-bills | Small-Cap Growth |
| Total return, 1 year | +3.7% | +13.8% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −13.8 pts | −3.7 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.14% | 0.05% |
| Holdings | not filed | 545 |
BIL in plain words
BIL is a cash and treasury bills tracking the 1-3 month T-bills. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +3.7% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.14% a year.
VBK in plain words
VBK is an index equity fund tracking the Small-Cap Growth. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +13.8% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 10% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 545 positions, with the top ten at 9.3%. It sat 7.0% below its high of Aug 17, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, BIL or VBK?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BIL returned +3.7% and VBK returned +13.8%, so VBK returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, BIL or VBK?
- BIL charges 0.14% a year and VBK charges 0.05%, so VBK is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where to next
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, BIL against VBK, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/BIL-VBK Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources