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Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

IAU vs TIP: how they differ

IAU is a commodity fund and TIP a bond index fund, and over the year IAU returned more, +19.2% against −1.0%.

iShares Gold Trust and iShares TIPS Bond ETF.

IAU and TIP on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IAU
iShares Gold Trust
TIP
iShares TIPS Bond ETF
Where it sitsCore index fundCore index fund
IssueriSharesiShares
What it isGoldTIPS Bond
Total return, 1 year+19.2%−1.0%
S&P 500 over the same days+17.5%+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500+1.7 pts−18.5 pts
Expense ratio0.25%0.18%
Holdingsnot filed48

IAU in plain words

IAU is a commodity fund tracking the Gold. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +19.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.25% a year. It sat 19.6% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

TIP in plain words

TIP is a bond fund tracking the TIPS Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −1.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.18% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, IAU or TIP?
In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IAU returned +19.2% and TIP returned −1.0%, so IAU returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, IAU or TIP?
IAU charges 0.25% a year and TIP charges 0.18%, so TIP is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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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.

IAU against TIP, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, IAU against TIP, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/IAU-TIP Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources