Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
BND vs TLT: how they differ
BND and TLT are both bond index funds, and over the year BND returned more, −0.7% against −6.4%.
Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund and iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF.
| BND Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund | TLT iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Vanguard | iShares |
| What it is | US aggregate bonds | 20+ year Treasuries |
| Total return, 1 year | −0.7% | −6.4% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −18.2 pts | −23.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.15% |
| Holdings | not filed | 41 |
BND in plain words
BND is a bond fund tracking the US aggregate bonds. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −0.7% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 3.8% below its high of Aug 6, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.
TLT in plain words
TLT is a bond fund tracking the 20+ year Treasuries. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −6.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. It sat 42.9% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, BND or TLT?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BND returned −0.7% and TLT returned −6.4%, so BND returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, BND or TLT?
- BND charges 0.03% a year and TLT charges 0.15%, so BND is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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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.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, BND against TLT, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/bnd-vs-tlt Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources