Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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FSIG vs VSDB: Differences, Returns & Fees

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FSIG's duration was 2.9 years on Jul 31, 2026 and VSDB's 2.5 on Jun 30, 2026; VSDB charges 0.15% to FSIG's 0.44%.

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Net assets: $1.5bn on Oct 27, 2026 for First Trust Limited Duration Investment Grade Corporate ETF, and $1.0bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Short Duration Bond ETF.

At a glance
+0.8%
FSIG total return, 1 year
+1.7%
VSDB total return, 1 year
0.44%
FSIG expense ratio
0.15%
VSDB expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VSDB costs 0.29 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.9 points.

FSIG vs VSDB: Differences, Returns & Fees
MeasureFSIGVSDB
Return
Total return, 1 year+0.8%+1.7%
Benchmark
What it tracksNo index, actively managedNo index, actively managed
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.44%0.15%
Net assets, FSIG as of Oct 27, 2026 and VSDB as of Sep 30, 2026$1.5bn$1.0bn
Holdings
Holdings in common3%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026. Method

Risk and return

Apr 11, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026 · 80 weekly returns · each against AGG
FSIG VSDB
Return
Total return edge VSDB +6.2% +7.1%
Annualized edge VSDB +4.0% +4.5%
Price return edge VSDB −1.4% +0.5%
Risk
Volatility edge VSDB 2.1% 1.8%
Max drawdown edge VSDB −1.6% −1.4%
Downside capture 39.6% 27.1%
Beta 0.50 0.43
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge VSDB 0.00 0.29
Sortino edge VSDB −0.01 0.40
Treynor 0.000 0.012
Calmar edge VSDB 2.45 3.19
Against the benchmark
Alpha +0.3% a year +0.8% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.41 1.16
Information ratio 0.33 0.54
Tracking error 2.1% 2.3%
Reading

VSDB returned more: +7.1% to +6.2%. VSDB swung less: 1.8% to 2.1%. VSDB fell less at its worst: −1.4% to −1.6%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: FSIG vs VSDB: Differences, Returns & Fees
MeasureFSIGVSDBAGGEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+6.2%+7.1%VSDBPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+4.0%+4.5%VSDBTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return−1.4%+0.5%VSDBPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility2.1%1.8%VSDBSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation1.5%1.3%VSDBLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−1.6%−1.4%VSDBDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture55.6%50.5%100.0%FSIG (slight)Share of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture39.6%27.1%100.0%VSDBShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.500.431.00VSDB lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.760.761.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.000.29VSDBReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino−0.010.40VSDBReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.0000.012−0.007VSDBReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar2.453.19VSDBAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkAGGAGGAGGThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+0.3% a year+0.8% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.411.16Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−1.3% to +2.0%−0.6% to +2.2%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio0.330.54VSDBReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error2.1%2.3%0.0%Not an edgeHow far weekly returns stray from the benchmark, annualized.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 80 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

3%

By the books each fund has filed, FSIG and VSDB hold 3% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026.

0 half 100%

half

3% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first FSIG VSDB
RF V4.755 07/27/29, due Jul 27, 2029 0.53% 0.48%
PNC V4.618 10/26/29, due Oct 26, 2029 0.49% 0.23%
GS V4.594 04/20/30, due Apr 20, 2030 0.38% 0.19%
AXP V4.444 05/03/30, due May 3, 2030 0.52% 0.17%
CHTR 5.05 03/30/29, due Mar 30, 2029 0.49% 0.15%
BAC V4.948 07/22/28 MTN, due Jul 22, 2028 0.66% 0.12%
JPM V4.915 01/24/29, due Jan 24, 2029 0.17% 0.11%
SW 5.2 01/15/30, due Jan 15, 2030 0.86% 0.11%
BA 5.15 05/01/30, due May 1, 2030 0.43% 0.11%
SPCX 5.35 07/15/31 144A, due Jul 15, 2031 0.32% 0.09%
AMCR 4.25 03/08/29, due Mar 8, 2029 0.26% 0.08%
UBS V4.398 09/23/31 144A, due Sep 23, 2031 0.45% 0.07%
Only in one fund ↓
Only in FSIG
MSCI 4 11/15/29 144A, due Nov 15, 2029 1.50%
CRWD 3 02/15/29, due Feb 15, 2029 1.39%
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. 0% CP 03/08/2026, due Aug 3, 2026 1.03%
Cencora Inc 0% CP 03/08/2026, due Aug 3, 2026 1.02%
BCULC 5.625 09/15/29 144A, due Sep 15, 2029 0.96%
CSUCN 5.158 02/16/29 144A, due Feb 16, 2029 0.86%
AMCR 5.5 04/15/28, due Apr 15, 2028 0.77%
STT V4.558 04/23/32, due Apr 23, 2032 0.74%
Only in VSDB
US TREASURY N/B, due Nov 30, 2027 1.90%
US TREASURY N/B, due Jun 30, 2029 1.66%
US TREASURY N/B, due Nov 30, 2027 1.55%
US TREASURY N/B, due Dec 31, 2027 1.55%
US TREASURY N/B, due May 31, 2029 1.50%
US TREASURY N/B, due Dec 31, 2027 1.50%
US TREASURY N/B, due Feb 15, 2028 1.23%
TREASURY BILL, due Jun 10, 2027 1.16%
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Side by side

FSIG First Trust Limited Duration Investment Grade Corporate ETF VSDB Vanguard Short Duration Bond ETF
Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF
What it is Actively managed Actively managed
Total return, 1 year +0.8% +1.7%
Its benchmark over the same days −1.4% (AGG) −1.4% (AGG)
Gap to its benchmark +2.2 pts vs AGG +3.1 pts vs AGG
Expense ratio 0.44% 0.15%
Holdings 324 1525
Net assets, FSIG as of Oct 27, 2026 and VSDB as of Sep 30, 2026 $1.5bn $1.0bn

FSIG and VSDB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-7327E4A3B9

FSIG and VSDB are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

  1. Holdings in common. 3% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026).
  2. Number of holdings. FSIG holds 324 positions and VSDB holds 1525.
  3. Cost. FSIG charges 0.44% of assets a year and VSDB 0.15%, a gap of 0.29 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund
FSIG

FSIG is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +0.8% with distributions reinvested, against −1.4% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.44% a year.

VSDB

VSDB is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +1.7% with distributions reinvested, against −1.4% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, FSIG or VSDB?
In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FSIG returned +0.8% and VSDB +1.7%.
Which is cheaper, FSIG or VSDB?
VSDB is cheaper, by 0.29 percentage points a year. That is about $29 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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ETFIQ, FSIG against VSDB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/fsig-vs-vsdb

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