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FTSM vs IBDS: Differences, Returns & Fees

On Jul 31, 2026 FTSM's duration was 0.7 years and IBDS's 0.8; IBDS charges 0.10% to FTSM's 0.29%. Net assets on Oct 20, 2026: $6.7bn for First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF and $4.0bn for iShares iBonds Dec 2027 Term Corporate ETF.

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Answers cite the figures on this page.

IBDS costs 0.19 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.1 points; FTSM is 1.7 times larger.

FTSM vs IBDS: Differences, Returns & Fees
FTSMIBDS
Expense ratio0.29%0.10%
Net assets$6.7bn$4.0bn
Total return, 1 year+3.4%+3.3%
What it tracksNo index, actively managednot read by ETFIQ
Holdings in commonnot published
+3.4%
FTSM total return, 1 year
+3.3%
IBDS total return, 1 year
0.29%
FTSM expense ratio
0.10%
IBDS expense ratio

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Client brief · page 1 of 2Report BR-A8F36D69B7

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

  1. What each follows. FTSM follows No index, actively managed and IBDS follows not read by ETFIQ.
  2. Cost. FTSM charges 0.29% of assets a year and IBDS 0.10%, a gap of 0.19 points.
  3. One-year total return (similar). Over 1 year to Oct 20, 2026 FTSM returned +3.4% and IBDS +3.3% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 0.1 points.

Data as of Oct 20, 2026. The differences are picked by a fixed rule, in a fixed order; the PDF prints it. Page 2 has the returns, overlap, risks and sources.

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On the same fields

FTSM
First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF
IBDS
iShares iBonds Dec 2027 Term Corporate ETF
Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF
Issuer First Trust iShares
What it is Actively managed Tracks an index
Total return, 1 year +3.4% +3.3%
Its benchmark over the same days −1.9% (AGG) not measured
Gap to its benchmark +5.4 pts vs AGG not measured
Expense ratio 0.29% 0.10%
Holdings 740 647
Net assets $6.7bn $4.0bn

FTSM and IBDS on the fields both publish, as of Oct 20, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

About FTSM

FTSM is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 20, 2026 it returned +3.4% with distributions reinvested, against −1.9% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.29% a year.

About IBDS

IBDS tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 20, 2026 it returned +3.3% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.10% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, FTSM or IBDS?
In the year to Oct 20, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FTSM returned +3.4% and IBDS +3.3%.
Which is cheaper, FTSM or IBDS?
IBDS is cheaper, by 0.19 percentage points a year. That is about $19 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
FTSM vs GBILFTSM vs VBILFTSM vs VGUSFTSM vs USFRIBDS vs TFLOIBDS vs TBILIBDS vs USFRIBDS vs IBTH
FTSM on its own →IBDS on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →FTSM dividend history →FTSM holdings →IBDS dividend history →IBDS holdings →Standards and sources →
Where these figures came from
FTSM filings on SEC EDGAR ↗FTSM prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗First Trust page for FTSM ↗IBDS filings on SEC EDGAR ↗IBDS prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗iShares page for IBDS ↗

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure; a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, FTSM against IBDS, data as of Oct 20, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftsm-vs-ibds

Open data

Free to use with attribution for figures ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.