FTSM vs VBIL: Differences, Returns & Fees
FTSM's duration was 0.7 years on Jul 31, 2026 and VBIL's 0.1 on Jun 30, 2026; VBIL charges 0.06% to FTSM's 0.29%. Net assets: $6.7bn on Oct 20, 2026 for First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF, and $12.8bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF.
VBIL costs 0.23 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.3 points.
| FTSM | VBIL | |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.29% | 0.06% |
| Net assets, FTSM as of Oct 20, 2026 and VBIL as of Sep 30, 2026 | $6.7bn | $12.8bn |
| Total return, 1 year | +3.4% | +3.7% |
| What it tracks | No index, actively managed | Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Bills 0-3 Months Index |
| Holdings in common | report dates differ | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026.
FTSM and VBIL are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. FTSM follows No index, actively managed and VBIL follows Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Bills 0-3 Months Index.
- Number of holdings. FTSM holds 740 positions and VBIL holds 28.
- Cost. FTSM charges 0.29% of assets a year and VBIL 0.06%, a gap of 0.23 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 and VBIL 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 VBIL
VBIL tracks an index of 0-3 Month Treasury Bill. Over the year to Oct 20, 2026 it returned +3.7% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% a year.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, FTSM or VBIL?
- In the year to Oct 20, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FTSM returned +3.4% and VBIL +3.7%.
- Which is cheaper, FTSM or VBIL?
- VBIL is cheaper, by 0.23 percentage points a year. That is about $23 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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ETFIQ, FTSM against VBIL, data as of Oct 20, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftsm-vs-vbil
ETFIQ. (Oct 20, 2026). FTSM against VBIL. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftsm-vs-vbil
[FTSM against VBIL (ETFIQ, Oct 20, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftsm-vs-vbil)
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