Which returned more over the last year, IEI or TLT?

In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEI returned −1.0% and TLT returned −6.4%, so IEI returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, IEI or TLT?

IEI charges 0.15% a year and TLT charges 0.15%, so IEI is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

IEI vs TLT: how they differ

IEI and TLT hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and IEI returned more over the year.

iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF and iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF.

What they hold in common

By the books each fund has filed, IEI and TLT hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.

Largest positions each one holds and the other does not
Only in IEI	Only in TLT
US TREASURY N/B 1.84%	TREASURY BOND (2OLD) 4.16%
TREASURY NOTE (OLD) 0.98%	TREASURY BOND (OLD) 4.05%
BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCY 0.49%	TREASURY BOND (OTR) 1.03%
TREASURY NOTE (2OLD) 0.37%	TREASURY BOND 0.02%
TREASURY NOTE 0.30%
TREASURY NOTE (OTR) 0.28%

Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Sep 10, 2026.

IEI and TLT on the fields both publish, as of Sep 13, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	IEI iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF	TLT iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF
Where it sits	Core index fund	Core index fund
Issuer	iShares	iShares
What it is	3-7 Year Treasury Bond	20+ year Treasuries
Total return, 1 year	−1.0%	−6.4%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	−18.5 pts	−23.9 pts
Expense ratio	0.15%	0.15%
Holdings	84	41

IEI in plain words

IEI is a bond fund tracking the 3-7 Year Treasury 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 0.15% a year. It sat 3.0% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 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. 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, IEI or TLT?: In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEI returned −1.0% and TLT returned −6.4%, so IEI returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, IEI or TLT?: IEI charges 0.15% a year and TLT charges 0.15%, so IEI 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.

IEI against TLT, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 13, 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, IEI against TLT, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iei-vs-tlt Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources