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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEI returned −1.1% and TLT −7.9%.

Which is cheaper, IEI or TLT?

Neither: IEI and TLT both charge 0.15% a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

IEI vs TLT: Differences, Returns & Fees

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On Aug 31, 2026 IEI's duration was 4.3 years and TLT's 15.1; both charge 0.15%.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $17.0bn for iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF and $47.4bn for iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF.

IEI on its own →TLT on its own →

At a glance

−1.1%

IEI total return, 1 year

−7.9%

TLT total return, 1 year

0.15%

IEI expense ratio

0.15%

TLT expense ratio

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.15% a year; their one-year returns differ by 6.8 points; TLT is 2.8 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

IEI vs TLT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IEI	TLT
Return
Measure	IEI	TLT
Total return, 1 year	−1.1%	−7.9%
Drawdown
Measure	IEI	TLT
Below its high		42.6%, high on Aug 4, 2020
Benchmark
Measure	IEI	TLT
What it tracks	ICE U.S. Treasury 3-7 Year Bond Index	ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index
Cost and size
Measure	IEI	TLT
Expense ratio	0.15%	0.15%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$17.0bn	$47.4bn
Holdings
Measure	IEI	TLT
Holdings in common	0%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Aug 31, 2026. Method

Risk and return

Jan 19, 2007 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,031 weekly returns

IEI TLT

Return

Total return edge Tie +71.7% +72.4%

Annualized edge Tie +2.8% +2.8%

Price return edge IEI +14.9% −7.6%

Risk

Volatility edge IEI 3.8% 14.2%

Max drawdown edge IEI −14.1% −47.8%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge IEI 0.31 0.15

Sortino edge IEI 0.45 0.22

Calmar edge IEI 0.20 0.06

Reading

IEI and TLT returned about the same: +71.7% and +72.4%. IEI swung less: 3.8% to 14.2%. IEI fell less at its worst: −14.1% to −47.8%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: IEI vs TLT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IEI	TLT	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+71.7%	+72.4%	Tie	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+2.8%	+2.8%	Tie	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	+14.9%	−7.6%	IEI	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	3.8%	14.2%	IEI	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	2.6%	9.9%	IEI	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−14.1%	−47.8%	IEI	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	0.31	0.15	IEI	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	0.45	0.22	IEI	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.20	0.06	IEI	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,031 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, IEI and TLT hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Aug 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first IEI TLT

Only in one fund ↓

Only in IEI

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 30, 2030 2.90%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2032 2.30%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 28, 2030 2.29%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2031 2.26%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 31, 2030 2.24%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2033 2.17%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 15, 2031 2.11%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2033 2.10%

Only in TLT

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due May 15, 2055 4.46%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due May 15, 2054 4.40%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Aug 15, 2053 4.18%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Feb 15, 2054 4.03%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Feb 15, 2056 3.94%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Aug 15, 2054 3.94%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Nov 15, 2053 3.92%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Feb 15, 2055 3.80%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

IEI iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF TLT iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares iShares

What it is Tracks an index of 3-7 Year Treasury Bond Tracks an index of 20+ year Treasuries

Total return, 1 year −1.1% −7.9%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured −7.8% (BBLB)

Gap to its benchmark not measured −0.1 pts vs BBLB

Expense ratio 0.15% 0.15%

Holdings 82 47

Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $17.0bn $47.4bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-C1AEC9372A

IEI and TLT do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?

What each follows. IEI follows ICE U.S. Treasury 3-7 Year Bond Index and TLT follows ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index.
Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Aug 31, 2026).
One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 IEI returned −1.1% and TLT −7.9% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 6.8 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

IEI

IEI tracks an index of 3-7 Year Treasury Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.1% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year.

TLT

TLT tracks an index of 20+ year Treasuries. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −7.9% with distributions reinvested, against −7.8% for its benchmark, the ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index. It sat 42.6% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, IEI or TLT?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEI returned −1.1% and TLT −7.9%.
Which is cheaper, IEI or TLT?: Neither: IEI and TLT both charge 0.15% a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

IEI vs VGLT EDV vs IEI IEI vs IUSB IEI vs VGIT SHY vs TLT TLT vs VGSH TLT vs USFR SCHP vs TLT

Where to next

IEI on its own →TLT on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →IEI dividend history →IEI holdings →TLT dividend history →TLT holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

IEI and TLT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

IEI and TLT prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for IEI ↗

iShares page for TLT ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, IEI against TLT, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iei-vs-tlt

Open data →

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