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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IUSB returned −1.2% and TLT −7.9%.

Which is cheaper, IUSB or TLT?

IUSB is cheaper, by 0.09 percentage points a year. That is about $9 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

IUSB vs TLT: Differences, Returns & Fees

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IUSB's duration was 5.5 years on Jul 31, 2026 and TLT's 15.1 on Aug 31, 2026; IUSB charges 0.06% to TLT's 0.15%.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $49.8bn for iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF and $47.4bn for iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF.

IUSB on its own →TLT on its own →

At a glance

−1.2%

IUSB total return, 1 year

−7.9%

TLT total return, 1 year

0.06%

IUSB expense ratio

0.15%

TLT expense ratio

Pair scorecard

IUSB costs 0.09 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 6.7 points; IUSB is 1.1 times larger.

IUSB vs TLT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IUSB	TLT
Return
Measure	IUSB	TLT
Total return, 1 year	−1.2%	−7.9%
Drawdown
Measure	IUSB	TLT
Below its high		42.6%, high on Aug 4, 2020
Benchmark
Measure	IUSB	TLT
What it tracks	Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index	ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index
Cost and size
Measure	IUSB	TLT
Expense ratio	0.06%	0.15%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$49.8bn	$47.4bn
Holdings
Measure	IUSB	TLT
Holdings in common	4%

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

Risk and return

Jun 20, 2014 to Oct 23, 2026 · 644 weekly returns

IUSB TLT

Return

Total return edge IUSB +28.3% +2.9%

Annualized edge IUSB +2.0% +0.2%

Price return edge IUSB −10.7% −27.2%

Risk

Volatility edge IUSB 5.0% 13.8%

Max drawdown edge IUSB −17.7% −47.8%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge IUSB 0.02 −0.06

Sortino edge IUSB 0.02 −0.09

Calmar edge IUSB 0.11 0.00

Reading

IUSB returned more: +28.3% to +2.9%. IUSB swung less: 5.0% to 13.8%. IUSB fell less at its worst: −17.7% to −47.8%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: IUSB vs TLT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IUSB	TLT	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+28.3%	+2.9%	IUSB	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+2.0%	+0.2%	IUSB	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−10.7%	−27.2%	IUSB	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	5.0%	13.8%	IUSB	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	3.6%	10.1%	IUSB	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−17.7%	−47.8%	IUSB	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	0.02	−0.06	IUSB	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	0.02	−0.09	IUSB	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.11	0.00	IUSB	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 644 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, IUSB and TLT hold 4% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

4% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first IUSB TLT

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Nov 15, 2052 0.17% 2.94%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due May 15, 2055 0.17% 4.46%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Nov 15, 2053 0.16% 3.92%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Aug 15, 2055 0.16% 2.95%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Feb 15, 2056 0.16% 3.94%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Feb 15, 2053 0.16% 2.75%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due May 15, 2054 0.16% 4.40%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Nov 15, 2054 0.15% 3.75%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due May 15, 2052 0.15% 1.44%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Feb 15, 2055 0.15% 3.80%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Nov 15, 2055 0.15% 3.71%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Aug 15, 2051 0.15% 3.52%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in IUSB

Uniform Mortgage-Backed Securities, due Aug 25, 2056 0.41%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Dec 31, 2029 0.37%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2036 0.37%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2034 0.36%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2035 0.35%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 15, 2035 0.34%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2034 0.34%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2034 0.34%

Only in TLT

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

IUSB iShares Core Universal USD 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 Universal USD Bond Tracks an index of 20+ year Treasuries

Total return, 1 year −1.2% −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 0.06% 0.15%

Holdings 18338 47

Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $49.8bn $47.4bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-F950E3623B

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

What each follows. IUSB follows Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index and TLT follows ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index.
Holdings in common. 4% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026).
One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 IUSB returned −1.2% and TLT −7.9% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 6.7 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

IUSB

IUSB tracks an index of Universal USD Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.2% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% 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. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. 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, IUSB or TLT?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IUSB returned −1.2% and TLT −7.9%.
Which is cheaper, IUSB or TLT?: IUSB is cheaper, by 0.09 percentage points a year. That is about $9 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

EDV vs IUSB IUSB vs VGLT IUSB vs VGIT IUSB vs JNK BOND vs TLT TLT vs VBIL TLH vs TLT PFF vs TLT

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

IUSB and TLT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

IUSB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for IUSB ↗

TLT prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

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

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