LQD vs VTC: Differences, Returns & Fees
On May 31, 2026 LQD's duration was 8.1 years and VTC's 6.6; VTC charges 0.03% to LQD's 0.14%. Net assets: $28.5bn on Oct 9, 2026 for iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF, and $1.6bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Total Corporate Bond ETF.
VTC costs 0.11 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.5 points; LQD is 17.7 times larger.
| LQD | VTC | |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.14% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $28.3bn | $1.6bn |
| Total return, 1 year | −3.4% | −1.9% |
| What it tracks | US investment grade bonds | Bloomberg U.S. Corporate Bond Index |
| Holdings in common | 45% | |
| Below its high | 7.8%, high on Sep 22, 2021 | 4.0%, high on Feb 27, 2026 |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated May 31, 2026.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, LQD and VTC hold 45% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated May 31, 2026.
half
45% in common
On the same fields
LQD and VTC on the fields both publish, as of Oct 9, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
About LQD
LQD tracks an index of US investment grade bonds. Over the year to Oct 9, 2026 it returned −3.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.14% a year. It sat 7.8% below its high of Sep 22, 2021 on Oct 9, 2026.
About VTC
VTC tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 9, 2026 it returned −1.9% with distributions reinvested, against −1.8% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Corporate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 4.0% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Oct 9, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, LQD or VTC?
- In the year to Oct 9, 2026, with distributions reinvested, LQD returned −3.4% and VTC −1.9%.
- Which is cheaper, LQD or VTC?
- VTC is cheaper, by 0.11 percentage points a year. That is about $11 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure; a link is not an endorsement. 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, LQD against VTC, data as of Oct 9, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/lqd-vs-vtc
ETFIQ. (Oct 9, 2026). LQD against VTC. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/lqd-vs-vtc
[LQD against VTC (ETFIQ, Oct 9, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/lqd-vs-vtc)
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