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Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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PFF vs VUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, PFF returned −4.2% to VUSB's +3.5%, and VUSB charges 0.10% to PFF's 0.45%.

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Net assets: $11.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF, and $9.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF.

PFF on its own →VUSB on its own →
At a glance
−4.2%
PFF total return, 1 year
+3.5%
VUSB total return, 1 year
0.45%
PFF expense ratio
0.10%
VUSB expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VUSB costs 0.35 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 7.7 points; PFF is 1.2 times larger.

PFF vs VUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees
MeasurePFFVUSB
Return
Total return, 1 year−4.2%+3.5%
Drawdown
Below its high7.1%, high on May 8, 2026
Benchmark
What it tracksICE Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities IndexNo index, actively managed
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.45%0.10%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026$12.3bn$9.9bn
Holdings
Holdings in common0%
In the S&P 500, by weight0%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund22.7%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jun 30, 2026. Method

What they share

0%

By the books each fund has filed, PFF and VUSB hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026.

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first PFF VUSB
Only in one fund ↓
Only in PFF
BOEING COMPANY (THE) 6% SER A DEP SHS REPSTG 1/20TH INT MANDATORY CONV PFD 3.93%
STRATEGY INC VARIABLE RATE SERIES A PERPETUAL STRETCH PREFERRED STOCK 2.95%
WELLS FARGO & COMPANY 7.5% NON-CUMULATIVE PERPETUAL CONVERTIBLE CLASS A PREFERRED STOCK, SERIES L 2.33%
ORACLE CORP DEPOSITARY SHARES EACH REPRESENTING A 1/2,000TH INTEREST IN A SHARE OF 6.50% SERIES D MANDATORY CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK 2.28%
HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY 7.625% SERIES C MANDATORY CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK 1.76%
BANK OF AMERICA CORP 7.25% NON-CUMULATIVE PERPETUAL CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK SERIES L 1.45%
CITIGROUP CAPITAL XIII FIXED/FLOAT TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES 1.31%
ALBEMARLE CORP DEPOSITARY SHARES EACH REPRESENTING A 1/20TH INTEREST IN A SHARE OF 7.25% SERIES A MANDATORY CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK 1.29%
Only in VUSB
TREASURY BILL, due Jun 10, 2027 4.19%
US TREASURY N/B, due Jul 31, 2027 0.67%
PNC FINANCIAL, due Oct 26, 2029 0.58%
US TREASURY N/B, due Jun 30, 2028 0.52%
REGIONS BANKS, due Jul 27, 2029 0.51%
US BANCORP, due Jun 12, 2029 0.50%
CHARLES SCHWAB, due Jul 27, 2029 0.49%
TRUIST BANK, due Jul 24, 2028 0.44%
Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF VUSB Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF
Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF
Issuer iShares Vanguard
What it is Tracks an index of Preferred and Income Securities Actively managed
Total return, 1 year −4.2% +3.5%
Its benchmark over the same days +13.6% (MLRG) −1.4% (AGG)
Gap to its benchmark −17.8 pts vs MLRG +4.9 pts vs AGG
Expense ratio 0.45% 0.10%
Holdings 453 1344
Net assets, PFF as of Oct 27, 2026 and VUSB as of Sep 30, 2026 $11.8bn $9.9bn

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

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About each fund
PFF

PFF tracks an index of Preferred and Income Securities. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −4.2% with distributions reinvested, against +13.6% for its benchmark, the MSCI USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.45% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 453 positions, with the top ten at 22.7%. It sat 7.1% below its high of May 8, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

VUSB

VUSB is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +3.5% with distributions reinvested, against −1.4% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.10% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, PFF or VUSB?
In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, PFF returned −4.2% and VUSB +3.5%.
Which is cheaper, PFF or VUSB?
VUSB is cheaper, by 0.35 percentage points a year. That is about $35 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
PFF vs VBILBIL vs PFFPFF vs SGOVBOXX vs PFFVGLT vs VUSBTIP vs VUSBSCHP vs VUSBBINC vs VUSB
Where to next
PFF on its own →VUSB on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →PFF dividend history →PFF holdings →VUSB dividend history →VUSB holdings →Standards and sources →
Sources and dates
PFF filings on SEC EDGAR ↗
PFF prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗
iShares page for PFF ↗
VUSB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗
VUSB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗
Vanguard page for VUSB ↗

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.

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ETFIQ, PFF against VUSB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/pff-vs-vusb

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