- As of Nov 4, 2026, ETFIQ measures 651 ETFs against a named benchmark, including 130 against the S&P 500 and 56 against the Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond index.
In plain words
A benchmark is the yardstick a fund is judged against: the index an index fund follows, or for an active or income fund the index its own report names, or its own holdings.
ETFIQ picks each benchmark from the fund’s documents, never its name: the index it says it follows, then the first broad index in its shareholder report, then its own holdings. Benchmarks are priced through an ETF tracking the index, so returns include payouts. A gap shows beside its window and date.
Questions
- How does ETFIQ choose a fund’s benchmark?
From the fund’s own documents: the index it names, then its shareholder report, then its filed holdings. A name never decides.
- Why does the S&P 500 appear for income funds?
Many option income funds say in their reports that the S&P 500 is their yardstick. ETFIQ measures them against it and shows the gap.
- Is a benchmark the same as a category average?
No. A benchmark is one index. A category average is a mix of funds and can hide big differences.