RILA vs VTI

RILA vs VTI

Which is better, RILA or VTI?

Equity-oriented Balanced against Large Cap Blend.

VTI has a lower expense ratio. VTI led over 1Y and the full window. VTI is less concentrated, with 33.3% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 37.0%.

Lower Fees: VTIHigher Returns: VTILess Concentrated: VTI

MarketXLS is not an investment adviser. This comparison is generated automatically from market data and is for information only. A Best mark means the better reading on that one measure, not a recommendation to buy.

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricRILAVTI
Expense Ratio0.50%0.03%Best
AUM$44M$666.9B
Dividend Yield0.10%1.03%
Holdings1713,543
YTD Return+3.98%+11.53%Best
1Y Return+2.86%+15.74%Best
3Y Return (annualized)-+20.67%
5Y Return (annualized)-+11.59%
Volatility (annualized)15.6%13.1%Best
Max Drawdown-20.0%-19.3%Best
$10,000 over 1.7 years$11,932$13,126Best
Top 10 Weight37.0%33.3%Best
Fund FamilyIndexpertsVanguard (US)
CategoryAllocation/BalancedEquity
StyleEquity-oriented BalancedLarge Cap Blend
InceptionDec 31, 2024May 24, 2001

Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 1.7 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Jan 2, 2025 to Sep 15, 2026 (1.7 years).

RILA vs VTI growth

Month-end closes. Both lines start at 0% in the first month shown, so the gap between them is the difference in growth across that window. The full view covers the 1.7 years both funds cover.

RILA vs VTI Performance

Indexperts Gorilla Aggressive Growth ETF (RILA) is an ETF from Indexperts and Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) is an ETF from Vanguard (US). Over the past year RILA returned +2.86% while VTI returned +15.74%. Year to date, RILA is up 3.98% versus a gain of 11.53% for VTI.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

RILA has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 15.6% compared with 13.1% for VTI. Lower volatility generally means a smoother ride, though it often comes with lower long-run returns.

The deepest peak-to-trough decline in our data was -20.0% for RILA and -19.3% for VTI. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.

The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.89. They usually move together, but the gap leaves some room for diversification.

Fees and Cost Over Time

RILA charges 0.50% per year while VTI charges 0.03%. On a $10,000 position that is $50 vs $3 annually, a gap of $47 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, RILA currently yields 0.10% against 1.03% for VTI.

Holdings Overlap

RILA already in VTI96.4%
VTI already in RILA32.9%

96.4% of RILA's money is in holdings VTI also owns. 32.9% of VTI's money is in holdings RILA also owns.

Most of RILA is already inside VTI. Owning both mostly buys the same companies twice.

161 positions in common, counted across the 170 positions we hold weights for in RILA and 3,463 in VTI, against full books of 171 and 3,543.

What only one of them owns

Our book lists 1,019 positions for VTI that do not appear in our book for RILA (64.5% of the fund), and 5 for RILA that do not appear in VTI (2.3%).

Some of those will be the same company recorded under a different code in one of the two books, so the real difference in what you would own is no larger than this and may be smaller. We do not name the individual positions here for that reason.

Top Shared Holdings

StockWeight in RILAWeight in VTIDifference
NVDANvidia Corp5.26%6.40%1.14%
AVGOBroadcom Inc4.77%2.56%2.21%
AMZNAmazon.Com Inc3.61%3.65%0.04%
MSFTMicrosoft Corp1.24%4.79%3.55%
LLYEli Lilly & Co.4.22%1.35%2.87%
PANWPalo Alto Networks, Inc4.16%0.38%3.78%
TSLATesla Inc3.27%1.22%2.05%
APHAmphenol Corp. Class A3.64%0.27%3.37%
METAMeta Platforms Inc1.70%1.70%0.00%
PLTRPalantir Technologies Inc2.97%0.37%2.60%

96.4% of RILA is already inside VTI.

You probably hold more than these two. Add the rest and see how much of the whole book is the same companies twice.

RILAVTI

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, RILA or VTI?

RILA has an expense ratio of 0.50% while VTI charges 0.03%. VTI is the cheaper option, by $47 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which performed better, RILA or VTI?

Over the past year RILA returned +2.86% vs +15.74% for VTI, so VTI leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (2 years), RILA annualized +10.95% vs +17.35% for VTI. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which is riskier, RILA or VTI?

RILA has been the more volatile fund at 15.6% annualized versus 13.1% for VTI. Worst drawdown: RILA -20.0% vs VTI -19.3%.

Should I hold both RILA and VTI?

RILA and VTI have a monthly-return correlation of 0.89, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.

What is the holdings overlap between RILA and VTI?

96.4% of RILA's money is in holdings VTI also owns. 32.9% of VTI's is in holdings RILA also owns. They hold 161 positions in common, counted across the 170 positions we hold weights for in RILA and 3,463 in VTI.

Which pays a higher dividend, RILA or VTI?

RILA yields 0.10% while VTI yields 1.03%, so VTI currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is VTI better than RILA?

VTI has a lower expense ratio. VTI led over 1Y and the full window. VTI is less concentrated, with 33.3% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 37.0%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.