RSP vs VIITX

RSP vs VIITX

Which is better, RSP or VIITX?

Large Cap Blend against Intermediate Term Bond.

VIITX has a lower expense ratio.

Lower Fees: VIITX

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

MetricRSPVIITX
Expense Ratio0.20%0.02%Best
AUM$99.6B-
Dividend Yield1.46%4.60%
Holdings5112,599
YTD Price Return+10.53%-2.73%
1Y Price Return+13.68%-2.90%
3Y Price Return (annualized)+12.97%+0.37%
5Y Price Return (annualized)+6.72%-2.47%
Volatility (annualized)16.0%4.2%Best
Max Drawdown-22.5%-15.0%Best
Fund FamilyInvesco (US)Vanguard (US)
CategoryEquityFixed Income
StyleLarge Cap BlendIntermediate Term Bond
InceptionApr 24, 2003Dec 1, 1997

Not shown on this pair: $10,000 over 5 years, Top 10 Weight.

A price return is not the return of a fund that pays its income out. The coupon or distribution never appears in the price, so the return rows carry no winner here. RSP currently yields 1.46% and VIITX 4.60%.

Volatility and max drawdown are measured over the window both funds cover: Sep 13, 2021 to Sep 9, 2026 (5 years).

Compare RSP against instead:RSP vs SPYRSP vs QQQRSP vs VOORSP vs VTIVIITX against:VIITX vs VXUS

RSP vs VIITX Performance

Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP) is an ETF from Invesco (US) and Vanguard Institutional Intermediate Term Bond Fund Institutional Plus Class (VIITX) is a mutual fund from Vanguard (US). Over the past year RSP's price moved +13.68% and VIITX's -2.90%, before the income each one paid out.

Over three years, RSP compounded at +12.97% per year against +0.37% for VIITX; over five years the annualized figures are +6.72% and -2.47% respectively.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

RSP has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 16.0% compared with 4.2% for VIITX. 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 -22.5% for RSP and -15.0% for VIITX. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.

The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.60. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.

Fees and Cost Over Time

RSP charges 0.20% per year while VIITX charges 0.02%. On a $10,000 position that is $20 vs $2 annually, a gap of $18 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, RSP currently yields 1.46% against 4.60% for VIITX.

Structure and taxes

VIITX is a mutual fund and RSP is an ETF. A mutual fund prices once a day at net asset value and may carry a purchase minimum. An ETF trades through the day at whatever the market pays for it.

In a taxable account the difference that usually matters is distributions. An ETF can meet redemptions in kind, so it rarely has to sell holdings and rarely passes a capital gain to the people who held it; a mutual fund that sells holdings to meet redemptions can distribute a realised gain at year end to everyone still in the fund, whether or not they sold anything themselves. In a tax-deferred account that difference largely disappears. Both are descriptions of how the two wrappers work, not a recommendation.

Tax-loss harvesting works on either wrapper.

Holdings Overlap

We hold position weights for 463 holdings in RSP and 1,285 in VIITX, totalling 91.6% and 52.5% of the two funds. Neither is a share of a fund we can divide by, so no overlap percentage is shown here. Within what we can see, 2 positions appear in both.

The two holdings books were reported 97 days apart, RSP as of Aug 5, 2026 and VIITX as of Apr 30, 2026, so some of the difference between them is the time between the two reports rather than the funds.

2 positions in common, counted across the 463 positions we hold weights for in RSP and 1,285 in VIITX, against full books of 511 and 2,599.

Top Shared Holdings

StockWeight in RSPWeight in VIITXDifference
CAHCardinal Health Inc.0.20%0.05%0.15%
TMUST-Mobile Usa Inc Esrw Usd Npv Ref Sm#5855580.18%0.06%0.12%

You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.

Whichever of RSP and VIITX you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.

RSPVIITX

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, RSP or VIITX?

RSP has an expense ratio of 0.20% while VIITX charges 0.02%. VIITX is the cheaper option, by $18 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which is riskier, RSP or VIITX?

RSP has been the more volatile fund at 16.0% annualized versus 4.2% for VIITX. Worst drawdown: RSP -22.5% vs VIITX -15.0%.

Should I hold both RSP and VIITX?

RSP and VIITX have a monthly-return correlation of 0.60, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which pays a higher dividend, RSP or VIITX?

RSP yields 1.46% while VIITX yields 4.60%, so VIITX currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is it better to hold VIITX or RSP in a taxable account?

RSP is an ETF and VIITX is a mutual fund. An ETF can meet redemptions in kind, so it rarely distributes a capital gain to the people holding it. A mutual fund that sells holdings to meet redemptions can pass a realised gain to every holder at year end. In a tax-deferred account that difference largely disappears. This is information, not a recommendation.

Is VIITX better than RSP?

VIITX has a lower expense ratio. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.