VIPIX vs VTI

VIPIX vs VTI

Which is better, VIPIX or VTI?

Inflation Protection against Large Cap Blend.

VTI has a lower expense ratio.

Lower Fees: 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

MetricVIPIXVTI
Expense Ratio0.07%0.03%Best
AUM$12.4B$666.9B
Dividend Yield5.21%1.03%
Holdings813,543
YTD Price Return-1.18%+10.98%
1Y Price Return-4.64%+15.99%
3Y Price Return (annualized)-0.50%+18.78%
5Y Price Return (annualized)-4.98%+10.16%
Volatility (annualized)6.6%Best16.1%
Max Drawdown-24.4%Best-26.2%
Fund FamilyVanguard (US)Vanguard (US)
CategoryFixed IncomeEquity
StyleInflation ProtectionLarge Cap Blend
InceptionDec 12, 2003May 24, 2001

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. VIPIX currently yields 5.21% and VTI 1.03%.

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

VIPIX vs VTI Performance

Vanguard Inflation Protected Securities Fund Insti Shs (VIPIX) is a mutual fund from Vanguard (US) and Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) is an ETF from Vanguard (US). Over the past year VIPIX's price moved -4.64% and VTI's +15.99%, before the income each one paid out.

Over three years, VIPIX compounded at -0.50% per year against +18.78% for VTI; over five years the annualized figures are -4.98% and +10.16% respectively.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

VTI has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 16.1% compared with 6.6% for VIPIX. 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 -24.4% for VIPIX and -26.2% 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 0.65. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.

Fees and Cost Over Time

VIPIX charges 0.07% per year while VTI charges 0.03%. On a $10,000 position that is $7 vs $3 annually, a gap of $4 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, VIPIX currently yields 5.21% against 1.03% for VTI.

Structure and taxes

VIPIX is a mutual fund and VTI 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 52 holdings in VIPIX and 2,787 in VTI, totalling 74.3% and 90.6% of the two funds. The two books name no position in common, so there is no overlap percentage to show.

0 positions in common, counted across the 52 positions we hold weights for in VIPIX and 2,787 in VTI, against full books of 81 and 3,543.

You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.

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

VIPIXVTI

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, VIPIX or VTI?

VIPIX has an expense ratio of 0.07% while VTI charges 0.03%. VTI is the cheaper option, by $4 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which is riskier, VIPIX or VTI?

VTI has been the more volatile fund at 16.1% annualized versus 6.6% for VIPIX. Worst drawdown: VIPIX -24.4% vs VTI -26.2%.

Should I hold both VIPIX and VTI?

VIPIX and VTI have a monthly-return correlation of 0.65, 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, VIPIX or VTI?

VIPIX yields 5.21% while VTI yields 1.03%, so VIPIX currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is it better to hold VIPIX or VTI in a taxable account?

VTI is an ETF and VIPIX 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 VTI better than VIPIX?

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