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BIL vs GLD

State Street SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF vs SPDR Gold Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

BIL State Street

State Street SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL) is an exchange-traded fund issued by State Street that provides exposure to short-duration U.S. Treasury bonds with low interest rate risk. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.14%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.95%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: 0.14% Yield: 3.95% Since: 2007-05-30
GLD State Street

SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) is an exchange-traded fund issued by State Street that provides exposure to gold securities. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.40%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: 0.40% Yield: N/A Since: 2004-11-18

Quick Verdict

BIL is significantly cheaper at 0.14% vs 0.40% expense ratio, saving you approximately $508 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, GLD has significantly outperformed with a 48.9% return vs -0.0%.

Key Metrics

Metric BIL GLD
Expense Ratio 0.14% 0.40%
Dividend Yield 4.0% N/A
Fund Family State Street State Street
Category US Short-Term Treasury Gold

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

90 131 172 213 254 295 2021-04 2022-06 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
BIL -0.1%
GLD +164.9%

Performance Comparison

Period BIL GLD Difference
1 Month +0.03% -8.37% +8.40%
3 Months +0.01% +7.70% -7.69%
6 Months -0.09% +17.72% -17.81%
YTD +0.01% +7.70% -7.69%
1 Year -0.01% +48.86% -48.87%
3 Years -0.04% +132.44% -132.48%
5 Years -0.08% +164.91% -164.99%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period BIL Fees GLD Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $278 $786 $508
$10,000 20 years $1,194 $3,334 $2,140
$10,000 30 years $3,841 $10,601 $6,760
$50,000 10 years $1,391 $3,932 $2,541
$50,000 30 years $19,203 $53,003 $33,800
$100,000 30 years $38,406 $106,005 $67,599

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric BIL GLD
Annualized Volatility 1.1% 17.8%
Max Drawdown -0.7% -21.0%
Sharpe Ratio -4.14 0.94

Dividend Comparison

Metric BIL GLD
Annual Dividend (per share) $3.62 $0.00
Dividend Yield 3.95% 0.00%
Distribution Frequency Monthly None

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose BIL if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose GLD if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

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