ETF Versus

BND vs IEFA

Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund vs iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

BND Vanguard

Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund (BND) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to the broad U.S. investment-grade bond market. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.93%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $150.4B ER: 0.03% Yield: 3.93% Since: Apr 3, 2007
IEFA iShares

iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.07%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.46%. Launched in 2012, the fund has a 14-year track record.

AUM: $164.3B ER: 0.07% Yield: 3.46% Since: Oct 18, 2012

Quick Verdict

BND has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.07%), saving about $80 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, IEFA has significantly outperformed with a 21.2% return vs -0.0%.

Key Metrics

Metric BND IEFA
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.07%
Dividend Yield 3.9% 3.5%
Fund Family Vanguard iShares
Category US Aggregate Bond International Developed

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 83 96 109 122 135 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
BND -13.3%
IEFA +24.0%

Performance Comparison

Period BND IEFA Difference
1 Month -1.63% -4.68% +3.05%
3 Months -0.84% +1.73% -2.57%
6 Months -1.20% +3.46% -4.66%
YTD -0.84% +1.73% -2.57%
1 Year -0.03% +21.19% -21.22%
3 Years -0.73% +36.36% -37.09%
5 Years -13.29% +23.97% -37.26%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period BND Fees IEFA Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $60 $140 $80
$10.000 20 years $258 $600 $342
$10.000 30 years $835 $1.938 $1.103
$50.000 10 years $299 $698 $398
$50.000 30 years $4.176 $9.692 $5.516
$100.000 30 years $8.352 $19.383 $11.032

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric BND IEFA
Annualized Volatility 6.0% 16.6%
Max Drawdown -21.7% -33.1%
Sharpe Ratio -1.19 0.07

Dividend Comparison

Metric BND IEFA
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.88 $3.18
Dividend Yield 3.92% 3.46%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Semi-Annual or Annual

Top Holdings

IEFA Top Holdings

NameWeight
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML2.18%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN1.25%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN1.21%
Roche Holding AG!swx/ROP1.17%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA1.16%
Shell plc!lon/SHEL1.12%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN1.05%
Toyota Motor Corporation!tyo/72030.85%
Commonwealth Bank of Australia!asx/CBA0.85%
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.!tyo/83060.81%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose BND if...

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

Choose IEFA if...

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

Choose BND if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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