ETF Versus

BNDX vs IWF

Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund vs iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund (BNDX) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to international bond securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.07%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.46%. Launched in 2013, the fund has a 13-year track record.

AUM: $76.8B ER: 0.07% Yield: 4.46% Since: Jun 4, 2013
IWF iShares

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.18%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.39%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $108.0B ER: 0.18% Yield: 0.39% Since: May 22, 2000

Quick Verdict

BNDX is significantly cheaper at 0.07% vs 0.18% expense ratio, saving you approximately $218 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, IWF has significantly outperformed with a 18.2% return vs -1.7%. Income investors may prefer BNDX for its higher yield (4.5% vs 0.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric BNDX IWF
Expense Ratio 0.07% 0.18%
Dividend Yield 4.5% 0.4%
Fund Family N/A iShares
Category International Bond US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 103 126 149 172 195 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
BNDX -15.9%
IWF +71.3%

Performance Comparison

Period BNDX IWF Difference
1 Month -1.88% -4.73% +2.85%
3 Months -0.62% -8.83% +8.21%
6 Months -2.83% -8.48% +5.65%
YTD -0.62% -8.83% +8.21%
1 Year -1.68% +18.20% -19.88%
3 Years -1.88% +75.80% -77.68%
5 Years -15.89% +71.26% -87.15%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period BNDX Fees IWF Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $140 $357 $218
$10.000 20 years $600 $1.529 $929
$10.000 30 years $1.938 $4.912 $2.973
$50.000 10 years $698 $1.786 $1.088
$50.000 30 years $9.692 $24.558 $14.866
$100.000 30 years $19.383 $49.116 $29.733

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric BNDX IWF
Annualized Volatility 5.3% 21.4%
Max Drawdown -19.1% -33.1%
Sharpe Ratio -1.48 0.40

Dividend Comparison

Metric BNDX IWF
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.14 $1.69
Dividend Yield 4.45% 0.39%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Quarterly

Top Holdings

IWF Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA12.82%
Apple Inc.AAPL11.79%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT8.78%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO4.81%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.61%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.57%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META3.28%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG2.83%
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY2.62%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose BNDX if...

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

Choose IWF if...

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

Choose BNDX if...

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

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