JLS vs. VWTAX

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

JLS (Nuveen Mortgage and Income Fund) and VWTAX (Tomorrow's Scholar College Savings Plan - ING GNMA Income Fund) are both Mortgage Backed Securities funds. Over the past 3 years, JLS returned 15.44%/yr vs 3.25%/yr for VWTAX. At a 0.24 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

JLS vs. VWTAX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Nuveen Mortgage and Income Fund (JLS) and Tomorrow's Scholar College Savings Plan - ING GNMA Income Fund (VWTAX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, JLS achieves a 3.57% return, which is significantly higher than VWTAX's 0.46% return.

JLS

• 1D: -0.11%
• 1M: 0.33%
• YTD: 3.57%
• 6M: 2.41%
• 1Y: 9.94%
• 3Y*: 15.44%
• 5Y*: 5.59%
• 10Y*: 5.85%

VWTAX

• 1D: -0.09%
• 1M: -0.18%
• YTD: 0.46%
• 6M: 0.28%
• 1Y: 5.05%
• 3Y*: 3.25%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

JLS vs. VWTAX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
JLS Nuveen Mortgage and Income Fund	3.57%	11.60%	17.86%	14.88%	-9.03%
VWTAX Tomorrow's Scholar College Savings Plan - ING GNMA Income Fund	0.46%	6.42%	0.70%	3.93%	-9.46%

Correlation

The correlation between JLS and VWTAX is 0.03, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.03
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.20
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 9, 2022	0.24

Over the past year, the correlation between JLS and VWTAX has dropped to 0.03 - well below their long-term average of 0.24, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Return for Risk

JLS vs. VWTAX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

JLS

JLS Risk / Return Rank: 22
JLS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 17
JLS Sortino Ratio Rank: 18
JLS Omega Ratio Rank: 20
JLS Calmar Ratio Rank: 24
JLS Martin Ratio Rank: 30

VWTAX

VWTAX Risk / Return Rank: 23
VWTAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 24
VWTAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 26
VWTAX Omega Ratio Rank: 24
VWTAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 20
VWTAX Martin Ratio Rank: 21

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

JLS vs. VWTAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Nuveen Mortgage and Income Fund (JLS) and Tomorrow's Scholar College Savings Plan - ING GNMA Income Fund (VWTAX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	JLS	VWTAX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.19	1.40	-0.21
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.79	2.11	-0.32
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.25	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.86	1.66	+0.20
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.07	5.61	+1.46
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

JLS vs. VWTAX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current JLS Sharpe Ratio is 1.19, which is comparable to the VWTAX Sharpe Ratio of 1.40. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of JLS and VWTAX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	JLS	VWTAX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.19	1.40	-0.21
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.53	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.47	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.54	0.05	+0.49

Drawdowns

JLS vs. VWTAX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum JLS drawdown since its inception was -35.18%, which is greater than VWTAX's maximum drawdown of -14.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for JLS and VWTAX.

Drawdown Indicators

	JLS	VWTAX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-35.18%	-14.14%	-21.04%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-5.32%	-2.55%	-2.77%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-9.28%	-7.19%	-2.09%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-23.53%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.18%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.32%	-1.28%	-1.04%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.82%	-5.37%	-0.45%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.40%	0.76%	+0.64%

Volatility

JLS vs. VWTAX - Volatility Comparison

Nuveen Mortgage and Income Fund (JLS) has a higher volatility of 3.26% compared to Tomorrow's Scholar College Savings Plan - ING GNMA Income Fund (VWTAX) at 1.35%. This indicates that JLS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VWTAX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	JLS	VWTAX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.26%	1.35%	+1.91%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.12%	2.60%	+4.52%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	8.39%	3.79%	+4.60%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	10.56%	6.38%	+4.18%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	12.40%	6.38%	+6.02%

Dividends

JLS vs. VWTAX - Dividend Comparison

JLS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 10.19%, while VWTAX has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
JLS Nuveen Mortgage and Income Fund	10.19%	10.13%	9.91%	9.29%	6.56%	4.61%	4.94%	6.20%	9.31%	13.44%	7.11%	6.68%
VWTAX Tomorrow's Scholar College Savings Plan - ING GNMA Income Fund	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both JLS and VWTAX in my portfolio?

JLS and VWTAX have a correlation of 0.03, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, JLS or VWTAX?

JLS has higher volatility (3.26%) compared to VWTAX (1.35%). In terms of maximum drawdown, JLS dropped -35.18% vs VWTAX's -14.14%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

VWTAX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.40 vs 1.19), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.