PLSIX vs. LTTIX
PLSIX (Principal LifeTime Strategic Income Fund) and LTTIX (MFS Lifetime 2025 Fund) are both Target Retirement Date funds. Over the past 10 years, PLSIX returned 5.17%/yr vs 6.24%/yr for LTTIX. Their correlation of 0.89 suggests significant overlap in exposure. PLSIX charges 0.02%/yr vs 0.00%/yr for LTTIX.
Performance
PLSIX vs. LTTIX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PLSIX achieves a 3.11% return, which is significantly higher than LTTIX's 2.74% return. Over the past 10 years, PLSIX has underperformed LTTIX with an annualized return of 5.17%, while LTTIX has yielded a comparatively higher 6.24% annualized return.
PLSIX
- 1D
- -0.58%
- 1M
- 0.08%
- YTD
- 3.11%
- 6M
- 2.76%
- 1Y
- 8.80%
- 3Y*
- 9.23%
- 5Y*
- 3.82%
- 10Y*
- 5.17%
LTTIX
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.08%
- YTD
- 2.74%
- 6M
- 2.43%
- 1Y
- 7.56%
- 3Y*
- 8.33%
- 5Y*
- 3.72%
- 10Y*
- 6.24%
PLSIX vs. LTTIX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PLSIX Principal LifeTime Strategic Income Fund | 3.11% | 10.46% | 8.16% | 10.93% | -13.11% | 4.40% | 10.19% | 12.77% | -3.15% | 8.73% |
LTTIX MFS Lifetime 2025 Fund | 2.74% | 9.29% | 6.73% | 10.36% | -12.36% | 8.61% | 10.61% | 17.82% | -3.97% | 13.16% |
Correlation
The correlation between PLSIX and LTTIX is 0.88, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.88 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.92 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.95 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.91 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 2, 2013 | 0.89 |
The correlation between PLSIX and LTTIX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.88 to 0.95 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
PLSIX vs. LTTIX — Risk / Return Rank
PLSIX
LTTIX
PLSIX vs. LTTIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Principal LifeTime Strategic Income Fund (PLSIX) and MFS Lifetime 2025 Fund (LTTIX). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| PLSIX | LTTIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.48 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.78 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.32 | 1.42 | -0.10 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.21 | 2.47 | -0.26 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.75 | 10.68 | -0.94 |
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Drawdowns
PLSIX vs. LTTIX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PLSIX drawdown since its inception was -40.52%, which is greater than LTTIX's maximum drawdown of -19.33%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PLSIX and LTTIX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PLSIX | LTTIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -40.52% | -19.33% | -21.19% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -4.30% | -3.64% | -0.66% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -5.92% | -5.77% | -0.15% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -17.93% | -16.92% | -1.01% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -17.93% | -19.33% | +1.40% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.99% | -0.45% | -0.54% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -6.65% | -2.68% | -3.97% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.97% | 0.84% | +0.13% |
Volatility
PLSIX vs. LTTIX - Volatility Comparison
Principal LifeTime Strategic Income Fund (PLSIX) has a higher volatility of 2.36% compared to MFS Lifetime 2025 Fund (LTTIX) at 1.34%. This indicates that PLSIX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than LTTIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PLSIX | LTTIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.36% | 1.34% | +1.02% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 4.77% | 3.32% | +1.45% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 5.68% | 4.18% | +1.50% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 6.90% | 6.37% | +0.53% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 5.91% | 7.24% | -1.33% |
PLSIX vs. LTTIX - Expense Ratio Comparison
PLSIX has a 0.02% expense ratio, which is higher than LTTIX's 0.00% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
PLSIX vs. LTTIX - Dividend Comparison
PLSIX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.62%, less than LTTIX's 11.54% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LTTIX MFS Lifetime 2025 Fund | 11.54% | 8.13% | 7.07% | 3.30% | 5.88% | 7.35% | 2.83% | 3.68% | 4.32% | 3.51% | 4.03% | 1.82% |
PLSIX Principal LifeTime Strategic Income Fund | 5.62% | 5.79% | 6.17% | 2.59% | 5.27% | 7.76% | 3.80% | 5.45% | 7.67% | 4.76% | 2.50% | 2.11% |
Frequently Asked Questions
PLSIX and LTTIX have a correlation of 0.88, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
PLSIX has higher volatility (2.36%) compared to LTTIX (1.34%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PLSIX dropped -40.52% vs LTTIX's -19.33%.
LTTIX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.16 vs 1.68), 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.
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