VASIX vs. IRTR

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard LifeStrategy Income Fund (VASIX) and Ishares Lifepath Retirement ETF (IRTR).

VASIX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Sep 30, 1994. IRTR is an actively managed fund by iShares. It was launched on Oct 17, 2023.

Performance

VASIX vs. IRTR - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard LifeStrategy Income Fund (VASIX) and Ishares Lifepath Retirement ETF (IRTR). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VASIX vs. IRTR - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
VASIX Vanguard LifeStrategy Income Fund	-1.27%	9.42%	6.67%	9.49%
IRTR Ishares Lifepath Retirement ETF	-0.31%	12.70%	7.59%	10.63%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VASIX achieves a -1.27% return, which is significantly lower than IRTR's -0.31% return.

VASIX

• 1D: 0.26%
• 1M: -3.65%
• YTD: -1.27%
• 6M: 0.05%
• 1Y: 6.51%
• 3Y*: 6.68%
• 5Y*: 2.39%
• 10Y*: 3.76%

IRTR

• 1D: 1.37%
• 1M: -3.29%
• YTD: -0.31%
• 6M: 1.31%
• 1Y: 10.76%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

VASIX vs. IRTR - Expense Ratio Comparison

VASIX has a 0.11% expense ratio, which is higher than IRTR's 0.08% 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%.

VASIX

Vanguard LifeStrategy Income Fund

IRTR

Ishares Lifepath Retirement ETF

Return for Risk

VASIX vs. IRTR — Risk / Return Rank

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

VASIX

VASIX Risk / Return Rank: 77
VASIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 80
VASIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 80
VASIX Omega Ratio Rank: 74
VASIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 75
VASIX Martin Ratio Rank: 77

IRTR

IRTR Risk / Return Rank: 80
IRTR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 79
IRTR Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
IRTR Omega Ratio Rank: 80
IRTR Calmar Ratio Rank: 78
IRTR Martin Ratio Rank: 82

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.

VASIX vs. IRTR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard LifeStrategy Income Fund (VASIX) and Ishares Lifepath Retirement ETF (IRTR). 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.

	VASIX	IRTR	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.45	1.40	+0.05
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.02	2.05	-0.04
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.28	1.30	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.72	2.00	-0.28
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.48	8.72	-1.24
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VASIX vs. IRTR - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VASIX Sharpe Ratio is 1.45, which is comparable to the IRTR Sharpe Ratio of 1.40. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VASIX and IRTR, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	VASIX	IRTR	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.45	1.40	+0.05
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.42	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.77	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.10	1.81	-0.71

Correlation

The correlation between VASIX and IRTR is 0.90, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

VASIX vs. IRTR - Dividend Comparison

VASIX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.30%, more than IRTR's 3.07% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VASIX Vanguard LifeStrategy Income Fund	4.30%	4.18%	7.61%	3.17%	2.02%	3.95%	2.15%	2.73%	3.55%	1.52%	2.26%	2.57%
IRTR Ishares Lifepath Retirement ETF	3.07%	3.03%	3.03%	0.85%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

VASIX vs. IRTR - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VASIX drawdown since its inception was -18.17%, which is greater than IRTR's maximum drawdown of -6.29%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VASIX and IRTR.

Drawdown Indicators

	VASIX	IRTR	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-18.17%	-6.29%	-11.88%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-3.90%	-5.48%	+1.58%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.17%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-18.17%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.65%	-3.32%	-0.33%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.92%	-0.79%	-1.13%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.89%	1.26%	-0.37%

Volatility

VASIX vs. IRTR - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard LifeStrategy Income Fund (VASIX) is 2.08%, while Ishares Lifepath Retirement ETF (IRTR) has a volatility of 3.14%. This indicates that VASIX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than IRTR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VASIX	IRTR	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.08%	3.14%	-1.06%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	3.03%	4.42%	-1.39%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.62%	7.73%	-3.11%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	5.68%	7.04%	-1.36%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	4.87%	7.04%	-2.17%