VSCGX vs. VBTLX
VSCGX (Vanguard LifeStrategy Conservative Growth Fund) and VBTLX (Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund Admiral Shares) are both mutual funds - VSCGX is a Diversified Portfolio fund managed by Vanguard, while VBTLX is a Total Bond Market fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Float Adjusted Index. Over the past 10 years, VSCGX returned 6.62%/yr vs 1.58%/yr for VBTLX. At a 0.10 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. VSCGX charges 0.12%/yr vs 0.04%/yr for VBTLX.
Performance
VSCGX vs. VBTLX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VSCGX achieves a 5.65% return, which is significantly higher than VBTLX's 0.42% return. Over the past 10 years, VSCGX has outperformed VBTLX with an annualized return of 6.62%, while VBTLX has yielded a comparatively lower 1.58% annualized return.
VSCGX
- 1D
- 0.17%
- 1M
- 2.69%
- YTD
- 5.65%
- 6M
- 5.96%
- 1Y
- 14.61%
- 3Y*
- 12.39%
- 5Y*
- 5.61%
- 10Y*
- 6.62%
VBTLX
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.55%
- YTD
- 0.42%
- 6M
- 0.35%
- 1Y
- 5.34%
- 3Y*
- 4.05%
- 5Y*
- 0.21%
- 10Y*
- 1.58%
VSCGX vs. VBTLX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VSCGX Vanguard LifeStrategy Conservative Growth Fund | 5.65% | 12.87% | 11.65% | 12.72% | -15.00% | 6.04% | 11.51% | 15.69% | -2.95% | 10.02% |
VBTLX Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund Admiral Shares | 0.42% | 7.17% | 1.26% | 5.74% | -13.16% | -1.81% | 7.72% | 8.73% | -0.25% | 3.56% |
Correlation
The correlation between VSCGX and VBTLX is 0.52, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.52 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.55 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.50 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.32 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 13, 2001 | 0.11 |
Over the past year, VSCGX and VBTLX have become more correlated (0.52) than their long-term average of 0.10, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
VSCGX vs. VBTLX — Risk / Return Rank
VSCGX
VBTLX
VSCGX vs. VBTLX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard LifeStrategy Conservative Growth Fund (VSCGX) and Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund Admiral Shares (VBTLX). 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.
| VSCGX | VBTLX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.04 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.45 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.47 | 1.24 | +0.22 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.85 | 1.86 | +0.99 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 12.45 | 5.58 | +6.87 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| VSCGX | VBTLX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.40 | 1.36 | +1.04 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.73 | 0.04 | +0.70 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.90 | 0.32 | +0.58 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.85 | 0.76 | +0.09 |
Drawdowns
VSCGX vs. VBTLX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VSCGX drawdown since its inception was -30.62%, which is greater than VBTLX's maximum drawdown of -18.81%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VSCGX and VBTLX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VSCGX | VBTLX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -30.62% | -18.81% | -11.81% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -5.19% | -2.89% | -2.30% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -6.71% | -6.00% | -0.71% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -20.15% | -18.14% | -2.01% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -20.15% | -18.81% | -1.34% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | -2.18% | +2.18% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.00% | -2.67% | -0.33% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.18% | 0.96% | +0.22% |
Volatility
VSCGX vs. VBTLX - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard LifeStrategy Conservative Growth Fund (VSCGX) has a higher volatility of 2.17% compared to Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund Admiral Shares (VBTLX) at 1.38%. This indicates that VSCGX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VBTLX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VSCGX | VBTLX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.17% | 1.38% | +0.79% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 5.09% | 2.80% | +2.29% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 6.16% | 3.97% | +2.19% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 7.70% | 6.01% | +1.69% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 7.37% | 4.98% | +2.39% |
VSCGX vs. VBTLX - Expense Ratio Comparison
VSCGX has a 0.12% expense ratio, which is higher than VBTLX's 0.04% 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
VSCGX vs. VBTLX - Dividend Comparison
VSCGX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.24%, more than VBTLX's 3.98% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VBTLX Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund Admiral Shares | 3.98% | 3.87% | 3.69% | 3.10% | 2.59% | 1.96% | 2.39% | 2.74% | 2.57% | 2.56% | 2.53% | 2.82% |
VSCGX Vanguard LifeStrategy Conservative Growth Fund | 5.24% | 5.50% | 11.03% | 5.23% | 2.79% | 4.18% | 3.28% | 2.62% | 3.81% | 1.65% | 2.43% | 3.21% |
Frequently Asked Questions
VSCGX and VBTLX have a correlation of 0.52, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VSCGX has higher volatility (2.17%) compared to VBTLX (1.38%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VSCGX dropped -30.62% vs VBTLX's -18.81%.
VSCGX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.40 vs 1.36), 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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