VTINX vs. VCLT
VTINX (Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund) and VCLT (Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF) are both funds - VTINX is a Target Retirement Date fund managed by Vanguard, while VCLT is a Corporate Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. 10+ Year Corporate Bond Index. Over the past 10 years, VTINX returned 5.26%/yr vs 2.27%/yr for VCLT. At a 0.39 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. VTINX charges 0.08%/yr vs 0.03%/yr for VCLT.
Performance
VTINX vs. VCLT - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VTINX achieves a 3.82% return, which is significantly higher than VCLT's 1.41% return. Over the past 10 years, VTINX has outperformed VCLT with an annualized return of 5.26%, while VCLT has yielded a comparatively lower 2.27% annualized return.
VTINX
- 1D
- 0.99%
- 1M
- 0.99%
- YTD
- 3.82%
- 6M
- 4.32%
- 1Y
- 10.90%
- 3Y*
- 9.04%
- 5Y*
- 3.93%
- 10Y*
- 5.26%
VCLT
- 1D
- -0.09%
- 1M
- 2.37%
- YTD
- 1.41%
- 6M
- 1.82%
- 1Y
- 6.87%
- 3Y*
- 4.64%
- 5Y*
- -2.06%
- 10Y*
- 2.27%
VTINX vs. VCLT - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VTINX Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund | 3.82% | 11.31% | 6.66% | 10.66% | -12.75% | 5.24% | 10.02% | 13.16% | -1.98% | 7.46% |
VCLT Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF | 1.41% | 7.18% | -1.90% | 11.17% | -25.50% | -1.73% | 13.27% | 23.89% | -7.04% | 11.70% |
Correlation
The correlation between VTINX and VCLT is 0.68, 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 | 0.68 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.71 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.68 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.56 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 23, 2009 | 0.39 |
Over the past year, VTINX and VCLT have become more correlated (0.68) than their long-term average of 0.39, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
VTINX vs. VCLT — Risk / Return Rank
VTINX
VCLT
VTINX vs. VCLT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund (VTINX) and Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCLT). 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.
| VTINX | VCLT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.32 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.88 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.41 | 1.13 | +0.28 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.58 | 1.13 | +1.45 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 11.15 | 2.75 | +8.40 |
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Drawdowns
VTINX vs. VCLT - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VTINX drawdown since its inception was -19.96%, smaller than the maximum VCLT drawdown of -34.31%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VTINX and VCLT.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VTINX | VCLT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -19.96% | -34.31% | +14.35% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -4.14% | -5.25% | +1.11% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -5.26% | -13.03% | +7.77% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -17.02% | -34.31% | +17.29% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -17.02% | -34.31% | +17.29% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.83% | -14.00% | +13.17% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -2.20% | -8.17% | +5.97% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.96% | 2.16% | -1.20% |
Volatility
VTINX vs. VCLT - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund (VTINX) is 2.25%, while Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCLT) has a volatility of 2.48%. This indicates that VTINX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VCLT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VTINX | VCLT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.25% | 2.48% | -0.23% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 4.34% | 5.91% | -1.57% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 5.15% | 7.95% | -2.80% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 6.11% | 12.77% | -6.66% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 5.75% | 12.85% | -7.10% |
VTINX vs. VCLT - Expense Ratio Comparison
VTINX has a 0.08% expense ratio, which is higher than VCLT's 0.03% 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
VTINX vs. VCLT - Dividend Comparison
VTINX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.84%, less than VCLT's 5.52% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VCLT Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF | 5.52% | 5.51% | 5.19% | 4.67% | 4.44% | 3.07% | 3.16% | 3.81% | 4.55% | 4.01% | 4.33% | 4.68% |
VTINX Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund | 4.84% | 5.02% | 5.89% | 4.01% | 3.08% | 8.63% | 3.42% | 2.62% | 4.19% | 1.56% | 2.27% | 3.53% |
Frequently Asked Questions
VTINX and VCLT have a correlation of 0.68, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VCLT has higher volatility (2.48%) compared to VTINX (2.25%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VTINX dropped -19.96% vs VCLT's -34.31%.
VTINX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.08 vs 0.75), 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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