TLT vs BND: which was the better investment?
iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF against Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF on real daily total-return data — every dividend reinvested, from Apr 10, 2007 to Jul 15, 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
Did TLT beat BND?
It was effectively a tie over the full overlap period (Apr 10, 2007 to Jul 15, 2026): $10,000 grew to $17,497 in TLT and $17,709 in BND, a difference of under 2%.
What would $10,000 in TLT be worth today?
$10,000 invested in iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) on Apr 10, 2007 would be worth about $17,497 as of Jul 15, 2026, a total return of 75.0% (2.9% per year). The same $10,000 in BND would be worth $17,709.
Which was riskier — TLT or BND?
TLT swung with an annualized volatility of 15.1% and a worst peak-to-trough drop of -48.4%; BND ran at 5.2% volatility with a -18.6% maximum drawdown. Risk-adjusted (Sharpe ratio), that is 0.06 for TLT vs 0.19 for BND.
What data is this comparison based on?
Daily adjusted closing prices covering Apr 10, 2007 through Jul 15, 2026 — the full period where both assets have price history. Adjusted prices include dividends and splits, so these are total returns. The page refreshes with new market data every day.
Can I change the dates, amounts, or add monthly investing?
Yes — the interactive tool on this page is pre-loaded with TLT vs BND. You can set any start and end date, change the starting amount, add monthly contributions, or build a multi-asset portfolio and compare it against any benchmark.