What is the expense ratio of BNDX vs GLD?

BNDX has an expense ratio of 0.07%, while GLD has an expense ratio of 0.40%.

BNDX vs GLD

Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund vs SPDR Gold Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-10

BNDX Vanguard

Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund (BNDX) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to international bond securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.07%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.46%. Launched in 2013, the fund has a 13-year track record.

AUM: $78.0B ER: 0.07% Yield: 4.46% Since: Jun 4, 2013

GLD SPDR

SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to gold securities. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.40%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $162.2B ER: 0.40% Yield: N/A Since: Nov 18, 2004

Quick Verdict

BNDX is significantly cheaper at 0.07% vs 0.40% expense ratio, saving you approximately $647 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, GLD has significantly outperformed with a 49.8% return vs -2.0%.

Key Metrics

Metric	BNDX	GLD
Expense Ratio	0.07%	0.40%
Dividend Yield	4.5%	N/A
Fund Family	Vanguard	SPDR
Category	International Bond	Gold

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

BNDX -16.0%

GLD +169.9%

Performance Comparison

Period	BNDX	GLD	Difference
1 Month	-0.59%	-8.02%	+7.43%
3 Months	-1.27%	+3.74%	-5.01%
6 Months	-3.42%	+15.85%	-19.27%
YTD	-0.72%	+9.98%	-10.70%
1 Year	-1.97%	+49.83%	-51.80%
3 Years	-1.65%	+135.15%	-136.80%
5 Years	-16.04%	+169.92%	-185.96%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment	Period	BNDX Fees	GLD Fees	You Save
$10,000	10 years	$140	$786	$647
$10,000	20 years	$600	$3,334	$2,733
$10,000	30 years	$1,938	$10,601	$8,662
$50,000	10 years	$698	$3,932	$3,234
$50,000	30 years	$9,692	$53,003	$43,311
$100,000	30 years	$19,383	$106,005	$86,622

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric	BNDX	GLD
Annualized Volatility	5.3%	17.8%
Max Drawdown	-19.1%	-21.0%
Sharpe Ratio	-1.48	0.96

Dividend Comparison

Metric	BNDX	GLD
Annual Dividend (per share)	$2.14	$0.00
Dividend Yield	4.47%	0.00%
Distribution Frequency	Monthly	None

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose BNDX if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose GLD if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

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