What is the expense ratio of BNDX vs IAU?

BNDX has an expense ratio of 0.07%, while IAU has an expense ratio of 0.25%.

BNDX vs IAU

Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund vs iShares Gold Trust

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

IAU iShares

iShares Gold Trust (IAU) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to gold securities. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.25%. Launched in 2005, the fund has a 21-year track record.

AUM: $73.9B ER: 0.25% Yield: N/A Since: Jan 21, 2005

Quick Verdict

BNDX is significantly cheaper at 0.07% vs 0.25% expense ratio, saving you approximately $355 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, IAU has significantly outperformed with a 50.0% return vs -2.0%.

Key Metrics

Metric	BNDX	IAU
Expense Ratio	0.07%	0.25%
Dividend Yield	4.5%	N/A
Fund Family	Vanguard	iShares
Category	International Bond	Gold

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

BNDX -16.0%

IAU +171.9%

Performance Comparison

Period	BNDX	IAU	Difference
1 Month	-0.59%	-8.01%	+7.42%
3 Months	-1.27%	+3.75%	-5.02%
6 Months	-3.42%	+15.89%	-19.31%
YTD	-0.72%	+10.02%	-10.74%
1 Year	-1.97%	+50.03%	-52.00%
3 Years	-1.65%	+136.21%	-137.86%
5 Years	-16.04%	+171.92%	-187.96%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment	Period	BNDX Fees	IAU Fees	You Save
$10,000	10 years	$140	$495	$355
$10,000	20 years	$600	$2,111	$1,511
$10,000	30 years	$1,938	$6,758	$4,820
$50,000	10 years	$698	$2,473	$1,775
$50,000	30 years	$9,692	$33,792	$24,100
$100,000	30 years	$19,383	$67,584	$48,200

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric	BNDX	IAU
Annualized Volatility	5.3%	17.7%
Max Drawdown	-19.1%	-20.9%
Sharpe Ratio	-1.48	0.97

Dividend Comparison

Metric	BNDX	IAU
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 IAU if...

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

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