BSV vs VFIFX: 6% overlap

Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF and Vanguard Target Retirement 2050 share 5.7% of their portfolios by weight — computed as Σ min(wA, wB) over every holding both funds own.

Different holding dates. These holdings were published about 3 months apart — VFIFX as of 2026-03-31, the rest through 2026-06-30. Each fund is compared using its most recent file, so any trading in between shows up as a difference.

Hold both, 50/50
1.9Effective Funds

You would hold two tickers and get the diversification of 1.9. Two funds that shared nothing would score 2.0; two identical funds score 1.0.

Overlap
5.7%
BSV expense ratio
0.03%
VFIFX expense ratio
0.08%

Top shared holdings

BSV and VFIFX hold 941 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:

Holdingin BSVin VFIFXΔ
UST-3-10Y28.5%1.6%26.9%
UST-0-3Y40.9%1.2%39.7%
CASH0.7%1.9%1.2%
AGENCY-MBS0.2%1.5%1.3%
1350870.1%0.1%0.0%
46647P0.7%0.0%0.7%
06051G0.6%0.0%0.5%
4590580.6%0.0%0.6%
68389X0.2%0.0%0.2%
0231350.2%0.0%0.2%

Where BSV and VFIFX differ

Sector weights as a share of each fund, ordered by the size of the gap rather than the size of the sector — two funds that overlap heavily still usually diverge somewhere.

SectorBSVVFIFXΔ
Treasuries69.4%3.6%+65.9pp
Information Technology0.0%26.1%26.1pp
Corporate — industrial & other12.6%1.1%+11.5pp
Industrials0.0%10.5%10.5pp
Consumer Discretionary0.0%7.5%7.5pp
Health Care0.0%6.9%6.9pp
Unclassified0.2%6.3%6.0pp
Communication Services0.0%5.9%5.9pp

Δ is BSV minus VFIFX, in percentage points. Sector data is not published by every issuer, so “Unclassified” is a real category rather than a gap in the table.

What each fund holds alone

Only in BSV
19 positions

0.1% of BSV by weight, held in no part of VFIFX.

Only in VFIFX
15,741 positions

91.6% of VFIFX by weight, held in no part of BSV.

A large count with a small weight is the usual shape: the positions one fund adds are typically its smallest ones.

Concentration and cost

BSVVFIFX
Top 10 holdings73.8%19.3%
Positions held9606
Cost per $10,000 held, per year$3$8

Cost is the expense ratio applied to $10,000; it excludes any brokerage commission, bid-ask spread or tax consequence. Figures are facts about the funds, not a suggestion about which to hold.

Frequently asked

How much do BSV and VFIFX overlap?

BSV and VFIFX overlap 5.7% by portfolio weight — largely distinct portfolios. They share 941 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (BSV as of 2026-06-30, VFIFX as of 2026-03-31).

How is the overlap between BSV and VFIFX calculated?

As the sum of the smaller weight in each fund, over every holding both funds own: Σ min(wA, wB). If BSV holds a stock at 6% and VFIFX holds the same stock at 4%, 4% counts as shared. The result is bounded between 0% and 100%, and it is computed after looking through any fund-of-funds to the underlying holdings.

Is it redundant to hold both BSV and VFIFX?

That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 5.7% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.

What does BSV own that VFIFX doesn't?

BSV holds 960 positions and VFIFX holds 6; 19 of BSV's positions don't appear in VFIFX at all, and they are 0.1% of BSV by weight.

You probably hold more than two funds

This page compares BSV and VFIFX. Paste your whole portfolio — brokerage, 401(k), IRA — and see the overlap across every fund at once, plus what you actually own underneath them and your own Effective Funds number. Free, no account, nothing stored.

X-ray my portfolio — free →

Watch BSV vs VFIFX

We re-read both funds’ published holdings every weeknight. Leave an address and we'll tell you when what's inside actually changes.

Not sending yet — email alerts are built but switched off, and you'll be among the first when they turn on. No spam, one-click unsubscribe.

Related comparisons

Sources: issuer holdings files, BSV as of 2026-06-30, VFIFX as of 2026-03-31. Weights are fractions of each fund. Diagnostics, not advice.