VBTLX vs VTIP: 39% overlap

Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Admiral and Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF share 38.7% of their portfolios by weight — computed as Σ min(wA, wB) over every holding both funds own.

Hold both, 50/50
1.6Effective Funds

You would hold two tickers and get the diversification of 1.6. Two funds that shared nothing would score 2.0; two identical funds score 1.0.

Overlap
38.7%
VBTLX expense ratio
0.04%
VTIP expense ratio
0.03%

Top shared holdings

VBTLX and VTIP hold 3 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:

Holdingin VBTLXin VTIPΔ
UST-3-10Y21.3%37.8%16.5%
UST-0-3Y16.7%61.5%44.8%
CASH1.1%0.7%0.4%

Where VBTLX and VTIP 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.

SectorVBTLXVTIPΔ
Treasuries48.2%99.3%51.1pp
MBS Pass-Through20.3%0.0%+20.3pp
Corporate — industrial & other14.6%0.0%+14.6pp
Financials7.9%0.0%+7.9pp
Utilities2.6%0.0%+2.6pp
Supranational1.4%0.0%+1.4pp
Sovereign1.2%0.0%+1.2pp
Unclassified0.7%0.0%+0.7pp

Δ is VBTLX minus VTIP, 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 VBTLX
2,044 positions

60.9% of VBTLX by weight, held in no part of VTIP.

Only in VTIP
0 positions

0.0% of VTIP by weight, held in no part of VBTLX.

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

Concentration and cost

VBTLXVTIP
Top 10 holdings71.7%100.0%
Positions held2,0473
Cost per $10,000 held, per year$4$3

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 VBTLX and VTIP overlap?

VBTLX and VTIP overlap 38.7% by portfolio weight — moderate overlap. They share 3 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (VBTLX as of 2026-06-30, VTIP as of 2026-06-30).

How is the overlap between VBTLX and VTIP calculated?

As the sum of the smaller weight in each fund, over every holding both funds own: Σ min(wA, wB). If VBTLX holds a stock at 6% and VTIP 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 VBTLX and VTIP?

That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 38.7% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.

What does VBTLX own that VTIP doesn't?

VBTLX holds 2,047 positions and VTIP holds 3; 2,044 of VBTLX's positions don't appear in VTIP at all, and they are 60.9% of VBTLX by weight.

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Related comparisons

Sources: issuer holdings files, VBTLX as of 2026-06-30, VTIP as of 2026-06-30. Weights are fractions of each fund. Diagnostics, not advice.