BNDX vs DFJ Fund Comparison

A comparison between BNDX and DFJ based on their expense ratio, growth, holdings and how well they match their benchmark performance.

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Minafi's Take on BNDX vs DFJ

Here's an in depth look at the differences between Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund ETF Shares ($BNDX) and WisdomTree Japan SmallCap Dividend Fund ($DFJ).

To start off, here's a look at the basics of each fund. Keep an eye on the FI Score. That's a custom score from 0 to 100 that we generate based on how good this fund is for the casual investor. Most investors only need a handful of total funds in their portfolio. The higher the score, the more likely this is one of those few. Score alone isn't enough! Keep reading on to see how different (or perhaps similar) these two funds are.

94% FI Score
  • bndx
  • ETF
  • Bond
  • International

Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund ETF Shares

Expenses: 0.08% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is a great choice for a International Bond fund. See why »

48% FI Score
  • dfj
  • ETF
  • International Stocks
  • Japan Stock

WisdomTree Japan SmallCap Dividend Fund

Expenses: 0.58% (Better than 0% of similar funds)

This is a bad choice for a Japan Stock International Stocks fund. See why »

Both $BNDX and $DFJ are categorized as ETFs. ETFs have an added bonus over mutual funds of being more widely available. Mutual funds are often limited to only the issuing investment brokerage. Since these are both ETFs, you may be able to find these at a wider number of investment apps and websites.

The biggest disadvantage of ETFs is that some platforms only allow you to purchase ETFs in whole shares. So if an ETF is going for $75, you may need to invest in increments of $75. Most 401(k)'s allow for investing down to the penny, but you'll want to verify your platform allows for "fractional ETF Shares".

To learn more about the difference between these two, you can read about the difference between ETFs and Mutual Funds.

When evaluating a fund, the first things I look at are:

  • What it invests in
  • How much it charges in fees
  • How large the fund is

Let's look into these criteria one by one and see if either of these funds stands out.

Fund Holdings Comparison

Minafi's FI Score algorithm takes into account the category and market. The more niche a fund is, the lower the score. This doesn't mean it's a worse fund, but it does mean you should stop and make sure this a fund you need to diversify your portfolio.

BNDX DFJ
Market Score 9.5 /10 7.0 /10
Category Score 10.0 /10 5.0 /10
Total 19.5 12.0

A score of 10 means this is a solid market and category that almost every investor will want to have investments in. The lower the score, the more specific the investment. These scores are based on when most investors would add these funds to their portfolio. A score of 10 means that this fund (or one like it) belongs in a three-fund portfolio. The lower the score, the farther down in your portfolio a fund would go.

For each fund we've created a "diversification score" – a metric to indicate how closely each funds asset allocation matches it's benchmark. For example, an S&P 500 fund would have a diversification score of 10 if it's fully in line with the actual S&P 500.

The diversification score for BNDX is 10.0/10, while DFJ has a diversification score of 3.3/10.

In other words, BNDX more closely matches it's benchmark.

Winner: $BNDX

Fee Comparison

Fees are one of the biggest killers of portfolio growth. The difference between a 2% fee and a 0.04% fee over 30 years can result in your portfolio having half the total value!

If you're just getting started investing and learning how fees impact your portfolio, I'd encourage you to read through my free investment course (specifically '2.2 - All About Fees') where I go over all the different types of fees you can be charged and how to lower them.

For these two funds, BNDX has an expense ratio of 0.08% while DFJ has an expense ratio of 0.58%.

Winner: $BNDX

Fund Size Comparison

One place these two funds differ is in their total assets under management. This is a good indication of how many other investors trust this fund. A large fund by itself doesn't mean it's a good fund, but it is one thing to consider when figuring out how to choose the right fund.

In the case of these two funds, BNDX is a large fund with 143 Billion in assets under management. DFJ, on the other hand, is a medium fund with 240 Million in assets under management.

Winner: $BNDX, Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund ETF Shares

Which Should You Choose? BNDX or DFJ?

Comparing these two funds isn't an apples to apples comparison. BNDX is a Bond International fund, while DFJ is a International Stocks Japan Stock fund.

If you're aiming to build a diversified, low-fee, tax-optimized portfolio you likely won't be choosing between these two funds since they're different enough.

Running both of these funds through Minafi's FI Score algorithm, gives BNDX a score of 94 and DFJ a score of 48.

Winner: $BNDX, Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund ETF Shares

$BNDX

Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund ETF Shares

94

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Diversification Score 10 /10
Expense Ratio Score 9 /10
Expense Rating 9 /10
Market Score 9 /10
Category Score 10 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type ETF
Inception Date May-31-2013
Exchange NASDAQ
Expense Ratio 0.080%
Net Assets 143 Billion
Yield 3.33%
Holdings
Description Info
Market Bond
Category International
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 0.00%
  • Communication Services 0.00%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 0.00%
  • Consumer Defensive 0.00%
  • Energy 0.00%
  • Financial Services 100.00%
  • Healthcare 0.00%
  • Industrials 0.00%
  • Real Estate 0.00%
  • Technology 0.00%
  • Utilities 0.00%
Regions
  • United Kingdom 100.00%

$DFJ

WisdomTree Japan SmallCap Dividend Fund

48

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Diversification Score 3 /10
Expense Ratio Score 4 /10
Expense Rating 4 /10
Market Score 7 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type ETF
Inception Date Jun-16-2006
Exchange NYSE ARCA
Expense Ratio 0.580%
Net Assets 240 Million
Yield 2.50%
Holdings
Description Info
Market International Stocks
Category Japan Stock
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 11.11%
  • Communication Services 3.33%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 20.48%
  • Consumer Defensive 5.43%
  • Energy 0.69%
  • Financial Services 11.14%
  • Healthcare 6.11%
  • Industrials 25.83%
  • Real Estate 2.95%
  • Technology 11.84%
  • Utilities 1.08%
Regions
  • Japan 100.00%

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