AAAC vs ACLO

AAACBColumbia AAA CLO ETF

ACLOATCW AAA CLO ETF

In short

AAAC A late arrival to the AAA CLO crowd, competing on price: 0.20% a year, under the category median, with an active hand picking the paper. The stated goal is high current income, with capital preservation riding shotgun.

ACLO A 2024 arrival in the crowded AAA CLO aisle. TCW runs it actively, holding roughly 300 of the highest-rated slices of leveraged-loan pools, paying income monthly, at a fee matching the category's cheapest tier.

Stated mandate

AAAC The Fund seeks high current income and capital preservation. Its strategy involves selecting collateralized loan obligations and other instruments through credit analysis.

ACLO The fund seeks capital preservation and current income through principal investment in U.S. dollar-denominated AAA-rated collateralized loan obligations.

Why people hold it

• AAAC Charges 0.20% a year, under the CLO category median and level with what the biggest incumbents (JAAA, CLOA) charge.
• Actively managed, so a credit team selects the CLOs and other instruments through its own analysis instead of following an index.
• Even as a newcomer, the build stands in the upper tier of a crowded CLO peer group.
• Ordinary 1940 Act fund structure: same plumbing as a conventional bond ETF, no partnership paperwork.

• ACLO At 0.20% it undercuts the AAA CLO cohort median of 0.25% and matches the cheapest names in the group, including JAAA and CLOA.
• The mandate is stated narrowly: capital preservation and current income from US dollar AAA-rated CLOs, the top-rated tranches of the structure.tcw.com
• Roughly 300 positions, chosen deal by deal rather than tracked, so no single CLO carries the portfolio.
• Pays monthly, and the portfolio itself grades out as one of the stronger books among AAA CLO funds.

Worth knowing

• AAAC Launched in December 2025, so the track record is thin and risk measures rest on a short history.
• Payouts have arrived on an irregular schedule rather than a fixed monthly rhythm.
• Smaller and less traded than the category's established giants, which can mean wider spreads on large orders.

• ACLO It trades lightly next to the giants of the category, so spreads can run wider. Limit orders earn their keep here.
• Launched in late 2024, so the record is short and has not spanned a full credit cycle.
• Active with no declared index, so there is no tracking figure to hold it to. Results ride on TCW's deal selection.

Full AAAC profile⁠

Full ACLO profile⁠