VBCA vs VBCC

VBCAAVanguard Target Maturity 2027 Corporate Bond ETF

VBCCAVanguard Target Maturity 2029 Corporate Bond ETF

In short

VBCA Vanguard showed up late to the bond-ladder aisle and priced it accordingly: one rung of investment-grade corporate bonds, all maturing in 2027, wrapped in an ETF at 0.08%.

VBCC Vanguard's version of a single rung on a bond ladder: investment-grade corporates that all mature in 2029, wrapped in an ETF at 0.08% a year, under the typical fee in the target-maturity aisle.

Stated mandate

VBCA The fund seeks to track a market-weighted index of U.S.-dollar-denominated, investment-grade corporate bonds that mature in 2027.

VBCC The fund seeks to follow a market-weighted index of U.S.-dollar-denominated, investment-grade corporate bonds scheduled to mature in 2029.

Why people hold it

• VBCA At 0.08%, it undercuts the target-maturity norm, where iShares iBonds and Invesco BulletShares rungs run 0.10%.
• Its bonds are scheduled to mature between January 1 and December 15, 2027, and the index has a planned liquidation around that date, so duration winds down instead of resetting forever.sec.gov
• Market-weighted and investment-grade only: a single maturity year spread across the US corporate market rather than a handful of hand-picked bonds.
• Stands among the stronger implementations in a crowded target-maturity group, on cost and portfolio discipline.

• VBCC At 0.08% a year it undercuts the target-maturity median and the established 2029 corporate rungs from iShares (IBDU) and Invesco (BSCT), both at 0.10%.
• Every bond in the index is scheduled to mature in 2029, so the portfolio has an end date instead of rolling on forever like a standard bond fund.
• Investment-grade US dollar corporates, market-weighted. No high-yield sleeve, no manager leaning on favorite issuers.
• Stacks up among the stronger builds in a crowded target-maturity field, on the back of low cost and a straightforward investment-grade portfolio.

Worth knowing

• VBCA Launched in 2026 and still small, it trades thinly; spreads can be wider than on established bond ETFs.
• Corporate credit, not Treasuries: downgrades and defaults come with the territory. Treasury-only rungs such as IBTJ sidestep that risk.
• Short operating history, so there is limited data so far on how closely it tracks its index.

• VBCC Launched in 2026, so live history is short and it trades less actively than the long-running iShares and Invesco ladders. Limit orders matter more here.
• Corporate credit, not Treasuries. An investment-grade issuer can still be downgraded or miss a payment, and a 2029 maturity date does not erase that.
• Income is paid quarterly, so cash arrives four times a year rather than monthly.

Full VBCA profile⁠

Full VBCC profile⁠