At a glance
IBD charges 0.41% a year, above the 0.13% average of the 7 funds most like it (the 7th cheapest of 8). It has $502.9M in assets, the 8th largest of that group; it paid 4.34% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, monthly. Over the past year it returned −0.2% with distributions reinvested, the weakest of those 8 funds; over three years it returned +5.6% a year. At its worst it fell 16.3% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 11.5% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 3 months and 22 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 23.3% of the fund, out of 250 in all.
The short version
Inspire Corporate Bond ETF (IBD) is an index fund that tracks the Inspire Corporate Bond Index. As of August 31, 2026, the index held about 250 bonds from large US companies, each screened against biblical values. The fund pays income monthly, and its trailing 12-month yield was 4.34% as of October 27, 2026. The faith-based screen is what sets it apart. The trade-off is cost: its 0.41% expense ratio compares with 0.03% to 0.04% at broad corporate bond ETFs such as VCSH and IGSB.
Price history
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IBD -0.2% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBD official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +7.12% | — | +1.04% | — | +2.22% |
| Inspire Corporate Bond Index index, same period | — | +7.59% | — | +1.53% | — | +3.35% |
| Bloomberg U.S. Intermediate Credit Total Return Index index, same period | — | +7.88% | — | +1.54% | — | +2.96% |
| Bloomberg U.S. Intermediate Corporate Bond Total Return Index index, same period | — | +7.95% | — | +1.60% | — | +3.09% |
| IBD price data to Oct 27, 2026 | -0.8% | -0.2% | +5.6% | +1.2% | — | +1.9% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, IBD returned -0.2%, 8th of 8 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +1.2%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 16.3% and regained its old high 2.7 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-8.9%); its best was 2019 (+7.9%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 16.3% (Mar 3, 2020 to Mar 19, 2020), recovered by Jun 10, 2020.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | -0.8% | — |
| 2025 | +7.6% | +7.12% |
| 2024 | +3.5% | +3.58% |
| 2023 | +5.9% | +6.43% |
| 2022 | -8.9% | -9.25% |
| 2021 | -1.9% | -1.74% |
| 2020 | +5.1% | +5.21% |
| 2019 | +7.9% | +8.31% |
| 2018 | -1.3% | -0.24% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 11.1% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 16.3%, back to its old high 2.7 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 11.2% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 11.5%, back to its old high 22.2 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.7400 | |
| 2025 | $1.0000 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $0.9700 | +24.4% |
| 2023 | $0.7800 | +95.0% |
| 2022 | $0.4000 | +14.3% |
| 2021 | $0.3500 | -18.6% |
| 2020 | $0.4300 | -30.6% |
| 2019 | $0.6200 | +27.3% |
| 2018 | $0.4869 |
What's inside
As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 250 securities; the ten largest made up 23.3% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS INC Bonds and notes | 2.38% | |
| VALERO ENERGY CORP Bonds and notes | 2.37% | |
| AUTOZONE INC Bonds and notes | 2.37% | |
| AMPHENOL CORP Bonds and notes | 2.36% | |
| ALEXANDRIA REAL ESTATE EQUITIES INC Bonds and notes | 2.36% | |
| CAMDEN PROPERTY TRUST Bonds and notes | 2.32% | |
| CONAGRA BRANDS INC Bonds and notes | 2.30% | |
| BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC Bonds and notes | 2.29% | |
| AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING INC Bonds and notes | 2.28% | |
| JABIL INC Bonds and notes | 2.27% | |
| SUN COMMUNITIES OPERATING LP Bonds and notes | 2.26% | |
| ATMOS ENERGY CORP Bonds and notes | 2.25% | |
| CATERPILLAR INC Bonds and notes | 2.25% | |
| EVERGY INC Bonds and notes | 2.25% | |
| CARLISLE COMPANIES INC Bonds and notes | 2.21% |
By country
United States 98.09%Singapore 0.38%United Kingdom 0.2%Canada 0.2%Guernsey 0.18%By issuer
Companies 99.05%The bonds mature in 4.1 years on average (weighted by size), with an average coupon of 3.66%.
Source: N-PORT holdings report as of Aug 31, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Aug 31, 2026, investors added a net $42.6M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +0.19%, -0.65%, +0.26%.
How it works
IBD is an index fund. It tries to match the Inspire Corporate Bond Index, before fees, and normally keeps at least 80% of its assets in that index's bonds. Inspire Investing, LLC builds the index and also manages the fund, which is unusual. The index picks from bonds issued by US companies that Inspire counts as large, meaning those in the largest 10% of the US bond market.
Inspire gives each company an Inspire Impact Score™. This is Inspire's own rating of how well the company fits biblical values and how it treats customers, communities and workers. Only companies scoring zero or higher qualify. Companies are excluded for ties to abortion-related drugs, services or advocacy, alcohol, gambling, cannabis, embryonic stem cells, in vitro fertilization, or exploitation. Companies with above-average ratings in a national LGBT advocacy group's survey are also excluded. The prospectus warns that scores reflect Inspire's opinion and may not pick up new information right away.
As of August 31, 2026, the fund held 250 bonds and used no derivatives. The average bond had 4.1 years left until maturity (when the loan is repaid) and a coupon, or fixed interest rate, of 3.66%. The largest holding, a Cboe Global Markets bond due 2027, was about 2.4% of assets. The top 10 together made up 23.3%. Because the fund is passive, it sells a bond only when the index drops it or rebalances, not because a manager expects it to do poorly.
What it really costs
- IBD charges 0.41% a year, versus an average of 0.13% for the similar funds below (7th of 8, cheapest first).
- Of that, 0.3% is the management fee; the rest covers other fund expenses.
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $42 in the first year and $518 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBD | $42 | $132 | $230 | $518 |
Structure and tax notes
- Bond prices move opposite to interest rates; the longer the maturities it holds, the more its price reacts to rate changes.
In a retirement portfolio
It holds about 250 corporate bonds that mature in a few years on average and pays income monthly, so it fits best as an income holding, with a values screen added.
IBD could add monthly income from US corporate bonds. Its trailing 12-month yield was 4.34% as of October 27, 2026. Its price has moved much less than stocks, but it has still had real drops. In the March 2020 COVID sell-off it fell 16.3% in about two weeks, then recovered by June 10, 2020. The 2022 rate shock took longer to heal. An 11.5% decline took until August 2, 2024 to recover, about 22 months. Its worst calendar year was 2022, at -9.25%. Someone selling shares for spending money during that stretch would have locked in losses. The fund launched in 2017, so it has no record from 2008. Costs matter too: in the SEC's standard example, the 0.41% expense ratio comes to $42 in the first year on $10,000. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want their bond holdings screened against biblical values, using Inspire's Impact Score and its list of excluded business activities.
- People seeking monthly income: the trailing 12-month yield was 4.34%, or $1.01 per share, as of October 27, 2026.
- Those wanting corporate bonds with a 4.1-year average maturity spread across 250 issues, with no single bond above about 2.4% of assets.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: IBD's 0.41% expense ratio compares with 0.04% for IGSB and 0.03% for VCSH, which own similar bonds.
- Investors indifferent to faith-based screening: the fund trailed its own index and a broad Bloomberg corporate index over five years through 2025.
- Anyone uneasy with bond losses: IBD lost 9.25% in 2022 and took about 22 months to recover from its 2022 decline.
Close alternatives
Matched by bond funds with the closest average maturity and issuer mix (N-PORT).
| Fund | Avg. maturity | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBD this fund | 4.1 yrs | 0.41% | $502.9M | -0.2% | +5.6% |
| IGSB iShares 1-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate… | 3.7 yrs | 0.04% | $23.46B | +1.5% | +5.4% |
| VCSH Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF | 3.5 yrs | 0.03% | $51.74B | +1.9% | +5.7% |
| USHY iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond… | 5.4 yrs | 0.08% | $28.59B | +1.2% | +7.7% |
| HYG iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond E… | 5.4 yrs | 0.49% | $16.19B | +0.9% | +7.4% |
| SPIB SPDR Portfolio Intermediate Term Corporate … | 5.6 yrs | 0.04% | $11.57B | 0.0% | +6.1% |
| SPSB SPDR Portfolio Short Term Corporate Bond ETF | 2.4 yrs | 0.04% | $10.63B | +2.3% | +5.1% |
| JPST JPMorgan Ultra-Short Income ETF | 2 yrs | 0.18% | $41.13B | +3.1% | +4.8% |
Questions investors ask
Does IBD pay monthly dividends?
Yes. Inspire Corporate Bond ETF pays income every month. Over the 12 months through October 27, 2026, it paid $1.01 per share, a trailing yield of 4.34%. The money comes from interest on the roughly 250 corporate bonds it holds, so payments can rise or fall as bonds mature and are replaced at different rates. Part of the payout may also be offset by changes in the share price.
What's the difference between IBD and VCSH?
The main difference is IBD's biblical values screen. Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCSH) has no such filter. VCSH costs 0.03% a year, compared with 0.41% for IBD, and it is far bigger, with $51.7 billion in net assets versus about $503 million for IBD as of August 31, 2026. Their bonds are similar: the average time to maturity is 3.5 years for VCSH and 4.1 years for IBD. Three-year annualized returns were close, at 5.7% for VCSH through October 30, 2026 and 5.6% for IBD through October 27.
What companies does the Inspire Corporate Bond ETF exclude?
IBD excludes companies that Inspire finds involved in abortion-related drugs, services or advocacy, alcohol, gambling, cannabis, embryonic stem cells, in vitro fertilization, or exploitation. It also excludes companies rated above average in a national LGBT advocacy group's survey. Each company gets an Inspire Impact Score™, and only those scoring zero or higher are eligible. The prospectus says the scores reflect Inspire's view, and other investors may disagree about what counts as a violation.
How did IBD do in 2022?
Poorly, like most bond funds. IBD lost 9.25% in 2022, according to its prospectus, and that was its worst calendar year. Its worst quarter was the first quarter of 2022, at -5.17%. Rising interest rates were the cause, because existing bond prices fall when new bonds pay more. From January 4 to September 27, 2022, the fund fell 11.5%. It did not regain that peak until August 2, 2024, about 22 months later.
What is IBD's expense ratio?
IBD's expense ratio is 0.41%, which includes a 0.30% management fee, according to its March 26, 2026 prospectus. In the SEC's standard example of $10,000 earning 5% a year, total costs would be about $42 after one year, $132 after three, $230 after five and $518 after ten. The fund ranked 7th of 8 on cost among similar bond funds, where the average was 0.13%.