TLT Total Return Analyzer

TLT total return combines two components: the cumulative distributions you received from TLT over the holding period, and the change in NAV (share price) across the same window. Many high-yield funds advertise distribution rates that look spectacular in isolation but mask meaningful NAV erosion. The analyzer above shows exactly how much of your TLT return came from distributions versus price change — a 50% annualized distribution rate paired with a 30% NAV decline is a very different investment than a 50% distribution with flat NAV.

iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) is issued by iShares. Holds U.S. Treasury bonds with 20+ year maturities — the mainstream way to get long-duration Treasury exposure in ETF form. 30-day SEC yield ~4.8%, effective duration ~15 years (meaning price moves roughly 15% for every 1% change in long-bond yields). Expense ratio 0.15%, monthly distributions. Often used as a macro hedge or rate-trade vehicle; NAV swings substantially with long-bond yields. That strategy directly shapes the gap between headline yield and real yield: option-premium and covered-call funds tend to show large gaps, while traditional dividend ETFs and index funds usually show small ones.

For the detail behind each payment, see the TLT dividend history. To project how future TLT distributions compound under DRIP, open the TLT dividend calculator.