Wealthy PotBIL vs SGOV (2026)
Two ETFs doing the same job: holding very short Treasury bills. BIL is the older fund, launched in 2007, and tracks 1-3 month bills. SGOV tracks 0-3 month bills and charges 0.09% against BIL’s 0.1353%. The exposure is close enough that the fee is the deciding factor, and it points at SGOV. BIL is a reasonable hold if you already own it in a taxable account, where selling would realise a gain for no real benefit.
By Wealthy Pot · Last updated September 2026
| Feature | BIL | SGOV |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | State Street (SPDR) | iShares (BlackRock) |
| Wrapper | Exchange-traded fund | Exchange-traded fund |
| Holdings type | Treasury | Treasury |
| 30-day SEC yield | 3.59% (30-day SEC yield, 2026-09-18) | 3.65% (30-day SEC yield, 2026-09-17) |
| Share price | Floating share price (~$92), not a stable $1.00 NAV | Floating share price (~$100), not a stable $1.00 NAV |
| Expense ratio | 0.1353% | 0.09% |
| Minimum | One share (about $92) | One share (about $100) |
| State tax | Holds only 1-3 month U.S. Treasury bills, so nearly all income is typically exempt from state and local tax | Holds only short-dated U.S. Treasury bills, so nearly all income is typically exempt from state and local tax |
| Auto-sweep? | No — an exchange-traded fund you buy and sell yourself; it can never be an automatic core position | No — an exchange-traded fund you buy and sell yourself; it can never be an automatic core position |
| Best for | Investors who already hold BIL or want the longest-running T-bill ETF, though SGOV does the same job for less | Taxable investors in high-tax states who will park cash for a while and do not need instant sweep access |
Where BIL wins
- The original 1-3 month T-bill ETF, launched in 2007, with deep liquidity
Where SGOV wins
- A 0.09% expense ratio and almost pure T-bill income, which is the most state-tax-efficient way to hold cash
Which should you choose?
Two ETFs doing the same job: holding very short Treasury bills. BIL is the older fund, launched in 2007, and tracks 1-3 month bills. SGOV tracks 0-3 month bills and charges 0.09% against BIL’s 0.1353%. The exposure is close enough that the fee is the deciding factor, and it points at SGOV. BIL is a reasonable hold if you already own it in a taxable account, where selling would realise a gain for no real benefit.
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We summarize the funds' published facts, not user reviews. Yields are variable, change daily, and are re-checked against each fund's official page. Neither money-market funds nor ETFs are FDIC-insured, and an ETF's share price can fall as well as rise. Some outbound links may be affiliate links — that never affects our comparisons. Nothing here is financial advice.