What if you'd held VTIP?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund ETF Shares (VTIP) at the month-end close of 2012-10 would be worth $1,356 at the close of 2026-08 — +35.6% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $5,458.
Your scenario
Result
If you'd bought $1,000 at the start of each year
Value of $1,000 invested on January 1 of each year, held to 2026-08, dividends included.
Every year, $1,000 from 2012
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | $1,000 | — |
| 2013 | $985 | -1.5% |
| 2014 | $971 | -1.4% |
| 2015 | $973 | +0.2% |
| 2016 | $997 | +2.5% |
| 2017 | $1,005 | +0.8% |
| 2018 | $1,011 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | $1,060 | +4.9% |
| 2020 | $1,112 | +4.9% |
| 2021 | $1,172 | +5.4% |
| 2022 | $1,137 | -2.9% |
| 2023 | $1,190 | +4.6% |
| 2024 | $1,246 | +4.7% |
| 2025 | $1,322 | +6.1% |
| 2026 | $1,349 | +2.1% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought VTIP was 2014-12 ($35.81): $1,000 then is $1,390 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($49.78): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in VTIP be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund ETF Shares (VTIP) at the start of 2012 would be worth about $1,356 today, a total return of +35.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for VTIP?
Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund ETF Shares (VTIP)'s strongest calendar year since 2012 was 2025, a +6.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,061 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2022, at -2.9%.
Does the calculator include dividends and splits?
Yes where available. Prices are adjusted for both stock splits and reinvested dividends (total return), the same measure brokerages use.
How much would $100 per month in VTIP have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2012-10 would have grown to about $20,829 on $16,700 invested.
Did VTIP beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $5,458. VTIP trailed the S&P 500 by +75.1% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. Wall Street Regrets is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund ETF Shares (VTIP) historical total-return data from 2012-10 to 2026-08, reduced to month-end closes for the tables above.
Returns use adjusted close prices from Yahoo Finance historical data — adjusted for stock splits and reinvested dividends — the same convention used by major brokerages. A "year" scenario invests $1,000 at the prior December's month-end close and values it at the latest available month-end close. Non-USD amounts are converted at historical month-end exchange rates (Yahoo Finance): to USD on the buy date and back to your currency at the latest rate, so the return reflects the currency move as well as the asset.
Month-end resolution means intra-month extremes are not captured in tables; the calculator uses exact trading-day closes where daily data is available. Figures ignore taxes, fees, and the currency effects of non-USD listings. History is not a forecast. Wall Street Regrets is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.